Netstars Co., Ltd., the operator of Japan’s largest QR code payment gateway, announced the completion of a JPY6.6 billion funding round. The round, which was made through a combination of a capital infusion and the allotment of new shares, includes a JPY4 billion investment made from funds managed by global investment firm KKR. SIG and LUN Partners also participated in the round.
Headquartered in Tokyo and led by CEO Tsuyoshi Ri, Netstars is a payments aggregator and a FinTech company. The Company operates StarPay, Japan’s leading payments aggregation solution which integrates a variety of payment providers into a single device or software platform, allowing for efficient point-of-sale processing for consumers across multiple payment apps. To date, StarPay is used by more than 280,000 merchants across Japan and has aggregated 37 payment providers onto its platform, including PayPay, LINE Pay, AliPay, WeChat Pay, and VIA.
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Netstars will use the funding to advance its efforts to attract more StarPay customers and expand StarPay’s network to include more member stores that accept QR settlements in Japan. The Company aims to support member stores in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones by enhancing Netstars’ offerings and services, including a new StarPay mini-app development platform. Netstars will also expand its payment aggregation solutions overseas beginning in 2021, in cooperation with overseas financial institutions.
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Comments from new investor
Eiji Yatagawa, Partner at KKR, said: “KKR is pleased to have the opportunity to support the growth of Netstars, which delivers innovative solutions that promotes cashless payments. Led by its experienced management team, the company has developed the settlement infrastructure that is now the go-to solution for customers across Japan. In addition, Netstars is well-positioned to advance businesses’ digital transformation and their shift from offline to online, which has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 period. KKR looks forward to leveraging our global network and experience investing in FinTech firms worldwide to support Netstars’ business growth in Japan and overseas and support its preparations that may culminate in an IPO.”
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