“I am looking forward to seeing more digital transformation in the banking industry this year,” says Che Wang, a senior associate at MUFG Innovation Partners (MUIP), the corporate venturing arm of Japanese bank holding and financial services firm Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).
Banking is undergoing big changes not only in Japan but also in emerging regions such as India and Southeast Asia, says Wang.
“Digital transformation can bring changes to the banking industries and clients can ultimately enjoy better services,” says Wang.
Wang joined the United Nations in Geneva in 2016, specialising in startups and small and medium enterprises in developing countries.
“As a global fund, we can source technologies from various countries and support them to explore synergies with our bank.”
She also gathered experience in investment banking in India and China to facilitate mid-late stage startups to raise capital from global investors. In 2020, she took her first CVC role at Fosun RZ Capital, part of Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group.
As a senior investment manager at Fosun, Wang oversaw investments in India and Southeast Asia from deal sourcing to execution. She relocated to Japan in May 2022 when she accepted her current role with MUFG.
Founded in 2019, MUIP invests in financial technology deals at early to growth stages globally. It has $650m in capital and a team of 30 people.
MUIP’s 45 portfolio companies are located across Japan, the US, Israel, India, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia, helping MUFG access global startup ecosystems.
In 2023, MUIP invested in Indian software-as-a-service lending platform provider Lentra. The company helps banks launch their loan products quickly on the cloud.
“As a global fund, we can source technologies from various countries and support them to explore synergies with our banks in Japan, as well as our partner banks in Southeast Asia and the US,” says Wang.
See the full list of GCV Rising Stars for 2024 here.