Bendigo Partners has made a strategic investment in Akatsuki Financial Group, a Japan based mid-sized financial services firm, specialising in retail brokerage and asset management, with origins dating back over 130 years.
Bendigo is investing alongside Monex Group (ticker 8698, Tokyo Stock Exchange), a leading online financial services provider and Aeria Inc (ticker 3758, JASDAQ), a content and game developer and provider.
“The retail financial services industry in Japan is very fragmented and Bendigo and Akatsuki see opportunities for consolidation and the introduction of new strategies and products,” says Dominic Henderson, Bendigo’s lead partner in Japan and former Branch Manager of Macquarie Securities Japan Ltd.
Hideto Kudo, Akatsuki Representative Director and President, says: “Bendigo brings extensive experience in global financial services which will assist Akatsuki in broadening its product line-up and developing its overseas business.”
“We know Akatsuki well, as Bendigo and Akatsuki senior executives previously worked together building E*TRADE both in the US and Japan,” says Jarrett Lilien, Bendigo Managing Partner and former President and COO of E*TRADE Financial. “This gives us confidence in Akatsuki’s ability to execute on its vision.”
