fivot, k.k.

What fivot, k.k. does

Fivot, k.k. (株式会社Fivot) is a Tokyo-based private fintech company founded in October 2019 by Representative Director Takuma Abe, operating two interlinked businesses: the consumer savings-cashless mobile app IDARE (launched April 2021) and the B2B startup debt-financing platform Flex Capital. IDARE is a Visa-branded prepaid card product, distributed exclusively via iOS and Android app stores under a self-serve, product-led growth model targeting Japanese consumers. The app combines balance-based bonus rewards (up to 2.2% annual bonus on average monthly balance via the July 2026 IDARE Rank program, plus a 1% instant bonus on bank-transfer deposits), goal-based sub-account management (Box feature with up to 5 savings boxes, plus shared boxes for couples/families introduced in January 2026), automatic recurring savings, fee-free P2P transfers among IDARE users, and acceptance at Visa merchants globally including overseas travel use cases with reduced or zero foreign transaction fees at higher tiers.

The underlying technology is a mobile-first regulated payment stack: IDARE is registered as a third-party prepaid payment instrument issuer with the Kanto Finance Bureau (No. 00738), is PCI DSS compliant, supports 3D Secure 2.0 authentication, and routes through the Visa network. Fivot's business model derives revenue from two primary streams: (1) interchange and transaction fees earned when users spend via the Visa prepaid card at merchants, and (2) returns generated by deploying a portion of user deposits into the Flex Capital startup lending business. A share of these revenues is redistributed to users as the annual balance bonus, creating a structurally high-reward consumer product that is uncommon among Japanese prepaid cards. The customer base spans four documented personas — Japanese Consumer Savers, International Travelers, Couples/Families, and Point Hustlers (ポイ活) — served through self-serve app onboarding, content marketing via influencer columns (菊地崇仁, ちょる子, 井上ポイント), earned media coverage (Forbes JAPAN, Nikkei Trendy, FIN/SUM, Tokyo Financial Award), and co-marketing partnerships with point-aggregation sites and NTT docomo. By April 2026 (5th anniversary), IDARE had accumulated 43,000 active users, 296 billion yen in cumulative deposits, and a 91.1% one-year retention rate. The company has raised approximately 1 billion yen in a single disclosed Series A round in September 2022 and operates from headquarters in Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Name

fivot, k.k.

Legal name

株式会社Fivot

Website

https://idare.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fivot, k.k. operates IDARE, a Japanese consumer fintech app combining a Visa prepaid card with tiered balance-based bonus rewards (up to 2.2% annually), goal-based savings boxes, and P2P transfers, serving Japanese consumer savers, international travelers, couples, and point-optimization users alongside its B2B Flex Capital startup lending business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Banking

NAICS

Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Incentive / Reward Prepaid Programs (FSAMANAD)

Keywords

• Mobile banking
• Prepaid card
• Personal savings
• Consumer fintech
• Cashless payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Interchange/Transaction Fees: Revenue generated from merchant fees charged when users make purchases at Visa加盟店 (Visa accepting merchants) using their IDARE card. This is the primary source of funds used to pay the annual bonus to users.
2. Flex Capital Investment Returns: Fivot deploys user deposited funds into its Flex Capital startup debt financing business. Returns from this business are partially passed back to users as the 2% annual bonus.
3. Credit Card Top-up Fees: Revenue from credit/debit card deposits, where users pay network fees when loading funds onto IDARE.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fivot operates two integrated businesses through its IDARE mobile platform: a consumer-facing Visa prepaid card "savings cashless app" that pays users up to 2.2% annual bonus on average balances combined with goal-based savings tools, and a B2B startup debt-financing arm called Flex Capital funded by surplus user deposits. The IDARE app combines prepaid card issuance, automatic savings plans, sub-account boxes, fee-free P2P transfers, point exchange (dポイント), and tiered loyalty rewards, distributing exclusively via iOS/Android app stores to Japanese consumers.

