GFTN Japan

What GFTN Japan does

GFTN Japan is the Japan operating entity of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a Singapore-headquartered organization (previously known as Elevandi) that operates the GFTN Forum, Japan as the centerpiece of Japan FinTech Week. The forum is the largest fintech convening in Japan, attracting 5,600+ attendees from 74 countries, including 330+ speakers, 491 fintechs, and 79 investors, with 70% C-Suite representation and 14% from central banks and regulatory bodies. The organization is structured as a non-profit event/conference platform with a lean team of 9 employees, relying on the parent GFTN's four operating arms (Forums, Advisory, Platform, Capital) for execution and shared capabilities.

The GFTN Forum, Japan functions as a convening platform rather than a technology provider, with AI, quantum computing, tokenization, digital assets, blockchain, cybersecurity, and CBDCs addressed as discussion topics rather than core technology assets. Differentiated program formats include GFTN Insights Chatham House Roundtables, JFSA Blockchain Roundtables, Investor Hours, The Founders Peak, and the FinoPitch Awards. The event is anchored by official collaboration with Japan's Financial Services Agency (JFSA), the Bank of Japan, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, providing regulatory legitimacy that commercial conference organizers cannot replicate.

GFTN Japan generates revenue through tiered sponsorship packages (Grand, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Friends of Fintech), exhibitor fees, attendee registration fees, and specialized lounge sponsorship for the GFTN Global Premium Lounge. Sponsors include major crypto companies (Ripple, Circle, Binance), financial institutions (SMBC, MUFG, Mastercard), exchanges (SBI, Monex), and strategic investors (Temasek). The organization serves four primary segments: policymakers/regulators, financial services leaders, venture and private equity investors, and fintech founders/startups, with the event positioned as a bridge between Japan's regulatory environment and the global fintech ecosystem.

Name

GFTN Japan

Legal name

Global Finance & Technology Network

Website

https://fintechfestival.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GFTN Japan operates the GFTN Forum, Japan, the largest fintech convening in Japan and part of JFSA-organized Japan FinTech Week, attracting 5,600+ attendees from 74 countries. The non-profit event platform serves policymakers, financial services leaders, investors, and fintech founders through annual forums, multi-tier sponsorships, and Chatham House roundtables.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Industry Events

akta.pro primary industry

Finance & Investment Conferences (MPAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Fintech conference services
• Financial industry events
• Investor networking events
• Regulatory roundtables
• Fintech convening platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship packages from Grand, Platinum, Gold, Silver, to Friends of Fintech levels. Sponsors include major fintech companies (Ripple, Circle, Binance), financial institutions (SMBC, MUFG, Mastercard), technology companies (Hitachi, Kore.ai), and exchanges (SBI, Monex).
2. Exhibitor Fees: Fees charged to exhibitors for booth space at the GFTN Global Premium Lounge where startups and established players present solutions through live demonstrations.
3. Registration Fees: Attendee registration fees for the forum with different access levels including VIP Reception access, networking events, and premium lounge access.
4. Lounge Sponsorship: Specialized sponsorship opportunities for the GFTN Global Premium Lounge featuring live demonstrations and hands-on experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GFTN Japan organizes and hosts the annual GFTN Forum Japan, a flagship fintech convening held as part of Japan FinTech Week, bringing together Japanese and international financial institutions, regulators, fintech companies, and investors. The organization delivers a portfolio of programs including Investor Hours, The Founders Peak, Chatham House Rule roundtables, FinoPitch Awards, VIP Reception, Innovation Tours, and Expert Workshops, structured around themes such as AI, blockchain, payments, and digital assets.

