NTT Docomo Financial Group Inc. plans to sell banking and other financial functions to regional banks and transportation businesses [1, 2].
This strategy allows the company to integrate its financial infrastructure into existing local networks, potentially accelerating the adoption of its digital services across Japan. By partnering with entities that possess large, established customer bases, Docomo Financial can bypass the slow process of organic user acquisition.
CEO Takashi Hiroi said in an interview that the company plans to sell more banking and other financial functions to businesses, aiming to tap into customers of regional banks and other partners [2]. The initiative specifically targets regional banks that are looking to strengthen their point programs [1].
Beyond the banking sector, the company will target businesses such as transportation that maintain larger customer bases [1]. This approach seeks to create a more cohesive ecosystem where financial services are embedded directly into the daily transit and banking habits of consumers.
The expansion follows previous strategic moves in the sector. In a related effort to scale its digital banking presence, NTT Docomo previously acquired SBI Net Bank for 420 billion yen [3, 4].
By offering these functions as a service, Docomo Financial intends to leverage its technological capabilities to support partners who lack the resources to build similar digital financial tools from scratch. This B2B model shifts the company's role from a direct service provider to an infrastructure partner for regional Japanese enterprises [1, 2].
“NTT Docomo Financial Group Inc. plans to sell more banking and other financial functions to businesses”
This move signals a shift toward 'Banking-as-a-Service' (BaaS) in the Japanese market. By pivoting from a consumer-facing model to an infrastructure provider, Docomo Financial is attempting to monetize its technology stack while gaining access to the loyal customer bases of regional banks and transit authorities, effectively diversifying its revenue streams without the risk of direct competition with local institutions.
