TOKYO – 8th February 2023 – Habitto (by SJ Mobile Labs Pte Ltd) the Japan-based startup looking to change money Habits through a mobile bancassurance platform has raised US$3.9 million in a pre-A financing round.

The round was co-led by Saison Capital and Cherubic Ventures. The Pre-A round was joined by new investors DG Daiwa Ventures, GMO Ventures, Kyokuto Securities, Epic Angels and angel investors from the finance industry across the globe.

This financing round follows the seed round which the company raised US$3.4 million in September 2021 led by Saison Capital. This brings the total raised by the company to US $7.3 million.

Habitto is looking to take on the financial anxiety that the Japanese face about their future. The mobile offering connects savings, investment and life insurance products supported by digitally enabled financial advisors. SJ Mobiles Labs the operator of Habitto was the first non-Japanese company to be issued the New Financial Service Intermediary license in October 2022.

The Habitto team completed a closed beta providing free financial advice to participants in December 2022 and plans to launch to the public in the second quarter of this year.

‘The financial advice offered in our private beta showed really promising results. Most participants had little previous experience, if any, with independent financial advice, however, most recognised the need and indicated a willingness to pay for access to independent financial advice’ Liam McCance Chief Creative Officer and co-founder.

‘We are thrilled about this endorsement from our existing and new investors, especially in this challenging financing environment. As we continue to deliver on our plan we continue to attract local and global investors with an interest in the Japanese fintech space. The fresh financing will support our public launch which is on track for this year.’ Sam Ghiotti CEO and co-founder

"Introducing today’s generation to new money habits requires engaging with them through a new voice and we’re excited to see how Habitto’s platform has sparked this conversation digitally. Doing so not only empowers consumers with more know-how but gives financial service providers a fresh way to connect with Japan’s investment-curious," said Chris Sirise, Founding Partner of Saison Capital

MEDIA CONTACT

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Liam McCance press@sj-ml.com

About Saison Capital:

Saison Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund (pre-seed to Series B) with a focus on emerging markets. We back ambitious founders solving big problems, focused on embedded finance - non-fintech companies expanding into fintech. Each individual in our team comes from an operating background, and we are unafraid to roll up our sleeves to support our founders. We are backed by Credit Saison, a Tokyo-listed $30b AUM consumer finance company with extensive financial services across Asia. For more information visit: https://saisoncapital.com/

About Cherubic

Founded in 2014, Cherubic Ventures is a global seed-stage fund investing in pre-product/market fit companies. We are eager to partner with the most talented founders audacious enough to make the world a better place, and support them from the very beginning of their journey to the growth stage.

Our team sits across San Francisco, Shanghai, and Taipei. Some of our notable portfolio companies include Hims & Hers, Calm, Flexport, 91APP, Paidy, Bellabeat,

and Trialspark. To date, Cherubic has a global network of more than 150 portfolio companies, as well as 500+ founders, advisors, and institutional investors, allowing us to provide top-tier support for founders on their startup journey.

https://cherubic.com/