Skip to content
Close
SEARCH
ele_jff_header2

ELEVANDI JAPAN

Our Mission

Rise Together!

Set in the land where the sun rises through collaboration, not conflict, through inclusion, not exclusion. Rise above stagnation, adversity and setbacks, towards new horizons together challenging the status quo. 

Driving Japan’s FinTech Ecosystem to the Global Stage

Elevandi Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of the not-for-profit global FinTech ecosystem builder Elevandi, is playing a strategic role in developing and accelerating the Japanese and North East Asian FinTech ecosystem; promoting Japan's advancement in critical technologies, and connecting Japan with Elevandi's fast-developing global network of initiatives.

Our Initiatives

jff2023_logo_rgb@3x
JAPAN GFIF LOGO-01

3 - 7 March 2025 | Tokyo, Japan

The Japan FinTech Festival brings together Japanese and global communities to engage, connect, and collaborate on technology-led innovation in financial services. Policymakers, technologists, business leaders, and investors will participate in comprehensive dialogues on various aspects of the future growth of financial services.

It’s a platform for:

Policymakers | Financial Services Leaders | Investors | FinTechs | Founders | Technology Leaders | Students | Developers 

2025 | Tokyo, Japan 

The inaugural Global Financial Infrastructure Forum (GFIF) is set to become the world’s most impactful Infrastructure event. GFIF brings together the global financial infrastructure community to engage, connect and collaborate on issues relating to the development of financial infrastructure, public policy and technology.

It’s a platform for:

Technology Leaders | Policymakers | Financial Infrastructure Leaders |  Hardware Manufacturers | ClimateTech | Investors | Founders | Academics | Students | Developers 

Japan FinTech Festival 

 

Featured Speakers - 2023 

Amit_Ranjan

Amit Ranjan

Customer Transformation Leader

Microsoft

Amit Ranjan

Customer Transformation Leader

×
Amit_Ranjan

Amit Ranjan

Customer Transformation Leader

Microsoft

Amor_Maclang

Amor Maclang

Convenor

Digital Pilipinas

Amor Maclang

Convenor

×
Amor_Maclang

Amor Maclang

Convenor

Digital Pilipinas

Jessica_Robinson

Jessica Robinson

Minister-Counsellor (Economic)

Australian Embassy in Tokyo

Jessica Robinson

Minister-Counsellor (Economic)

×
Jessica_Robinson

Jessica Robinson

Minister-Counsellor (Economic)

Australian Embassy in Tokyo

Joi

Joi Ito

Co-founder, Board Member, and Chief Architect

Digital Garage

Joi Ito

Co-founder, Board Member, and Chief Architect

×
Joi

Joi Ito

Co-founder, Board Member, and Chief Architect

Digital Garage

Kate_Lin_FinTechSpace

Kate Lin

Deputy Managing Director

FinTechSpace

Kate Lin

Deputy Managing Director

×
Kate_Lin_FinTechSpace

Kate Lin

Deputy Managing Director

FinTechSpace

Maiko_Meguro

Maiko Meguro

Director of International Digital Strategy

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Maiko Meguro

Director of International Digital Strategy

×
Maiko_Meguro

Maiko Meguro

Director of International Digital Strategy

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Makato Shibata

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

FINOLAB

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

×
Makato Shibata

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

FINOLAB

Mamoru_Taniya

Mamoru Taniya

Chairman

SDG Impact Japan

Mamoru Taniya

Chairman

×
Mamoru_Taniya

Mamoru Taniya

Chairman

SDG Impact Japan

Mamoru_Yanase

Mamoru Yanase

Deputy Director-General

Financial Services Agency

Mamoru Yanase

Deputy Director-General

×
Mamoru_Yanase

Mamoru Yanase

Deputy Director-General

Financial Services Agency

Mark_Makdad (1)

Mark Makdad

Co-Founder and Chief of Platform

Moneytree

Mark Makdad

Co-Founder and Chief of Platform

×
Mark_Makdad (1)

