EVENT OVERVIEW

4F is an annual event of financial innovation stakeholders to discuss current issues, recognize best practices, and take actions for the future.
This year’s event will include the Japan Financial Innovation Award (JFIA), which is to recognize innovative initiatives from the press releases in the financial sector during 2025, FINOPITCH, a global pitch contest for FinTech startups, and discussions on updated topics, international reception, etc.

This year’s theme is “Reinvent,” with the hope for “reinventing the future of financial services”. We hope that you will find hints for accelerating innovation in the global environment with rapid changes. We sincerely hope to stimulate international discussions within the framework of “JAPAN FINTECH WEEK” and to promote collaboration between startups and financial institutions both in Japan and abroad.

Title

4F(Future Frontier Fes by FINOLAB) 2026 – Reinvent –

Date and Time

Feb.24th,2026 (Tue) – Mar.6th,2026 (Fri)
(JFIA will be held on Mar.2nd and FINOPITCH will be on Feb.26th)

Venue

JFIA：OCA TOKYO / FINOPITCH：Kanze Noh Theater　*To be announced for others.

Organizer/Supported by

FINOLAB Inc./FINOVATORS

Contents

JFIA Award Ceremony / FINOPITCH / Speech / Meetup / Reception, etc.

Distribution Channel

YouTube FINOLAB CHANNEL ( https://www.youtube.com/c/finolabchannel )

Language

JFIA: Japanese / FINOPITCH: English / *Other: Bilingual

Japan Financial Innovation Award（JFIA）

JFIA is to recognize innovative initiatives in financial services by adopting information technology and share best practices in the industry and expects to further expand open innovation beyond corporate group and business sector.

JFIA

PROGRAM

Details and latest information will be updated as needed.
Please note that the program may change for any reason.

March 3, to March 7, 2025

FINOLAB Lounge

@FINOLAB
Open Space provided at FINOLAB with WiFi and refreshment to rest or work.

Registration Open Soon

Lab Crawl

（①10:00〜12:00、②13:30〜15:00）@meeting place：FINOLAB

(Japanese Only) Visits to innovative laboratory facilities in the Otemachi Building, including FINOLAB.

① FINOLAB ⇒ AgVenture Lab ⇒ Inspired. Lab ⇒ Preferred Networks ⇒ MIRAI LAB PALETTE

② FINOLAB ⇒ AgVenture Lab ⇒ Inspired. Lab ⇒ MIRAI LAB PALETTE

Registration Open Soon

March 4, 2025

Tokyo Rooftop Night

(18:00-20:00) @SKY LAB
A reception will be held for participants of Japan FinTech Week at the rooftop “SKY LAB” of the Otemachi Building.

Registration Open Soon

February 25, 2025

FINOPITCH Closed Meetup

(19:00-20:00)
Meetup will be held for FINOPITCH finalists and invited guests.

February 25, 2026

Tokyo Rooftop Night

(18:00-20:00) @SKY LAB
A reception will be held for participants of Japan FinTech Week at the rooftop “SKY LAB” of the Otemachi Building.

February 26, 2026

CC PITCH

(10:00-12:00) @KANZE Noh Theater (GINZA SIX B3)
"CC- Pitch (ChaosCanvas Pitch)“ is a pitch contest for under 25 youth to challenge the future.

FINOPITCH 2026

FINOPITCH

(13:00-19:00) @KANZE Noh Theater (GINZA SIX B3)
“FINOPITCH'' is a global pitch contest for FinTech startups. Startups from Japan and overseas will give pitches in English. In addition to the grand prize decided by the judges, we will also announce the supporter awards and the audience award in the award ceremony.

FINOPITCH Networking

Networking opportunity with FINOPITCH finalists and event participants.

March 2, 2026

FINOLAB Open Day

Introduction to FINOLAB with facility tour and pitches from member startups.