Product overview

Fivot operates a dual-product ecosystem: IDARE is a consumer-facing savings cashless app that combines Visa prepaid card functionality with balance-based bonus rewards, while Flex Capital is a B2B startup debt financing service. IDARE serves as the primary consumer product, offering a mobile app with virtual and physical Visa cards, multiple savings boxes for goal-based management, auto-savings features, and peer-to-peer money transfer capabilities. The service generates revenue by deploying user deposits (via Flex Capital) and merchant transaction fees, returning a portion as bonus rewards to users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IDARE (イデア) A savings-focused cashless app combining a Visa prepaid card with balance-based bonus rewards (up to 2.2% annual bonus on average monthly balance, plus 1% instant bonus on bank-transfer deposits). Supports virtual and physical Visa cards, goal-based Box sub-accounts, Box Sharing, automatic savings, fee-free P2P transfers, dポイント exchange, and 3D Secure 2.0 authentication. Targeted at Japanese individual consumers seeking high-yield savings and cashless convenience.
• Flex Capital B2B debt financing service for Japanese startups, part of the Fivot ecosystem. Provides loan financing to startup companies using surplus funds from IDARE user deposits. Returns from this lending business partially fund the annual bonus paid to IDARE users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platinum rank users with 700,000 yen average balance receive 2.2% annual bonus (15,400 yen/year)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NTT docomo (dポイント)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2025IDARE bonus points can be exchanged for dポイント at 1:1 ratio (minimum 50 yen). Docomo runs periodic bonus exchange campaigns (e.g., 10% extra dポイント, up to 15% during summer 2026). This partnership bridges IDARE's savings ecosystem with docomo's broader loyalty infrastructure.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationIDARE operates as a Visa-branded prepaid card, accepted at all Visa merchants globally. The Visa network enables both domestic and international payment acceptance, 3D Secure authentication, and contactless (NFC) payments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kyash: Japan-issued Visa prepaid card app with cashback rewards on spending. Closest direct peer to IDARE in terms of product (prepaid Visa card, mobile app, consumer reward mechanics) and Japanese market focus.
• VANDLE Card: Japanese Visa-branded prepaid card platform targeting consumers, with both virtual and physical card issuance. Comparable to IDARE in core product offering and Japanese prepaid regulatory environment.
• Revolut: Global multi-currency prepaid card with built-in savings vaults and tiered loyalty. Operates in Japan and shares IDARE's core model of combining prepaid card functionality with savings rewards, though at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Wise (formerly TransferWise): Multi-currency card and account product emphasizing low-cost foreign transactions and stored-value balances. Comparable to IDARE's Platinum tier zero-foreign-fee value proposition for Japanese international travelers.
• Crowd Bank: Japanese crowdfunding / investment platform operating lending and equity channels to startups and SMEs. Comparable to Fivot's Flex Capital B2B startup debt-financing business line.

Broad incumbents

• Merpay: Mobile payment service operated by Japanese e-commerce leader Mercari. Overlaps with IDARE on cashless prepaid payment functionality but is anchored to the Mercari marketplace rather than savings rewards.
• PayPay: Japan's dominant mobile payment QR service with tens of millions of users. Previously a key IDARE distribution channel (third-party card top-up) until integration discontinuation in January 2025. Now a competitor and potential partner in the same cashless ecosystem.
• Rakuten Pay: Japanese QR-based mobile payment service operated by Rakuten Group, integrated with the broader Rakuten Points ecosystem. Comparable to IDARE's points-based loyalty angle and is an active integration partner (IDARE Visa registers as a payment method in Rakuten Pay).
• Olive (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking): SMBC's flagship digital banking offering bundling deposits, debit, credit, and securities in a single app. Represents the type of incumbent digital-banking competitor IDARE must differentiate against as Japanese banks digitize and bundle rewards.

Emerging players

• Money Forward ME: Japan's leading personal financial management (PFM) app. IDARE integrates with Money Forward ME via OAuth so users can view IDARE balances alongside other accounts. Overlaps on the consumer savings-management use case but does not issue cards itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IdareOfficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61550266845653&locale=ja_JP

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 fivot, k.k.