Smart Idea

Smart Idea is a Japanese fintech company that develops and operates personal finance management (PFM) applications. The firm was founded in May 2012 by Shohei Ejiri, who serves as the CEO. Ejiri’s personal childhood experiences with financial hardship motivated him to create services that help people achieve a “Happy Money Life” and reduce money-related anxieties.

The company's flagship product is "Okanereco," a household bookkeeping application that has surpassed 5 million downloads. The app is known for its simplicity, designed with a calculator motif that allows users to record expenses in as little as two seconds. Unlike many competitors, Okanereco does not require user registration or integration with financial institutions, which appeals to a broad demographic. The company offers a premium version, "Okanereco Plus," which provides enhanced features for managing finances for individuals, couples, or families, allowing for both private and shared expense tracking. The business model includes both free, ad-supported versions and paid subscriptions for premium features.

In addition to its core consumer apps, Smart Idea provides other utility applications such as "Kaimono Dentaku Reco" for calculating shopping totals and "Stock Reco" for managing household inventories. The company has also expanded into B2B services, offering a subscription-based product development service called "Subsc-Kaihatsu," where its team assists other companies with their IT projects. Furthermore, Smart Idea has developed services aimed at financial education, including a business novel game and an app for children to learn about money management. The company established a development subsidiary, Smart Idea Studio, in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2015 and has secured funding from investors like AG Capital.

Keywords: personal finance management, fintech, mobile applications, household bookkeeping, expense tracking, financial planning, money management app, budget app, digital accounting, B2C, subscription service, app development, Okanereco, Japanese market, asset management, financial literacy, mobile payments, ad-supported model, freemium