JFIA

(18:00-20:00) @OCA TOKYO
Japan Financial Innovation Award (JFIA) is to recognize innovative initiatives in financial services. We will announce the grand prize and the category excellence in the awards ceremony.【By invitation only】

Click here for details

March 7, 2025

APAC FINOLAB  PANEL PITCH & LUNCH

(10:00~13:00) @FINOLAB
Mainly, not limited, for APAC participants.
10:00-11:00　Panel on APAC Trend
11:00-12:00　Pitch by APAC Startups
12:00-13:00　Networking Lunch

Registration Open Soon

Late Night Party

(20:00-22:00) @FINOLAB
To close all the event, we will hold a networking reception.

Registration Open Soon

FINOPITCH pre-consultation meeting

FINOLAB supports the growth of startups in a variety of ways.

We will hold a pre-consultation meeting for those who are unsure about applying to FINOPITCH, those who would like to make clear their pitch content, and those who would like mentoring. FINOLAB Fund members will have a direct interview with you, so it is a chance to casually discuss not only the content of your pitch, but also everything from capital policy to business planning.

Those who are thinking about starting a business or those who are thinking of applying to FINOPITCH next year or later are also very welcome.

・Method of interview: Online or face-to-face *Face-to-face interviews will be held at FINOLAB.

https://finolab.tokyo/jp

・Application deadline: End of December *Depending on the timing of your application, interviews may be held in the new year.

・Required time: About one hour

・Advisor: FINOLAB fund member

・Contact: investment@finolab.co.jp

*Details and latest information will be updated as needed.
*Please note that the program may change for any reason.

FINOPITCH 2026

Entry is closed. Thank you very much for many entries.

OVERVIEW

FINOPITCH is a global pitch contest for FinTech startups, where domestic and international companies compete based on four criteria: Impact on the Financial Industry, Innovative Business Model, Business Growth Potential, and Global Market Expansion. All presentations are in English.

The Future Frontier Fes by FINOLAB, or "4F" for short, is an event scheduled to be held from February 24 to March 6, 2026. One of its main programs is the pitch contest, FINOPITCH (formerly FIBC).

Since its launch in 2012, FINOPITCH has been a cornerstone of Japan's financial innovation history. It has provided a platform for FinTech startups to showcase their technological innovations and business models, fostering domestic and international networking opportunities.

Over the years, FINOPITCH has featured more than 240 startups, including leading FinTech companies such as AI inside, ConsenSys, Finatext Holdings, FOLIO, freee, Hottlink, Kyash, Loadstar Capital, Money Forward, Moneytree, Paidy, Revolut, and Zuu.

■ Reference
FINOPITCH 2025　 https://4f-otmcbldg.tokyo/finopitch2025-award-winner/
FIBC＆FINOPITCH 10th Anniversary Movie　https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNwzpY0XUAM&t=4s

FINOPITCH Application Guidelines

◆ Application Process
Application Deadline : Dec. 31, 2025 (Wed)
Finalist Announcement : Jan. 26, 2026 (Mon)
FINOPITCH / Award Ceremony : Feb. 26, 2026 (Thu)

※ Meeting with supporting companies will be scheduled for the finalists from Feb. 25 to 27, 2026.
※ The event organizer will contact you if an online interview is required.

◆ Eligibility Requirements
・Must be a FinTech startup.
・Must have a product/service available for demonstration.
・Must agree to the contents of the application form.

Company Establishment/Service Launch
・Japan companies: Established within the past 6 years and service launched within the past 2 years.
・Overseas companies: Established within the past 8 years and service launched within the past 3 years (considering entering the Japanese market).

◆ Pitch Format
Up to 7 minutes presentation and demonstration in English.

◆ Judging Criteria
Impact | Impact on the Financial Industry
Creativity | Innovative Business Model
Growth | Business Growth Potential
Expansion | Global Market Expansion

◆ Awards
Grand Prize / Audience Award / Supporter Awards

If you have any questions, please contact us at the email address below.
hello+FINOPITCH＠finolab.co.jp

Protection of Personal Information
– All the personal information will be protected with our Privacy Policy.

JUDGES

Masakazu MASUJIMA
Masakazu MASUJIMA
FINOVATORS Founder & President
The chairman
Tetsuo IIDA
Tetsuo IIDA
FINOVATORS Founder
Takahisa OHIRA
Takahisa OHIRA
FINOVATORS Member
Hisanori OGAWA
Hisanori OGAWA
FINOVATORS Founder
Mio TAKAOKA
Mio TAKAOKA
FINOVATORS Founder

*The order of the Japanese syllabary after the chairman.

