INTERVIEW: Resona Bank Targets 45 B. Yen in Startup Loans in FY 2028

Tokyo, Sept. 10 (Jiji Press)–Resona Bank plans to extend a total of about 45 billion yen in loans to startups in fiscal 2028, more than nine times the fiscal 2025 level, President Kazuhiro Chida has said in a recent interview. “We want to be the top runner” in supporting startups, Chida said. Resona began full-scale financing for startups in October 2023, aiming to increase the cumulative amount of loans extended to such firms to 100 billion yen by the end of fiscal 2028. Emphasizing the importance of connecting startups with major companies to accelerate their growth, Chida said that his company “would like to demonstrate a presence as a bridge.” He also expressed his intention to establish a second fund for startup lending with Fivot Inc., a Tokyo-based firm that offers loans to startups. Additionally, Resona Bank plans to introduce an internal venture program in October to launch new businesses within the Resona group. Projects selected under the program are expected to be commercialized in April 2028, with the proposer in principle becoming president, according to Chida. “Changing the corporate culture is a major goal” of the initiative, he said. Regarding Resona Fund Wrap, a discretionary investment management product, Chida said that the bank plans to increase assets under management, including those handled by partner firms, from the current 900 billion yen to 2 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2028. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]