1. Purpose

The trend of FinTech has been attracting attention. However, advanced FinTech start-ups and venture capitalists have not necessarily emerged in Japan when compared with the situation in other advanced economies.

In order to promote FinTech start-ups’ growth and success regardless of borders, it is important to create an ecosystem in which a range of professionals–such as those who specialize in technologies (like researchers and engineers) and those who specialize in business development (like enterprises, fund providers, and law and accounting experts)–gather, and FinTech start-ups emerge and grow through the collaboration of such professionals, while taking advantage of Japanese strengths.

Thus, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) is establishing a “Panel of Experts on FinTech Start-ups,” aiming to set up a framework in which experts discuss possible measures to create a “FinTech ecosystem” and the possible impacts on financial services by the trend of FinTech, etc.

2. Members (Japanese alphabetical order without honorific titles)

• Joichi Ito, director, MIT Media Lab
• Yasunori Kaneko, managing director, Skyline Ventures
• Soichi Kariyazono, chair, Japan Venture Capital Association
• Tomotaka Goji, managing partner, University of Tokyo Edge Capital Co., Ltd.
• Toshio Taki, COO, Money Forward, Inc.
• Masaaki Tanaka, senior advisor, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
• Masaaki Nakatsu, co-founder and CEO, Orb, Inc.
• Shin-ichi Fukuda, professor, Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo (chair)
• Yutaka Matsuo, associate professor, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

*The panel will invite other experts as necessary.