Hiromitsu Kuwahara

CEO

What does your startup do?

We provide financial inclusion for workers in developing countries through FinTech. Our goal is to decrease poverty and inequality. We aim to address the many problems that are caused due to a lack of financial service opportunities.

What problem are you trying to solve?

There are still 2 billion people in the world without a bank account. We are trying to provide them with the opportunity to access necessary financial services. These services include things like a way to make payments, obtain loans, get insurance, and more. These services are especially important for unbanked or underbanked workers that are based on a realtime payroll platform. Workers can access their earned salary to-date and then make purchases via mobile-phone.

Why did you choose Fukuoka?

The support program for startups in Fukuoka City was very attractive. We considered the possibility of establishing our company in Tokyo or Hong Kong, but Fukuoka was the best city for us. It’s a good location (very close to an international airport), has good food, and good people. Additionally, our members were almost all born in the Kyushu region.

What do you think about Fukuoka's startup community?

It's made up of kind, friendly, and hardworking people. We are impressed that it’s a place where people can enjoy the balance of experiencing both the city and countryside.

How has Fukuoka City helped your startup?

We established our company at the Fukuoka Business Creation Center (FBCC). The staff there has always been very helpful to us. They always try to find good opportunities for us to grow. We have also been invited to many exhibitions including having a booth at Slush Asia, Slush Helsinki, B-Dash and so on. These opportunities have been very helpful for us when we needed to find partners and investors.

Do you have advice for people considering doing a startup in Fukuoka? Anything you wish you’d known before starting your company here?