Habitto (Formerly Singapore Japan Mobile Labs)

Habitto, operating under the legal name Habitto Co., Ltd. and formerly known as Singapore Japan Mobile Labs, is a financial technology company targeting the Japanese market with a digital banking platform. The firm was established to address the financial anxiety prevalent among younger generations in Japan, a market characterized by over $18 trillion in low-yielding assets.

The company was founded in Singapore in 2021 as SJ Mobile Labs Pte Ltd by Samantha Ghiotti, an Italian fintech executive and venture investor, and Liam McCance, an Australian entrepreneur. They were later joined by André Bose Do Amaral. Ghiotti has over two decades of experience in finance and technology with roles at American Express and the Royal Bank of Scotland, and was instrumental in building the fintech venture firm Anthemis Group. McCance is a creative entrepreneur with a background in building and exiting businesses in adtech, fintech, and e-commerce. The founding team's collective experience is aimed at navigating and innovating within Japan's large insurance and savings market. The company established its Japanese subsidiary, SJ Mobile Labs Japan KK, in November 2021 and officially rebranded to Habitto Co., Ltd. in March 2023.

Habitto operates as a digital bank through a mobile application, providing a suite of financial services designed to help users build better financial habits—the inspiration for its name. The platform offers services to legal residents of Japan and focuses on clients who are new to financial planning. Its business model is centered on providing an integrated financial experience, combining a high-yield savings account, a Visa debit card, and access to insurance and investment products. A key feature is the provision of free, personalized financial advice delivered through human advisors via in-app video and chat functions. The company secured a new Financial Services Intermediary license in Japan, becoming the first foreign-owned company to be registered for deposit-taking, electronic financial services, and securities intermediation under this regime.

Since its inception, Habitto has achieved significant funding milestones, including a $2.85 million seed round in February 2022, a $3.9 million pre-Series A round in February 2023, and an $11.7 million Series A round in November 2024. These funding rounds have been supported by a mix of local and global investors, including Saison Capital, QED Investors, DG Daiwa Ventures, and Anthemis Group.

Keywords: digital banking, financial advice, Japanese fintech, wealth management, personal finance app, high-yield savings, investment services, insurance products, mobile banking, financial intermediary, bancassurance, financial literacy, Samantha Ghiotti, Liam McCance, Tokyo startup, asset management, retail banking, customer-focused finance, savings solutions, financial anxiety