Mark Makdad

Co-Founder and Chief of Platform

Moneytree

Masaki_Bessho_BOJ_1

Masaki Bessho

Head of FinTech Center

Bank of Japan

Masaki Bessho

Head of FinTech Center

×
Masaki_Bessho_BOJ_1

Masaki Bessho

Head of FinTech Center

Bank of Japan

Midori_Kanemitsu

Midori Kanemitsu

Head of Crypto Strategy

bitFlyer

Midori Kanemitsu

Head of Crypto Strategy

×
Midori_Kanemitsu

Midori Kanemitsu

Head of Crypto Strategy

bitFlyer

Mio_Takaoka

Mio Takaoka

Partner

DNX Ventures

Mio Takaoka

Partner

×
Mio_Takaoka

Mio Takaoka

Partner

DNX Ventures

Oki_Matsumoto

Oki Matsumoto

Chairman of the BoardMonex Group

Monex Group

Oki Matsumoto

Chairman of the BoardMonex Group

×
Oki_Matsumoto

Oki Matsumoto

Chairman of the BoardMonex Group

Monex Group

Professor Robert Wardrop

Robert Wardrop

Executive Director

Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance

Robert Wardrop

Executive Director

×
Professor Robert Wardrop

Robert Wardrop

Executive Director

Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance

Ryosuke_Ushida

Ryosuke Ushida

Chief FinTech Officer

Financial Services Agency

Ryosuke Ushida

Chief FinTech Officer

×
Ryosuke_Ushida

Ryosuke Ushida

Chief FinTech Officer

Financial Services Agency

Sopnendu-Mohanty-Chief-FinTech-Officer-Monetary-Authority-of-Singapore-1

Sopnendu Mohanty

Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore

Chairman of the Board, Elevandi

Sopnendu Mohanty

Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore

×
Sopnendu-Mohanty-Chief-FinTech-Officer-Monetary-Authority-of-Singapore-1

Sopnendu Mohanty

Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore

Chairman of the Board, Elevandi

Sung_Kyun_Son

Sung Kyun Son

Head of International Business

Fintech Center Korea

Sung Kyun Son

Head of International Business

×
Sung_Kyun_Son

Sung Kyun Son

Head of International Business

Fintech Center Korea

Teruka_Sumiya

Teruka Sumiya

Project Specialist

Agile GovernanceWorld Economic Forum C4IR Japan

Teruka Sumiya

Project Specialist

×
Teruka_Sumiya

Teruka Sumiya

Project Specialist

Agile GovernanceWorld Economic Forum C4IR Japan

Yumi_Baba

Yumi Baba

Representative in Silicon Valley

Financial Services Agency

Yumi Baba

Representative in Silicon Valley

×
Yumi_Baba

Yumi Baba

Representative in Silicon Valley

Financial Services Agency

hqdefault-Jul-06-2023-10-29-41-6506-AM

Japan FinTech Festival 

 

Programme

The Conference

Join us and immerse yourself in the future of FinTech at our conference stage, where industry leaders converge for insightful panels and fireside chats.

Explore the dynamic Japan Ecosystem and delve into strategies for International Adaptation with leading experts.

JFF_conference

Elevandi Insights Forum

Our invite-only, long-form roundtables under Chatham House rules will enable a meaningful dialogue and drive actionable outcomes between the public and private sectors. Each roundtable is curated alongside an anchor regulator or policymaker, and is purposefully curated to drive actionable outcomes, such as a whitepaper, a working group or the announcement of a commitment.

JFF_Roundtable

The Founders Peak

The Founders Peak will return for the second edition of the Japan FinTech Festival. We'll be inviting some inspirational founders to take to the iconic yellow-circle and share their entrepreneurial wisdom.

An initiative designed to celebrate founders, their journey, and experiences - the Founders Peak gives speakers the opportunity to share a purposeful story with the world, while inspiring the next wave of entrepreneurs, leaders and society at large.

JFF_TheFoundersPeak

Investor Meet-Up

Discover innovative startups from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and South East Asia at the Japan FinTech Festival, and engage with these dynamic companies through pitch meetings or personalised one-on-one meet-ups facilitated by the Elevandi team. 

We aim to help investors from outside of Japan to gain better understand and access to the Japan start-up scene, while for Japanese investors JFF offers opportunity to learn about making investments in South East Asia.

