Mercari
“Can Mercari build a fintech-augmented global C2C marketplace — anchored by credit, payments, and crossborder commerce — that turns Japan's largest resale platform into an international embedded-finance-powered consumer super-app?”
Mercari began as a pure C2C mobile resale marketplace in Japan in 2013, rapidly expanding to the US in 2014. After its 2018 Tokyo IPO, the company began building a distinct Fintech segment in Japan — centered on credit products, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later — effectively layering embedded finance on top of its marketplace. The US business has been a growth challenge, prompting the company to refocus on AI-driven marketplace enhancements and crossborder expansion via the Mercari Global App launched in 2025. The company now describes itself as evolving into an 'AI-Native company' with fintech revenue a key pillar of its mid-term growth targets.