Finatext's Credit Business Platform 'Crest' Adopted as Integrated Customer Base for MUFG Bank's Online Finance Service for SMEs

Finatext Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Akane Kinoshita; hereinafter "Finatext"), a member of the Finatext Group that realizes embedded finance through the provision of next-generation financial infrastructure, is pleased to announce that its credit business platform, "Crest," has been adopted as the integrated customer base for MUFG Bank, Ltd.'s (hereinafter "MUFG Bank") online finance services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Initially, the platform will facilitate seamless integration between MUFG Bank's SME online lending service, "Biz LENDING," and business SaaS provided by external partners, supporting the realization of comprehensive lending services that meet the diverse funding needs of SMEs.

Background In recent years, corporate finance has seen a diversification of funding methods, including corporate cards, invoice card payments, and factoring, in addition to traditional bank loans. To provide optimal financial services tailored to a business's growth phase and funding requirements, it is essential to utilize customer data across services while enhancing user convenience through integration with external platforms. MUFG Bank also required the construction of a system capable of flexibly connecting its SME online finance services, centered on "Biz LENDING," with external services while managing customer data in an integrated manner.

Finatext's "Crest" is an AI-ready credit business platform that allows for the efficient, centralized management of credit-related operations. Because functions such as screening, lending, repayment, balance management, and customer management are pre-implemented in the system, it reduces initial costs and development time, enabling rapid business launches. Its highly flexible and scalable architecture also makes it easy to expand functions and integrate with other systems after operations begin.

These features led to the selection of "Crest" as the integrated customer base for MUFG Bank's SME online finance services. Finatext and MUFG Bank began the "Crest" implementation project this month and plan to proceed with development to integrate "Biz LENDING" with external services.

Features of the "Crest" Integrated Customer Base 1. ID and Data Integration for Seamless Connection with External Services With an API-based design, the platform easily enables single sign-on (SSO) and secure data linkage from external services. Users can seamlessly access lending services from the business tools they use daily.

2. Integrated Database for Centralized Management of Multiple Financial Services per Customer Data across multiple services—such as lending, payments, and billing management—is integrated at the customer level. This allows the bank to grasp customer funding needs more precisely and in real-time, enabling proposals at the optimal timing.

3. Balance of Proven Stability and Flexible Scalability Continuous functional improvements are made based on operational experience within the Finatext Group's own lending business (Smartplus Credit Co., Ltd.). While it is a proven and stable foundation, it allows for the rapid addition and modification of necessary functions to match the fast-changing corporate finance market.

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Future Outlook Moving forward, Finatext will continue to support the realization of lending services that meet the diverse needs of companies through the provision of "Crest," contributing to corporate growth and improved productivity.

[Reference Links] - Credit Business Platform "Crest": https://smartplus-credit.com/crest - MUFG Bank "Biz LENDING": https://lending.corporate.bk.mufg.jp/