JFF_Investor Meet-Up

Meet the Team

Elevandi_Japan_team

Left to Right:  Takeshi Kito, Co-founder & CEO, Elevandi Japan,  Sopnendu Mohanty, Chairman, Elevandi Global, Pieter Franken, Co-founder & Director, Elevandi Japan

Our International Advisory Board

Amit Ranjan

Amit Ranjan

Japan & Korea Banking Transformation Leader

Microsoft Japan

Amit Ranjan

Japan & Korea Banking Transformation Leader

As an AI advocate, my focus is on helping industry leaders transform their productivity through the implementation of AI solutions. My expertise spans across various domains including Digital & Business Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Business Operations Simplification, New Business Creation, Startup Mentoring, Innovation and Ecosystem Engagement. I am a regular speaker at industry events, where I share my insights and engage in discussions on the latest technology advancements and their applications. Additionally, I offer coaching to individuals to help them plan their career paths and navigate their professional journeys.
×
Amit Ranjan

Amit Ranjan

Japan & Korea Banking Transformation Leader

Microsoft Japan

As an AI advocate, my focus is on helping industry leaders transform their productivity through the implementation of AI solutions. My expertise spans across various domains including Digital & Business Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Business Operations Simplification, New Business Creation, Startup Mentoring, Innovation and Ecosystem Engagement. I am a regular speaker at industry events, where I share my insights and engage in discussions on the latest technology advancements and their applications. Additionally, I offer coaching to individuals to help them plan their career paths and navigate their professional journeys.
Joyce Philiips

Joyce Phillips

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

EqualFuture Corp

Joyce Phillips

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Joyce Phillips is an accomplished CEO and transformative leader. Ms. Phillips is Founder & CEO of EqualFuture Corp., a FinTech startup based in San Francisco, building an Ai enabled analytics based financial technology Super Ap platform that delivers affordable personal financial wellness and education to individuals and businesses.

Ms. Phillips previously held senior executive roles for Citigroup including CEO of International Retail Banking, Country Manager for Citibank Japan, and CEO of DinersClub and Citi Cards Japan.

Prior executive roles include Group Managing Director M&A, Group Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and CEO of the Global Wealth Division. 

Prior to joining ANZ, Ms.Phillips was President and Chief Operating Officer at American Life Insurance Company (ALICO), then a subsidiary of AIG.

 Ms. Phillips serves as director on several boards including the Smithsonian National Board, and First Interstate Bank Holdings (NASDAQ FIBK) where she Chairs the Technology, Innovation and Operations Committee.

Ms. Phillips was included in the U.S. Banker "25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance" list multiple years and named one of the Top 100 Fintech leaders in Asia. Ms. Phillips’ innovation in marketing has also been recognized at the prestigious Cannes Lion marketing festival.

×
Joyce Philiips

Joyce Phillips

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

EqualFuture Corp

Joyce Phillips is an accomplished CEO and transformative leader. Ms. Phillips is Founder & CEO of EqualFuture Corp., a FinTech startup based in San Francisco, building an Ai enabled analytics based financial technology Super Ap platform that delivers affordable personal financial wellness and education to individuals and businesses.

Ms. Phillips previously held senior executive roles for Citigroup including CEO of International Retail Banking, Country Manager for Citibank Japan, and CEO of DinersClub and Citi Cards Japan.

Prior executive roles include Group Managing Director M&A, Group Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and CEO of the Global Wealth Division. 

Prior to joining ANZ, Ms.Phillips was President and Chief Operating Officer at American Life Insurance Company (ALICO), then a subsidiary of AIG.

 Ms. Phillips serves as director on several boards including the Smithsonian National Board, and First Interstate Bank Holdings (NASDAQ FIBK) where she Chairs the Technology, Innovation and Operations Committee.

Ms. Phillips was included in the U.S. Banker "25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance" list multiple years and named one of the Top 100 Fintech leaders in Asia. Ms. Phillips’ innovation in marketing has also been recognized at the prestigious Cannes Lion marketing festival.

