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Startup City Weekly Brief
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Startup City: Specials Magazine
Afisherman in Osaka, a street vendor in Jakarta and a gig worker in São Paulo, what connects them? They operate outside traditional banking systems, where cash dominates, financial access is limited and healthcare is often an afterthought. Despite progress in financial inclusion, genuine autonomy— secure payments, access to credit and the ability to plan for both economic and personal well-being—remains out of reach for many. Kort Valuta is reshaping this reality, putting financial and personal health in the hands of all individuals. Instead of relying on traditional institutions, it leverages IDTech, bridging fintech and health tech through solutions like the Visa prepaid card and TwooCa Ring, the world’s first smart ring that integrates digital payments and health tracking. More than just a wearable, it acts as a financial passport, enabling users to build digital credit profiles, receive AI-driven financial guidance and manage transactions effortlessly while monitoring their health. The TwooCa app integrates everything into a mobilefriendly ecosystem, giving users a unified platform to manage their identity, finances and health data. A digital wallet linked to a Visa prepaid card or ring allows for secure transactions from a single device. “For underserved populations, from Japan’s cash-heavy market to the global stage, this is a shift in financial control,” says Hideki Shibata, CEO of Kort Valuta. “Digital payroll solutions remove long-standing barriers for unbanked workers, while AI concierge services provide real-time, personalized recommendations to help users make informed financial decisions.” One ID to Manage Them All IDTech marks the next evolution in financial empowerment. Merging identity verification with financial tools gives individuals complete control over their credentials and transactions—without banks, intermediaries or institutional gatekeeping. Personal identity has long been fragmented across multiple systems—an employee ID for work, a membership card for subscriptions, a student ID for education and a medical card for healthcare—each controlled by different institutions. IDTech consolidates these into a single, mobile-enabled identity system, eliminating the need for physical credentials and third-party verification. “IDTech goes beyond digital storage; it redefines financial identity,” says Shibata. “In traditional banking, institutions decide creditworthiness based on credit scores and financial history, creating barriers for those without an established banking record. We are flipping the script, allowing users to build a digital financial reputation based on real-time transactions and interactions.” Pay, Save and Prosper Stronger financial well-being starts with improving ‘money health,’ which requires rethinking the entire financial journey, from earning to saving, spending and beyond. A major issue is the massive number of people who live paycheck to paycheck. Traditional financial systems do little to break their cycle. Wages are deposited, but the burden of budgeting, allocating income and making smart financial decisions falls entirely on the individual. Kort Valuta’s TwooCa app takes a different approach with the AI-driven TwooCa Concierge.
Payment Money Management Solution in APAC 2025
Managing money has never been easier, thanks to Kyash—a financial solution that combines convenience, control, and security into one seamless experience. Whether making everyday purchases, tracking expenses, or managing shared accounts, Kyash transforms digital payments into something effortless and intuitive. A New Standard for Everyday Spending At its core, Kyash offers a Visa prepaid card that works just like any other Visa card, enabling payments at over 100 million locations worldwide, from supermarkets to hotels. The prepaid structure ensures users can deposit only what they need, keeping spending in check while preventing unnecessary over-expenditure. Topping up the card is simple, with options ranging from bank transfers and online banking to convenience store deposits and linked credit or debit cards. For those eager to start using Kyash right away, the Kyash Card Virtual allows instant online shopping after a quick registration with just an email and phone number. Better still, Apple Pay and Google Pay compatibility turns every payment into a single tap. Smart Money Management for Real Life Other than payments, Kyash redefines money management with an intuitive, real-time tracking system. Every transaction is instantly reflected in the app, giving users a clear view of their spending habits. Automated categorization and easy-to-read pie charts highlight trends, making it simple to pinpoint areas where adjustments might be needed. Push notifications ensure full transparency, alerting users to every transaction and helping them stay in complete control. To further enhance financial discipline, the app even allows users to set budgets tailored to their needs.