Product overview

GFTN Japan (Global Finance & Technology Network, Japan) is a conference and event organization that operates the GFTN Forum, Japan as part of Japan FinTech Week. The organization provides event-based services including forums, networking programs (Investor Hours, Innovation Tours), speaker platforms (Founders Peak), workshops, and VIP receptions. These are event facilitation and community-building services rather than software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Founders Peak: A platform where exceptional founders share valuable insights on successful entrepreneurship
• GFTN Insights
• FinoPitch Awards
• Investor Hours
• Japan FinTech Week

Products and services

• GFTN Forum Japan The flagship annual fintech conference of GFTN Japan, held as part of Japan FinTech Week. It brings together senior leadership from Japanese and international financial institutions, policymakers, fintech companies, and investors around themes such as AI, blockchain, payments, and digital assets.
• Investor Hours A structured program track within the GFTN Forum Japan that connects institutional investors, venture capital, private equity, and corporate venture arms with curated fintech deal flow through focused one-to-one and small-group sessions.
• The Founders Peak A curated program within the GFTN Forum Japan showcasing selected fintech founders and their companies, providing structured visibility and access to investors and senior financial-services executives.
• GFTN Insights Chatham House Roundtables Confidential, Chatham House Rule roundtables convened as part of the GFTN Forum Japan, designed to facilitate off-the-record dialogue among senior regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders on financial innovation policy.
• FinoPitch Awards An awards competition within the GFTN Forum Japan that recognizes outstanding fintech innovation, providing selected startups with visibility, validation, and access to investors and partners.
• VIP Reception An invitation-only networking event held alongside the GFTN Forum Japan, enabling senior financial-services executives, regulators, and ecosystem leaders to engage in curated, high-trust conversations.
• Innovation Tours Curated tours and showcases presented as part of the GFTN Forum Japan, exposing delegates to frontier fintech technology, innovation hubs, and emerging solutions operating in and around the Japanese market.
• Expert Workshops Topic-specific workshops delivered within the GFTN Forum Japan, providing deep-dive, expert-led sessions on areas such as AI, blockchain, payments, and digital assets for delegates seeking technical and strategic depth.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered grand sponsor, platinum sponsor, gold sponsor, friend of fintech sponsor, silver sponsor, core collaboration, co-host and flagship.

