UK Investors-Japan FinTech Online Meetup (24 March 2021)

On 24 March, the Embassy of Japan in the UK and the FinTech Association of Japan (FAJ) co-hosted the ‘UK Investors-Japan FinTech Online Meetup’. It was supported by the Department of International Trade (UK DIT), the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), the Global Tech Advocates, the Tech Japan Advocates, Financial Services Agency (the Government of Japan), Tokyo Metropolitan Government, JETRO, FinCity.Tokyo, FINOLAB, and Plug and Play Japan.

The event was comprised of two parts: Part 1 ‘Japan’s FinTech Landscape and Opportunities’ and Part 2 ‘Meetup with Japan FinTech Entrepreneurs’.

We received more than 70 attendees from investment firms, FinTech accelerators, financial institutions and other businesses. The speakers from the FAJ, Plug and Play Japan and Japan’s FinTech firms illustrated opportunities in the Japanese market for UK investors, as well as challenges to digitalise the modern infrastructure and mindset of the financial industry and the economy as a whole.

Mr Minoru Nakamura, Minister for Financial Affairs of the Embassy of Japan, highlighted that the UK-Japan CEPA is a milestone of strong UK-Japan partnership which will catalyse trade and investment in financial services. He also underscored the government initiatives to expand Japan’s role as an international financial hub that will attract financial professionals from abroad.

Mr Hugh de Lusignan, Head of Financial Services of UK DIT, welcomed Japanese businesses to make the UK a key part of their international journey. He illuminated the evolving ecosystem of the UK FinTech industry and its prospects with policy initiatives from the government and regulators such as the Regulatory Scalebox, and said the UK will remain a leader in promoting competition and innovation.

*Details of the event and the agenda can be found here.