Postpaid Payment Service in APAC 2025
What if you could make a payment—even with insufficient funds—without relying on a credit card or racking up interest? That’s the promise of SmartPay, a company redefining digital finance in Japan. Today, when Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options are often tied to hidden fees, complex terms, or high-interest credit cards, Smartpay has carved out a new path— one that’s clean, transparent and radically simple. At the core of Smartpay’s offering is a fully digital, one-click financial ecosystem—the first of its kind in Japan. It allows users to split payments into three equal installments over two months, all without any interest or added fees. This isn’t just about deferring payments; it’s about enhancing affordability and giving consumers greater control over their spending without the usual risks that come with traditional credit. What makes Smartpay truly different is its frictionless experience. By linking directly to your bank account, the system ensures automatic, on-time deductions—eliminating the need to juggle due dates or manually make payments. There’s no dependency on credit cards, no compounding debt and no fine print. Just a seamless way to manage cash flow with confidence and clarity.
CXO INSIGHTS
Fierce Competition with Ever Rising Valuation with the Korean Startups
Taehun Kim, Senior Managing Director, GNTech Venture Capital
The Fate of Start-ups in Japan
Kunio Katsube, Managing Director, Head of Investment Research, Japan Investment Corporation
The China Time Capsule Theory Does Not Apply to Asean's Digital Economy
Adrian Li, Founder & Managing Partner , AC Ventures
Fueling Cutting-Edge Technology Companies through Investment and Collaboration
Jie Teng, Co-Founder, Venturous Group
8 Critical Factors For Scaling a B2B Startup
Patricia Poon, Managing Partner and Founder, Belmond Capital Limited
Catalyzing Innovation In Southeast Asia's Startup Ecosystem
Jeffrey Paine, Founding Managing Partner, Golden Gate Ventures
Banker, Builder, Believer
Jeffrey Nah, Limited Partner, Wavemaker Partners
IN FOCUS
Payment and Money Management Solutions Fueling APAC's Startup Cities
The Asia-Pacific region has emerged as a global center for innovation,
The Impact of Postpaid Payment Services on APAC's Economy
The financial landscape across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, particularly within its developing startup cities, is undergoing a profound transformation.
EDITORIAL
Where Simplicity Meets Smarter Finance
Across APAC, fintech is going through a quiet but meaningful shift. New tools and platforms are changing the way people and businesses manage money, with a stronger focus on ease, control and digital-first experiences that feel built for how we live and work today.
Lean, design-focused startups are leading the charge, rewriting expectations with mobile-first infrastructure, seamless user experiences and security built in from the ground up. These innovators are bringing payments and personal finance together in ways that feel less like traditional banking and more like everyday utility—quick, clean and intuitive. With real-time transfers, built-in budgeting tools and intelligent notifications, users are no longer just transacting—they're taking control.
At the same time, integrated money management platforms are gaining momentum. By combining banking, payments and financial analytics into unified, responsive systems, these platforms offer a clear, real-time picture of an individual’s financial health. AI-driven insights and instant feedback loops allow users to plan and adapt with greater confidence, making financial planning feel less like a task and more like a natural part of daily life.
Postpaid services are also reshaping expectations. What began as a novelty—‘buy now, pay later’—has matured into an essential layer of the modern payment experience. These solutions offer transparency, flexible repayment options and native checkout integration that speaks to mobile-first users who prioritise convenience and control.
Together, these shifts mark a broader transformation: a financial ecosystem that’s becoming more personal, more adaptive and more aligned with how people actually live. Fintech isn’t just rethinking money—it’s redesigning our relationship with it.
This edition highlights Kort Valuta, a company pioneering the future of ID-integrated finance. We also feature insights from Karen Chan, Portfolio Manager at Perennial Partners, and Ivan Ong, Partner at AFG Partners. They share their perspectives on the rapidly evolving payment ecosystem, highlighting emerging investment opportunities, the role of fintech in driving financial inclusion, and how smart payment technologies are reshaping consumer behaviour and business models. Their views provide valuable context on the trends and innovations defining the next wave of digital finance.
