← Embedded Finance Index 2026

Chatwork

“Can a Japanese SMB chat platform become the embedded financial services hub for the country's 4M+ small businesses by monetizing trust and distribution built through daily communication?”

Founded2011
HQOsaka, Japan
FoundersMasaki Yamamoto
Total raised$12.5M+ (Series B disclosed)
Latest roundSeries B, 2016
IndustryVertical SaaS / Collaboration & SMB Productivity
The story

Founded in 2011 as Japan's largest domestic business chat platform, Chatwork has evolved from a pure SaaS messaging tool into an embedded finance hub for Japanese SMBs. Beginning in 2019, Chatwork layered invoice factoring and early payment services on top of its chat platform — first via OLTA, then Money Forward Kessai, and eventually its own 'Chatwork 先払い' product. The company migrated its core subscription payments infrastructure to Stripe in 2023, and the parent entity rebranded to kubell Co., Ltd. to reflect its ambitions beyond chat. The strategic bet is that the chat platform's 430,000+ SMB customers represent a captive distribution channel for embedded financial services.

Last 12 months
2023-12
2025-10
Product timeline
2011
Launched Chatwork as Japan's first major domestic business chat platform targeting SMBs.· pivot
2016
Raised $12.5M Series B to expand into U.S. and international markets.· banking
2019
Launched 'Chatwork 早期入金 powered by OLTA' — an invoice factoring service for SMB users embedded in the chat platform.· lending
2021
Partnered with Money Forward Kessai to launch 'Chatwork 早期入金 powered by Money Forward Early Payment', expanding embedded accounts receivable financing.· lending
2022
Partnered with Net Protections to offer BtoB BNPL service 'NP Kakebarai' through Chatwork's DX Consultation Desk.· lending
2023
Migrated payments platform to Stripe, enabling faster fee/plan changes (from 6 months to 1 month cycle); parent entity rebranded to kubell Co., Ltd.· pivot
2025
Launched 'Chatwork 先払い' — an in-house AI-powered invoice factoring service for freelancers and sole proprietors, surpassing 500,000 cumulative applications.· lending
The stack
2 layers disclosed in Chatwork’s embedded-finance stack
Payments / PSP
Stripe
Lending
in the full report
Accounting gap: minor
4 more providers across 1 layer, with confidence-scored evidence and source URLs, are in the Embedded Finance Index report.