TIMETABLE

Coming Soon

DAY1 | Reconsideration | 2023-03-06 18：00 ～ 20：30　[JP]

"Changing Cources"

Pivot History of Kanmu and How to Transform in FinTech Business.

Wataru Yamaki　CEO, Kanmu, Inc.

Transformation of ｍortgage comparison service ”Mogecheck.”

Takashi Shiozawa　Chief Operating Officer, MFS, Inc.

New Challenge of GFIT for FX-Tech.
History of Business Transformation.

Shin Sakane (Ph.D.)　co-CEO & CSMO, GFIT Inc.

DAY2 | Reorganization | 2023-03-07  18：00 ～ 20：30　[JP]

"DX and Beyond"

Logics of Digital Transformation (DX)

Keita Nishiyama　Visiting Professor, The University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives

DX and FinTech

Chris Skinner　CEO, The Finanser　/　Director, 11:FS

［Session & Discussion］
Re-Skilling Strategy in the Age of DX

Yasuhisa Iida　CEO and Representative Director, JP DIGITAL Co., Ltd.
Masashi Yokobori　Executive Officer, Director of DX Talent Design Department, AVILEN Co., Ltd.

Future has already started.

Masako Wakamiya　Vice president, Mellow Club

DAY3 | Recharge | 2023-03-08  18：00 ～ 20：30　[JP]

"For the Future Development"

Fund Raising in Recession Period

Masaya Kubota　Partner, WiL, LLC

［Panel Discussion］
PR Strategy for FinTech Startups

Mayumi Sakai　Nonfiction Writer
Noriko Sanada　Co-Founder & CEO, GRANDCELL Inc.
Maki Shinada　Public Relations, freee K.K.
Ayaka Mizuno　Marketing and PR Team, Funds, inc.
Chika Tachibana　Manager of Community Success, FINOLAB Inc.

Startup and VC Trend in the US and Corporate Alliance

Kenichi Saito　Senior Director, Sozo Ventures

（Contents will be updated）

CC PITCH ＆ FINOPITCH | 2025-03-06 10：00 ～ 20：00

10:00~12:00　CC PITCH
　　　　　*Business pitch by students
13:00　International Startup Pitch　　　　　
14:40　Japanese Startup Pitch
16:30　Alumni Panel
　　　　Panelist：Atsuyoshi Shimazu, CAULIS Inc. CEO（2015）
　　　　　　　　 Seiichiro Uchiyama, Credit Engine Inc.  (2017）
　　　　　　　　 Yusuke Otsuka, Coincheck Inc. CBDO（2015・16）
　　　　Moderator：Atsushi Kitagawa, FINOVATORS / Managing Director Japan of Sony Ventures Corporation
17:15　Noh Performance "Funa-Benkei"　Mr. Kanze Saburota
18:00　Award Ceremony
19:00　Networking Reception

JP：Japanese　EN：English

* In Japan time.
*The plans are subject to change.

CC PITCH

Presentations were given by five young groups (under 25 years old) to promote their business plan. In addition, experts in finance, legal affairs, and startup support from Japan and abroad gathered for a panel discussion on the latest trends, regulations, and investment strategies.

【Panelists】
・Manabu Oura （FUNDINNO,Inc.）
・Hiroyuki Nakano（Financial Services Agency）
・Takafumi Ochiai （Fintech Association of Japan / Atsumi & Sakai）
・Naoyuki Otani （Gazelle Capital）
・Yuki Kishi （Fintech Association of Japan / Sustainability Data Standardization Consortium）

TICKET

If you wish to participate, please do so by booking a ticket in advance.

The registration for each event will open from Oct. 2025 at this site.

SUPPORTERS

Coming Soon

PLATINUM SUPPORTERS

GOLD SUPPORTERS

SILVER SUPPORTERS

BRONZE SUPPORTERS

PUBLIC SUPPORTERS

FINOPITCH2025 has been supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government as their ‘Innovation Support Event for FinTech related Business’

OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS

VENUE

PARTNERS

*The order of the Japanese syllabary