• Ripplegrand sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerRipple serves as a Grand Sponsor of the GFTN Forum, Japan 2026. The partnership provides high-visibility branding and engagement opportunities. Ripple executives including Fiona Murray (VP & Managing Director APAC) and Rahul Advani (Global Co-Head of Policy) participate as featured speakers at the forum.
• Circleplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCircle is a Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 forum. Chan Yam Ki (Managing Director, Asia Pacific at Circle) is featured as a 2026 speaker, discussing stablecoins and digital assets. Circle recently enabled USDC in Japan as the first stablecoin recognized in the country.
• Mastercardplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMastercard is a Platinum Sponsor of the forum. David Mann (Chief Economist, Asia Pacific) and Sandeep Malhotra (Executive Vice President, Core Payments, APAC) are featured as speakers providing thought leadership on payments and economic trends.
• SMBC (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group)platinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSMBC is a Platinum Sponsor. Key executives participating include Neil Parekh (Vice Chairman APAC), Kazuya Ikeda (Senior Managing Executive Officer), Keiji Matsunaga (General Manager Digital Strategy), and Naoto Shimoda (Managing Director, Digital Assets).
• SBI Holdingsplatinum sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBI Holdings is a Platinum Sponsor. Ryosuke Hayashi (Executive Director, Overseas Business) and Tomohiko Kondo (Representative Director & President, SBI VC Trade) participate as speakers, with Tomohiko spearheading Japan's first domestically licensed stablecoin trading service launch.
• Binancegold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBinance is a Gold Sponsor. Richard Teng (Co-CEO) is featured as a speaker providing insights on exchange operations and regulatory compliance from one of the world's largest crypto exchanges.
• Temasekfriend of fintech sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerTemasek participates as a Friend of Fintech Sponsor. Laura Loh (Director, Investment - Blockchain) represents Temasek as a speaker and is involved in blockchain investment and venture building activities.
• Monex Groupsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMonex Group is a Silver Sponsor. Oki Matsumoto (Representative Executive Chairman) and Jesper Koll (Global Ambassador) participate as speakers. Monex Group operates Coincheck Group and online brokerages in Japan and US.
• Coincheck Groupsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoincheck Group is a Silver Sponsor. Emily Parker (Senior Strategic Advisor) is featured as a speaker. Coincheck is one of Japan's largest digital asset exchanges operating under Monex Group.
• Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA)core collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerJFSA is the primary regulatory collaboration partner for Japan FinTech Week and the GFTN Forum, Japan. The forum is part of the official Japan FinTech Week (JFW) organized by JFSA. JFSA executives including Masao Shimazaki (Deputy Director-General), Toshiyuki Miyoshi (Vice Minister for International Affairs), and Ryosuke Ushida (Director for International Policy) participate as speakers.
• Bank of Japancore collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of Japan collaborates as part of Japan FinTech Week. Mayumi Ojima (Director) participates as a speaker, discussing blockchain and AI applications for future payment systems.
• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)core collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAS collaborates with the GFTN Forum as part of international fintech cooperation. Kenneth Gay (Chief FinTech Officer) represents MAS as a speaker. MAS and GFTN have a longstanding relationship through the Singapore FinTech Festival.
• FinCity Tokyocore collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinCity Tokyo collaborates on the forum, with Hiroshi Nakaso (Chairman) and Jesper Koll (Global Ambassador) participating as speakers. FinCity Tokyo promotes Tokyo as a global financial center.
• FINOLABcore collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINOLAB collaborates on the forum and organizes the Tokyo Rooftop Night networking event. Makoto Shibata (Head of FINOLAB) participates as a speaker.
• FinTech Association of Japancore collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FinTech Association of Japan collaborates as a community partner for the forum, promoting fintech industry participation.
• NADA NEWSco-hostGTM or Marketing PartnerNADA NEWS (formerly CoinDesk Japan) co-hosts the Opening Session of the forum with GFTN. Yuki Kamimoto (CEO) is featured as a speaker and is director of the Blockchain Promotion Association.
• Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)flagshipOthersGFTN is the parent organization operating forums globally including the Singapore FinTech Festival (world's largest fintech event), Point Zero Forum, and Inclusive FinTech Forum. The network harnesses technology and fosters innovation for efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial ecosystems globally.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Money 20/20: Flagship global fintech conference series (Las Vegas, Asia, Europe). Competes for the same C-Suite payments, banking, and fintech audience and sponsorship dollars as the GFTN Forum, Japan, with overlapping tiered sponsorship and speaker formats.
• Singapore FinTech Festival: Operated by GFTN's parent organization and the world's largest fintech event. Directly comparable in mission, regulatory backing (MAS), and program design (Chatham House roundtables, Investor Hours-style programming), making it the closest functional peer and sister brand.
• Money 20/20 Asia: Asia-Pacific edition of Money 20/20. Direct competitor for APAC-based financial institution sponsors, central bank attendees, and fintech exhibitors who overlap heavily with the GFTN Forum, Japan audience.
• Hong Kong FinTech Week: Major Asia-based fintech conference co-organized with InvestHK and HKMA. Directly comparable regional peer competing for Japan-Asia cross-border fintech deal flow and central-bank engagement.
• Paris Fintech Week: European fintech conference with regulator engagement and cross-border deal-making focus. Comparable to GFTN Forum, Japan in audience profile (banks, fintechs, regulators) and in tiered sponsorship and investor-programming format.
• Consensus (CoinDesk): Large-scale global crypto and blockchain conference. Comparable in its heavy emphasis on stablecoins, tokenization, and digital assets — themes that anchor GFTN Forum Japan's agenda and sponsor base (Circle, Binance, SBI).
• Point Zero Forum: Sister GFTN-organized forum focused on the intersection of finance, technology, and regulation. Same operating model (regulatory collaboration, Chatham House roundtables, premium sponsorship tiers), making it a tight comparable in terms of structure and GTM.

Broad incumbents

• TechCrunch Disrupt: Major startup/tech conference with strong fintech track. Comparable on the founder–investor matching dimension (similar to Investor Hours and The Founders Peak), though not a finance-and-regulation-focused event.
• Web Summit: One of the world's largest tech conferences. Overlaps with GFTN Forum, Japan on fintech and digital asset programming and on pitching investors/startups, but is broader (consumer tech, enterprise SaaS) rather than fintech-specialized.

Emerging players

• Slush: Nordic-founded startup and investor conference with growing fintech footprint. Comparable on the founder/investor matchmaking format and on showcasing emerging fintechs to global investors, though less finance-regulator-centric.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gftn-japan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GFTN Japan