Business

Announcing the Winners of the 2023 Tokyo Financial Award! Governor Koike to Speak at Award Ceremony

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government （TMG） is pleased to announce that the winning companies for the 2023 Tokyo Financial Award have been selected. The award ceremony will be held on March 5 at JP Tower, and will include an address by Governor Koike.

The Tokyo Financial Award was established in FY2018 to recognize outstanding efforts both in ESG investment and fintech companies that are developing innovative financial products and services to solve the most pressing issues faced by Tokyo residents.

The award ceremony will also include an “Audience Award” for the best business pitch. Anyone interested in finance, new innovation, or business development is encouraged to participate. Details are below.

The Award-winning Companies

The Financial Innovation Category, recognizing companies developing innovative financial services.

Rank	Company (HQ Location)	Service Overview and Goal
1st Place	Toggle G.K. (Japan･US)	Provides financial planners and others with a chat based service via unique generative AI technology that supports the analysis of client portfolios. This new chat service is capable of providing more accurate analysis than existing AI chatbots, enabled by its ability to analyze past economic, financial, and market data.
2nd Place	Credit Engine, Inc. (Japan)	Builds and provides a platform that enables a completely digitalized loan application process for loans guaranteed by guarantee corporations, for all processes undertaken by borrowers, financial institutions, and guarantee corporations. Shortens the lead time for loan issuance by streamlining administrative tasks.
3rd Place	Inovat Ltd. (UK)	Provides consumers travelling abroad with a totally digitalized process for obtaining VAT refunds. Partners with tax authorities and duty-free stores by providing an API which enables foreign nationals visiting Japan to quickly receive VAT refunds for their purchases by submitting their purchases/receipts using the Inovat app.

The ESG Investment Category, recognizing companies that have excelled in spreading ESG investment and implementing Sustainable Development Goals （SDGs）.

Company Name (HQ Location)	Service Overview
The Governor’s Special Prize for Green Finance※ Kayrros SAS (France)	Kayrros develops and provides service that can measure and monitor methane emissions of oil and gas businesses by analyzing satellite imagery, and detect such emissions at the source level. Data is used for reduction measures by emitters and decision-making by investors engaged in ESG investment.
ANRI, Inc. (Japan)	A venture capital specializing in long-term investments for startups in the climate tech (technology focusing on addressing impacts of global warming) sector. Aims to contribute to decarbonization through supporting the launch and growth of businesses pursuing technology which can take years to realize, including technology for nuclear fusion and battery materials.
Nature Innovation Group, Inc. (Japan)	Provides the umbrella sharing service “Aikasa.” Users can use the Aikasa app to borrow and return shared umbrellas at locations nationwide. Contributes to reducing CO₂ emissions, preserving resources, and combatting waste and marine plastic pollution with a business model designed to cut down the use of disposable plastic umbrellas.
TBM Co., Ltd. (Japan)	Develops a plastic alternative LIMEX, an innovative new material mainly made from limestone that can be found in various regions around the world, including Japan. TBM not only reduces GHG emissions, particularly with its material LIMEX, aims to realize a biodegradability capable of addressing marine plastic pollution.

※The Governor's Special Prize for Green Finance is awarded to a business from the ESG Investment Category that is deemed to be particularly outstanding in its green finance initiatives.

The Award Ceremony

Date, Time, and Venue

Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm (The Audience Award will be given after, see below)
4F hall, JP TOWER Hall & Conference
KITTE 4F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo ( External link )

How to Apply

Please apply via the linked web site or by using the QR Code to the right.
Application deadline: Thursday, February 29, 2024
Website( External link )

Note: The award ceremony may also be viewed online. Please apply via the link above （applications may be made until the day of the event）.
The ceremony will also be shown live at Tokyo Innovation Base, SusHi Tech Square 2F （3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo( External link )）. No advance application is necessary.

Note: Japanese/English simultaneous interpretation will be provided at the ceremony.

Award Ceremony Program

Time	Session	Speakers (planned)
1:00pm	Opening
1:00pm	Opening speech Overview of the Tokyo Financial Award	YOSHIMURA Keiichi, Director General of the Office for Startup and Global Financial City Strategy, TMG
1:10pm	Presentations by award-winning companies	Financial Innovation Category: 3 winners ESG Investment Category: 4 winners
1:55pm	Commentary and discussion	YAMAOKA Hiromi, Chair of the Selection Committee (Chief Advisor for International Finance, TMG Board Director)
2:10pm	Governor’s address, presentation of awards, photos	KOIKE Yuriko , Governor of Tokyo Award winners, etc.
2:30pm	Closing

The Audience Award (Business Pitch Contest)

After the award ceremony, 11 businesses in the Financial Innovation category selected from among the 117 initial applicants (excluding the 3 award winners) will give presentations, after which the Audience Award winner will be decided. This will be held between 2:40pm and 4:00pm.
Anyone registered as described above in “How to Apply” may view and participate in the Audience Award ceremony.

Information regarding press coverage of the award ceremony will be issued at a later date.

For further details, please visit the Tokyo Financial Award official website

The Tokyo Financial Award is a Japan Fintech Week 2024 event, sponsored by the Financial Services Agency.
For details, please visit: the Website( External link )

※Please click here for the original Japanese release

For Inquiries
Strategic Projects Promotion Section, Strategy Promotion Division,
Office for Startup and Global Financial City Strategy
03-5388-2163
S1130103（at）section.metro.tokyo.jp
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