Sumitomo Mitsui Financial
“Can SMFG embed SMBC's balance sheet and banking functions directly into Asian corporate supply chains to become the invisible financial infrastructure for B2B commerce in the region?”
Founded in 2002 as a holding company for one of Japan's three megabanks, SMFG has historically operated as a traditional corporate and retail bank. Over the past several years SMFG has pursued an embedded finance strategy in Asia — embedding SMBC bank functions (supply chain finance, working capital, cash management) directly into the operations of non-financial companies rather than requiring them to interact with the bank as a standalone entity. The group is simultaneously modernising its accounting infrastructure (Oracle partnership) and investing in fintech startups to accelerate this platform ambition.