The Fintech Association Publishes "The Textbook of Venture Debt"

The Fintech Association (Representative Directors: Takashi Okita, Yasuhiro Kimura, Takafumi Ochiai; hereinafter referred to as "the Association") announces that "The Textbook of Venture Debt," edited by the Association, was published on July 6, 2026.

Background of Publication

Venture debt has garnered significant attention over the past five years, as evidenced by its inclusion in the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Reform Plan 2023 Revision," decided by the Cabinet on June 16, 2023.

As the startup industry continues to expand and become a true driver of Japan's economic growth, venture debt, with its function of optimizing risk and return, is expected to play an increasingly important role. On the other hand, compared to venture capital, which is already a mature industry with broad social recognition, venture debt is still in its developmental stages, and practical issues are actively being debated.

With this understanding, the book was planned as a resource to provide an overview of the practical aspects and fundamental issues of venture debt, with Mr. Takafumi Ochiai, Vice Chairman of the Association, and Mr. Tomomichi Takao, Executive Director, serving as the editorial representatives, and with the cooperation of experts active on the front lines of both public and private sectors.

We hope this book will become an indispensable guide for a wide range of readers involved in startups, including entrepreneurs, finance managers of startups, financial institution personnel involved in startup investment and financing, as well as policymakers and practitioners in various specialized fields, and that it will lead the development of the fintech and startup industries.

Profiles of Directors in Charge

Takafumi Ochiai

Vice Chairman, Representative Director, Fintech Association

Senior Partner, Attorney at Law, Atsumi & Sakai, Inc.

Graduated from the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University. Passed the bar examination while enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and Technology at the same university.

Worked for approximately 9 years at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto in Tokyo and Beijing offices, handling international disputes, bankruptcies, intellectual property, and overseas investments.

Since joining the current firm, he has been advising on businesses in industries such as finance, healthcare, real estate, MaaS, and IT, and has been involved in the establishment of new systems. He holds various positions in industry, government, and academia, including advisor on international financial cities for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Osaka Prefecture/City, and Fukuoka Prefecture, Vice Chairman and Representative Director of the Japan Financial Services Intermediaries Association, a self-regulatory organization, and a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo. At his current affiliation, he founded and serves as the director of the Prototype Policy Institute, and is also a co-founder and representative director of Smart Governance Inc. He has received awards such as FT Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific Awards 2023 Innovation in Adjacent Services (Firm) and "30 Rule Makers of Japan" (Forbes JAPAN August 2022 issue, 2022).

Tomomichi Takao

Executive Director, Fintech Association

Director, COO & CLO (Overseas Business) / Attorney at Law, Funds Co., Ltd.

After passing the bar examination, he was involved in legal affairs for new businesses at DeNA and IPO support at Daiwa Securities. After joining Funds, he led the acquisition of financial licenses and the product design of Funds, and became CLO (Chief Legal Officer). He achieved the integration of Taiwan AMFC (now Funds AMFC), the group's first cross-border M&A, into the group and was appointed COO (Chief Operating Officer) in charge of overseas business. He has lectured on fintech and finance at Keio University Graduate School and The University of Tokyo Graduate School, and is also involved in public service activities as a committee member of the International Financial City OSAKA Promotion Committee and a committee member of the "Deliberation Committee on Improving the Functions and Ensuring the Reliability of Type II Financial Instruments Business Operators" of the Japan Securities Dealers Association. He was selected for Legal 500 GC Powerlist Japan 2024. Attorney at Law (Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association).

Table of Contents (Affiliation of author in parentheses)

Chapter 1: Significance and Introduction of Venture Debt (Funds Startups Co., Ltd.)

Chapter 2: Case Studies of Venture Debt Utilization (Siiibo Securities Co., Ltd.)

Chapter 3: Overview of Startup Financing Practical Handbook (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, The Federation of Bankers Associations of Japan)

Chapter 4: Screening and Risk Management of Venture Debt in Financial Institutions (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation)

Chapter 5: Trends in Venture Debt in the United States (Financial Services Agency)

Chapter 6: Government Policies on Startup Financing (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

Chapter 7: Overview of the Act on Promotion of Business Financing, etc. (Security Interest in Corporate Value) (Financial Services Agency)

Chapter 8: Legal Issues of Venture Debt (Atsumi & Sakai, Inc.)

Chapter 9: Accounting and Taxation of Venture Debt (EY Strategy and Consulting Co., Ltd.)

Book Overview

Title: The Textbook of Venture Debt

Editor: Fintech Association (Editorial Representatives: Takafumi Ochiai, Tomomichi Takao)

Publisher: Financial Affairs Research Institute

Price: 2,200 yen (excluding tax)

Release Date: July 6, 2026

About the Fintech Association

The Fintech Association's mission is to implement new financial services that are close to users, contributing to the improvement of people's lives and business activities, starting from Japan. To this end, we promote the sustainable and sound development of the domestic and international financial industries through open innovation centered on startups and with multiple stakeholders, as well as the development of financial transaction environments, including legal systems.

Name: Fintech Association (Fintech Association of Japan)

Representative Directors: Takashi Okita / Yasuhiro Kimura / Takafumi Ochiai

Establishment Date: September 24, 2015

Address: Kayaba-cho 1-chome Heiwa Bldg. 8F, 1-8-1 Nihonbashi Kayaba-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0025

URL: https://fintechjapan.org/