Find out what the state of Japan’s fintech is like at #tiatokyo2016

Fintech is, without a doubt, one of the hottest industries in Japan’s startup scene. Fintech startups have seen phenomenal growth in recent years, averaging a whopping US$44 million in funding per company. They have also garnered governmental support and recognition in financial strongholds all over the world, such as the UK, Wall Street, Hong Kong, Singapore and Luxembourg.

Its future looks highly promising, with a growing queue of up-and-coming startups especially in Southeast Asia at its frontier. The need for financial services isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and this is a space you ought to follow closely as it unfolds.

On September 6 and 7 this year at Tech in Asia Tokyo, we’re tackling this booming empire with two speakers. Get ready to hear from Natalie Fleming from Fintech Association of Japan, and Taavet Hinrikus of TransferWise, who will give us insights into the latest fintech trends, the way forward for this booming industry, as well as a firsthand account of their journey at the Main Stage on Day 2.

Fintech in Japan

Natalie Fleming is the foremost authority on fintech in Japan. She co-founded the Fintech Association of Japan, which initially started as a meetup in 2014. It has since grown to include more than 160 companies from venture startups like TransferWise and Moneytree, to corporate members like Adobe and Sony. The group leads various high-profile initiatives including policy proposals for the government, community building events, and study groups for key topics.

Their aim is to build a sustainable and healthy fintech ecosystem in Japan while increasing awareness of the Japanese fintech space in the global market.

With recent changes in governmental regulations in Japan, fintech is a major industry in the country, and consists of three of Japan’s most funded startups, bitFlyer, Freee, and MoneyForward.

Natalie’s thorough, firsthand knowledge of the Japanese scene comes from her experience as the current head of Payoneer Japan, a cross-border currency platform, as well as her past leadership position at Rakuten working on its financial services. At the session, she will share how she tracks the growth of the local fintech industry, and how to build lasting global relationships with key players in the space.

There’s certainly a lot to look forward to what she has to say about the sudden growth and future of fintech in Japan.

Money without borders

Taavet Hinrikus, CEO and co-founder of the revolutionary money transfer platform, TransferWise, will show us the lesser-known story behind the fintech startup’s success. TransferWise has since joined the unicorn club, recently raising another round of funding to take its total valuation to $1.1 billion.

The ambitious startup seeks to eliminate fees charged for cross-border transfers globally. Inspiration struck while Taavet was working for Skype. As the company’s very first employee, he moved to London in 2006, where he discovered the pain of transferring money internationally. Confronted with exorbitant fees charged by banks – most of which was hidden in the exchange rate, he decided to solve the problem himself.

From its headquarters in London, as well as an additional four offices in Europe and the US, TransferWise is transforming the world of international payments by transporting billions of dollars across borders for fees as low as 0.5%.

You can bet Taavet has a lot to say about the rising popularity of fintech: TransferWise’s aspiration to join tech giants like Google and Uber; his personal journey that led him to this point; and why he has decided to partner up with the big banks that he once ran campaigns against.

Take away a batchful of inspiration from the man who, in addition to running a unicorn, is also serving as the advisor to the Prime Minister of Estonia on the digital agenda!

Save yourself a seat

We’re sure these seats won’t take long to fill up – so save yourself one today! You can still get your passes at 15 percent off when you use the code tiatokyo15 during checkout.

P/S: Fancy taking part in a Fintech pitch battle? We’re accepting applications for the Tech in Asia Tokyo Fintech Pitch Battle 2016. Finalists get exposure to hundreds of investors, international media, and potential customers. Click here for more information and to apply. Japanese version available too.