Lattice80, Finolab help Singapore fintech startups expand to Japan, vice versa

By Digital News Asia August 25, 2017

Mentoring sessions and passport system will help teams expand to each other’s markets
Members benefit from five days of free passes, valid for two members per year (per startup)

Lattice80, Finolab help Singapore fintech startups expand to Japan, vice versa

LATTICE80, a fintech hub backed by Marvelstone Group as a not-for-profit initiative, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Finolab, Japan’s first fintech hub in Tokyo’s financial district focused on building a fintech business ecosystem with global networks.

Fintech startups from Lattice80 Singapore will enjoy mentor sessions in Finolab Tokyo to help them develop their business in Japan. Vice versa, Japanese teams will benefit from similar mentorship in Singapore.

Members benefit from five days of free passes, valid for two members per year (per startup). Joint events and networking sessions will be planned throughout the year.

Joe Seunghyun Cho (pic), founding CEO of Lattice80 and chairman of Marvelstone Group, said: “We see tremendous interest in Japan from the fintech teams sitting at Lattice80. Historically, Japan and Singapore have enjoyed strong trade and investment ties that go back decades.

“As a member of the international fintech community, it’s only right that we help to make the Japanese market, with its big push towards fintech, more accessible to startups in Singapore. We’re extremely excited to partner with Finolab on this pursuit.”

Finolab global manager Yoshio Sakai said: “Japan’s government is attempting to bring in more effective regulations for fintechs, and we’ve been impressed by the evolution of the fintech environment in Singapore. In our research, we came across no hub better plugged into Singapore and Southeast Asia’s fintech ecosystem than Lattice80.

“The feedback from our members has remained consistent: they want to expand to Singapore but need assistance. This tie up with Lattice80 is the answer they’ve all been waiting for.”

Lattice80 has been dogged in its global expansion plans this year, signing MOUs with a handful of key fintech hubs not just in Asia but across the globe (some yet to be announced).

With plans to open more hubs in India, London, New York, and the Middle East, Lattice80 and its partners are paving the way for a globally-connected fintech ecosystem.