Investments in FinTech Companies and Acquisition of New Technologies and Functions

「当社グループは、AIを経営変革の基盤と位置付け、営業活動や顧客接点、本部業務へ活用を拡大しています。対面とデジタルを融合した新たな顧客体験の創出を通じて、「 AIを前提とした経営」への進化を目指します。」

「The company acquired 1 security to expand the Group's digital capabilities and strengthen its DX structure, with the aim of building an AI-driven business model and improving customer convenience and satisfaction.」

「In December, to provide customers with better products, the company contributed all shares of its former subsidiary 東海東京アセットマネジメント in kind to お金のデザイン, an equity-method affiliate. The company will use the strengths cultivated by both companies in their respective business areas on a mutually complementary basis, thereby further enhancing asset management capabilities, providing better services to Group customers, and increasing corporate value.」

「In August, CHEER証券, the Group's smartphone-only securities company, and お金のデザイン, which operates a robo-advisory business, began offering おまかせ運用, a discretionary investment management service that manages customers' assets on their behalf.」

「In August, CHEER証券, the Group's smartphone-only securities company, began offering おまかせ運用, a discretionary investment management service that manages customers' assets on their behalf, in collaboration with お金のデザイン, which operates a robo-advisory business.」

「In July, as part of the Powerful Partners initiatives designated as priority measures for achieving the next level, the company and its subsidiary ＴＴデジタル・プラットフォーム, which provides digital services such as a regional revitalization platform, entered into a basic agreement with ゆうちょ銀行 on collaboration aimed at revitalizing regional economies and achieving regional revitalization.」

「From November, the company began providing a service linked to the points-based shareholder program ココカブ (※), under which customers receive points linked to a company's share price and can exchange them for actual shares according to the number of points held.」

「In addition, its subsidiary CHEER証券 began handling domestic equities and investment trusts in September. It also entered into a business alliance with STOCK POINT, headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, and in October began providing StockPoint for CHEER証券, the first service in Japan enabling points to be invested in U.S. equities and ETFs.」

「In addition, the company's subsidiary ＴＴデジタル・プラットフォーム (hereinafter, “ＴＴＤＰ”) entered into a business-matching agreement with 北陸銀行 to promote the regional economy and consumption and advance the digital transformation of local governments. ＴＴＤＰ will contribute to regional revitalization by providing digital local currencies and local points equipped with advanced technologies such as blockchain and robust security features.」

「Among these diverse capabilities, regarding security tokens, 東海東京証券 completed its registration under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act in October, enabling it to sell these rights, and launched an STO business through ADDX, a Singapore-based digital securities exchange, for the first time in Japan. Although the issuance of electronically recorded transferable rights was the first of its kind in Japan, the offering and sales proceeded very smoothly.」

「In addition, the Group's efforts to implement an advanced digital strategy and promote the development of infrastructure for teleworking were recognized as those of a company pursuing digital transformation (DX), in which business models and other aspects are fundamentally transformed based on digital technology to achieve new growth and strengthen competitiveness. In June, the company was selected for the DX Stocks 2021 program sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, following its selection in the previous year as a DX-Noteworthy Company 2020. The company is working to realize at an early stage the Tokai Tokyo Digital World, an innovative proprietary platform leveraging cutting-edge FinTech capabilities. Together with the asset management app おかねのコンパス provided by its subsidiary マネーコンパス・ジャパン, and centered on a smartphone-only securities company scheduled to begin operations this autumn, the platform will offer a range of digital services, including security tokens, cryptocurrencies, robo-advisory, spare-change investment, and digital and local currencies, meeting the financial needs of regional financial institutions and operating companies.」

「In addition, in March the company entered into a business alliance with Digital Platformer, which develops and operates platforms for digital currencies using blockchain technology, including local currencies.」

「The company is developing a digital securities trading service to provide enhanced services to customers. In June, it invested in Hash DasH Holdings, which owns Hash DasH, a company seeking to operate a digital securities exchange in Japan. In July, it began a pilot project aimed at listing securitized Japanese real estate on iSTOX, a Singapore-based security token (※2, hereinafter, “ST”) exchange. The company joined the 一般社団法人日本セキュリティトークン協会 (an industry association) as a regular member, while 東海東京証券 joined the 一般社団法人日本ＳＴＯ協会 (a self-regulatory organization) as a regular member. The company is also considering selling STs in Japan in the future.」

「The company is developing a digital securities trading service to provide enhanced services to customers. In June, it invested in Hash DasH Holdings, which owns Hash DasH, a company seeking to operate a digital securities exchange in Japan.」

「In December, the company entered into an agreement for a capital and business alliance with フォビジャパン, the Japanese entity of the globally operated Huobi (フォビ) Group. Through this alliance, the company will promote the development of new businesses in areas including cryptocurrency exchange, new forms of fundraising such as IEOs (※1) using cryptocurrencies, initiatives involving local currencies, and cryptocurrency custody and management. It will also consider expanding these businesses in the future to regional banks, including its alliance partners.」

「In October, the company also invested in One Tap BUY, which provides the One Tap BUY smartphone app for securities trading.」

「To respond accurately to customers' increasingly diverse and complex needs, the company is advancing collaboration with FinTech companies. In April, it entered into a capital and business alliance with TORANOTEC, which provides the spare-change investment app Toranoko, and in June acquired shares in お金のデザイン, which operates the robo-advisor THEO, making it an equity-method affiliate.」

「To respond accurately to customers' increasingly diverse and complex needs, the company is pursuing collaboration with companies that possess superior technologies and business models in the FinTech field. In April, it entered into a capital and business alliance with TORANOTEC, which provides the Toranoko app for investing spare change, and in June acquired shares in お金のデザイン, which operates the robo-advisor THEO, making it an equity-method affiliate.」

「The company is working to invest in companies with superior FinTech technologies or business models and to acquire new capabilities, including trust banking.」