Jung Seok Kang

Jung Seok Kang

Chief Executive Officer

AIZEN Global

Jung Seok Kang

Chief Executive Officer

Jung Seok Kang (CEO) is an experienced banking professional with a strong passion for AI. He worked at Citibank and the National Assembly of Korea under the former Minister of Finance and was an early investor of a wireless charging tech firm WiPower, which was later acquired by Qualcomm in 2010. He is now designing AI banking operating system with a vision for "Autonomous driving" Finance. He received B.S. and M.S. at Seoul National University, and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
×
Jung Seok Kang

Jung Seok Kang

Chief Executive Officer

AIZEN Global

Jung Seok Kang (CEO) is an experienced banking professional with a strong passion for AI. He worked at Citibank and the National Assembly of Korea under the former Minister of Finance and was an early investor of a wireless charging tech firm WiPower, which was later acquired by Qualcomm in 2010. He is now designing AI banking operating system with a vision for "Autonomous driving" Finance. He received B.S. and M.S. at Seoul National University, and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Makato Shibata

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

FINOLAB

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

Mr. Shibata is currently in charge of FINOLAB community operation since 2019. In his former position at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, he led R&D initiatives in emerging technology and online/mobile financial services. He also held positions in corporate planning, accounting, corporate finance, and retail customer services at the bank. He is one of the founders of FINOVATORS, a mentor group of FinTech experts. He also became an external board member at a new digital bank, UI Bank, when it acquired a banking license in 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in Development Economics from the University of Oxford.
×
Makato Shibata

Makoto Shibata

Head of FINOLAB/Chief Community Officer

FINOLAB

Mr. Shibata is currently in charge of FINOLAB community operation since 2019. In his former position at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, he led R&D initiatives in emerging technology and online/mobile financial services. He also held positions in corporate planning, accounting, corporate finance, and retail customer services at the bank. He is one of the founders of FINOVATORS, a mentor group of FinTech experts. He also became an external board member at a new digital bank, UI Bank, when it acquired a banking license in 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in Development Economics from the University of Oxford.
hqdefault-Jul-06-2023-10-29-41-6506-AM
Mukund Tatipamula

Mukund Tatipamula

COO & Head of Hybrid Markets Japan

TP ICAP Japan

Mukund Tatipamula

COO & Head of Hybrid Markets Japan

Mukund is a capital markets professional with over 28 years of experience in Fixed Income secondary capital markets which includes ten years at UBS in Japan as a market-maker/dealer in JPY Interest Rates and FX derivatives. After graduating from IIT Bombay, he started off as a programmer and joined Lehman Brothers Japan Fixed Income technology team for Cash and Derivatives.

He is an ardent fan of the Bollywood genre of music and loves to teach about capital markets and math.

Currently, as Chief Operating Officer of TP ICAP Japan, he is part of the leadership team to expand TP ICAP's Japan footprint. TP ICAP Group is the leading interdealer broker in OTC Secondary Capital Markets. The group operates 5 brands across 25 countries and specializes in OTC price discovery and trade facilitation across Fixed Income, Rates, Currencies, Equities, Energy, and Commodities.
×
Mukund Tatipamula

Mukund Tatipamula

COO & Head of Hybrid Markets Japan

TP ICAP Japan

Mukund is a capital markets professional with over 28 years of experience in Fixed Income secondary capital markets which includes ten years at UBS in Japan as a market-maker/dealer in JPY Interest Rates and FX derivatives. After graduating from IIT Bombay, he started off as a programmer and joined Lehman Brothers Japan Fixed Income technology team for Cash and Derivatives.

He is an ardent fan of the Bollywood genre of music and loves to teach about capital markets and math.

Currently, as Chief Operating Officer of TP ICAP Japan, he is part of the leadership team to expand TP ICAP's Japan footprint. TP ICAP Group is the leading interdealer broker in OTC Secondary Capital Markets. The group operates 5 brands across 25 countries and specializes in OTC price discovery and trade facilitation across Fixed Income, Rates, Currencies, Equities, Energy, and Commodities.
Rei Murakami

Rei Murakami

Venture Partner

Kazea Capital

Rei Murakami

Venture Partner

Rei Murakami is an investor in Venture Capital and Public Equity. She is also the President of the Murakami Family Foundation.
×
Rei Murakami

Rei Murakami

Venture Partner

Kazea Capital

Rei Murakami is an investor in Venture Capital and Public Equity. She is also the President of the Murakami Family Foundation.
Tram Anh Nguyen_2

Tram Anh Nguyen

Co-founder

CFTE

Tram Anh Nguyen

Co-founder

Tram Anh Nguyen is co-founder of CFTE, a global impact platform for education in Fintech and the future of financial services.

Tram Anh strongly believes that in a world dominated by technology, people must remain at the centre of society and organisations, and that education and training are key to helping individuals adapt to a fast changing world. This was the motivation that drove her to launch CFTE to help finance professionals up-skill, find more opportunities and build better finance.

