Concentrated Investments in Growth Fields

Advances in AI technologies such as big data and deep learning have greatly improved the accuracy of identification and forecasting. AI, such as voice recognition, image searching, and autonomous driving, is becoming an increasingly familiar aspect of people’s day-to-day lives. Regardless of industry or type of business, in order for companies to maintain and improve their competitiveness, efforts must be made in AI.
In January 2018, SBI Investment launched a JPY60B fund, whose main investment areas are AI and Blockchain, and has since invested in many promising startups globally. We are now supporting further growth with a hands-on approach.

The blockchain technology that supports transactions of crypto assets (crypto currencies) has been steadily evolving, and is expected to be applied in a wide range of fields, from financial fields such as digital currencies, to real estate and non-financial fields such as art and electric power.
The SBI Group makes use of blockchain technology in its Group companies and is working to promote its use through investment activities in this area.

Promising fintech startups have been emerging all over the world, from Europe, America, and Asia, to even Africa in recent years. Fintech services such as Neobank, payment services, PFM (Personal Financial Management), and robo-advisors have made users’ lives richer and more convenient.
In December 2015, SBI Investment launched a fund (total size of JPY30B) specializing in the fintech sector, and has since invested in many promising startups in Japan and overseas. We are now supporting their further growth with a hands-on approach.

Since its establishment, the SBI Group has invested in the IT field by utilizing its extensive experience, knowhow, and network, including the establishment in March 2000 of a venture capital fund (total size JPY150.5B), one of the largest in Japan at the time.
In recent years, we have seen the emergence of a number of companies seeking to resolve social issues in Japan and around the world through IT services and digital transformation (DX), and we are actively investing in these companies.

Against a backdrop of rapid digitization of society as a whole and the increase in cyberattacks and cybercrimes, the importance of cybersecurity is increasing. The SBI Group supports the maintenance and development of a healthy society through active investment in these areas and cooperation with companies both within and outside the Group.

The e-commerce market has been expanding, not only in Japan but also on a global scale. In addition, due to the impact of COVID-19, transactions that previously were face-to-face are rapidly moving online. New businesses such as live commerce are becoming more widespread worldwide, and further market growth is expected.

The spread of COVID-19, the development of regenerative medicine and genome-editing technologies, and the public’s growing awareness of health are rapidly drawing attention to startups in the life sciences, healthcare, and biotech fields. In addition, people’s awareness of protecting the earth and the environment is growing each year, as shown by the fact that Japan and other developed nations around the world have announced policies aimed at eliminating greenhouse gases.
The SBI Group actively invests in and fosters technological innovations in these areas that are now essential to people's lives.

The SBI Group always focuses on startups pioneering the use of innovative technologies, in particular those developing advanced technologies capable of becoming foundational in fields such as aerospace engineering, robotics, mobility, and wave controls. We will contribute to the advancement of society by investing in and fostering companies with cutting-edge technologies that help resolve social issues.