SMBC to double startup funding to $1.8bn through loans, investments

Japanese bank to launch fund to purchase unlisted startup shares from investors

SMBC looks to provide startups with financial support to keep them from listing too early. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)

MASAYUKI SHIKATA

July 23, 2025 07:02 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese lender Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) plans to double funding for startups, seeking to capture demand from early-stage companies hungry for capital.

SMBC will extend 270 billion yen ($1.84 billion) in investments and loans to startups between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2025, which closes March 2026. This is up from 135 billion yen originally planned for the period.