CFTE platform includes 400+ industry experts (from heads of innovation in banks to CEOs of challenger banks and CEOs of Fintech VCs), she created a platform that helps the industry acquire this knowledge quickly, from Fintech to Artificial Intelligence with an engaged community of 100,000+ alumni from around the world. 

She is instrumental in providing lifelong learning solutions working with governments, policymakers, industry experts, and academia to push initiatives in financial education for Finance 2.0. She followed her passion to bring about a skills revolution in finance to not only transform the industry but to help a multitude of stakeholders, like women and people from different backgrounds and walks of life, to enter the new world of finance and to provide education of the Fintech at - global scale.

She is the co-author of a few books, including the Fintech Job Report book, The Fintech job report is the first of its kind in history, where the major developments in the field, possible work roles, and pertinent employability skills required to help governments, regulators, employers, and job applicants with future job creation and prospects have been outlined.

Tram Anh serves as a Non Executive Director of Passerelles Numeriques. She holds a few advisory Board Member roles. Honoured Ambassador to the Singapore Fintech Festival and Ambassador to the Inclusive Fintech Forum.

She is one of the Entrepreneurship Expert Saïd Business School, Oxford. She is an Industry Fellow of Imperial College. Prior to co-founding CFTE, she has navigated between the corporate and entrepreneurial world, she has a diverse background in finance with 18 years of experience having worked in trading, institutional sales and private banking for major financial institutions such as Standard Chartered in New York, Dresdner Kleinwort and UBS Wealth Management London, Advisor to family offices.

Of Vietnamese origin, Tram Anh was born in France and lived in Paris, New York, and now London. Advocate for Women leadership in Fintech, Top Senior Leader Women in Fintech on the Powerlist, Awarded Top 10 Asia Tech Pioneers in the UK’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builders, Top 10 Women transforming Tech.
×
Tram Anh Nguyen_2

Tram Anh Nguyen

Co-founder

CFTE

Tram Anh Nguyen is co-founder of CFTE, a global impact platform for education in Fintech and the future of financial services.

Tram Anh strongly believes that in a world dominated by technology, people must remain at the centre of society and organisations, and that education and training are key to helping individuals adapt to a fast changing world. This was the motivation that drove her to launch CFTE to help finance professionals up-skill, find more opportunities and build better finance.

CFTE platform includes 400+ industry experts (from heads of innovation in banks to CEOs of challenger banks and CEOs of Fintech VCs), she created a platform that helps the industry acquire this knowledge quickly, from Fintech to Artificial Intelligence with an engaged community of 100,000+ alumni from around the world. 

She is instrumental in providing lifelong learning solutions working with governments, policymakers, industry experts, and academia to push initiatives in financial education for Finance 2.0. She followed her passion to bring about a skills revolution in finance to not only transform the industry but to help a multitude of stakeholders, like women and people from different backgrounds and walks of life, to enter the new world of finance and to provide education of the Fintech at - global scale.

She is the co-author of a few books, including the Fintech Job Report book, The Fintech job report is the first of its kind in history, where the major developments in the field, possible work roles, and pertinent employability skills required to help governments, regulators, employers, and job applicants with future job creation and prospects have been outlined.

Tram Anh serves as a Non Executive Director of Passerelles Numeriques. She holds a few advisory Board Member roles. Honoured Ambassador to the Singapore Fintech Festival and Ambassador to the Inclusive Fintech Forum.

She is one of the Entrepreneurship Expert Saïd Business School, Oxford. She is an Industry Fellow of Imperial College. Prior to co-founding CFTE, she has navigated between the corporate and entrepreneurial world, she has a diverse background in finance with 18 years of experience having worked in trading, institutional sales and private banking for major financial institutions such as Standard Chartered in New York, Dresdner Kleinwort and UBS Wealth Management London, Advisor to family offices.

Of Vietnamese origin, Tram Anh was born in France and lived in Paris, New York, and now London. Advocate for Women leadership in Fintech, Top Senior Leader Women in Fintech on the Powerlist, Awarded Top 10 Asia Tech Pioneers in the UK’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builders, Top 10 Women transforming Tech.
hqdefault-Jul-06-2023-10-29-41-6506-AM

Partners