Nudge

Nudge, a Japanese fintech firm founded in 2020 by serial entrepreneur Takashi Okita, is positioned as a challenger bank aiming to enhance financial inclusion. Okita, who also serves as the Chairperson for the FinTech Association of Japan, has a notable history in the financial technology sector. He previously co-founded and led VeriTrans Inc., an online payment solution provider, and was the CEO of SBI Ripple Asia, a joint venture between SBI Group and Ripple. His experience includes serving on the boards of unicorns like Ripple and Tokopedia, and being recognized by Nikkei Business as one of the “100 People to Change Japan” in 2014.

The company's core product is a smartphone-linked, next-generation credit card service, also named "Nudge," which launched in September 2021. This service is designed to simplify the typically cumbersome credit card application process, targeting younger consumers and those new to credit. The application is handled entirely through a mobile app, which also provides real-time tracking of expenditures to help users avoid overspending. Nudge offers flexible repayment options, allowing users to pay at any time or in a monthly lump sum, starting with a modest credit limit that can increase with a positive repayment history.

A central feature of Nudge's business model is its "club" system. This allows users to support their favorite artists, sports teams, or creators through their daily spending. By using the card, customers receive special benefits from their chosen "club," and the club, in turn, gains a new revenue source, fostering fan engagement. The company can issue uniquely designed cards on-demand for these clubs, with nearly 100 such partnerships established. Nudge generates revenue through its credit card services and collaborations with these partner clubs. The company is built on a modern, cloud-based serverless microservices architecture, ensuring stability and frequent updates.

Keywords: challenger bank, fintech, credit card, financial inclusion, mobile payment, Takashi Okita, fan engagement, consumer finance, Japan, digital banking, credit screening, payment solutions, smartphone app, flexible repayment, Green FinTech, BaaS, NFT, partner ecosystems, user experience