Next generation payments software technology provider establishes presence in Japan to meet growing fintech demand

Next generation payments software technology provider, Episode Six (www.EpisodeSix.com), today announced it is opening an office in Tokyo to meet the growing demand for fintech solutions in Japan and the Asian region. Additionally, the Company announced that payments and finance industry veteran, Oko Okamoto, has joined the Company to oversee Episode Six’s new Tokyo office as General Manager of Episode Six Japan.

Episode Six offers payments software platform technology that can sit within existing or new payments infrastructure to enable effortless development and customization of new, advanced, consumer-centric payments products. Built on an open source code framework created from scratch, the Episode Six software platform allows for simple, on-demand product management and offers a comprehensive set of APIs, facilitating easy development, connection and integration.

In 2016, Asian investment in fintech surpassed that in the U.S. and Europe, accounting for US$11.2 billion in investment volume, compared to US$9.2 billion in the U.S. and US$2.4 billion in Europe, according to Accenture’s analysis of data from CB Insights. The new Tokyo office strengthens Episode Six’s presence in this burgeoning market, providing the Company with direct access to the heart of Asia. Episode Six also maintains offices in Austin, Texas and Hong Kong, positioning the Company in two of the top five key financial centers in the world (Tokyo and Hong Kong).

“Episode Six’s software platform is designed to be used by clients worldwide, with flexibility to support diverse global and local consumer needs and different regulatory and compliance requirements. The fast-paced evolution of the Asian fintech and payments space makes it the perfect starting point to showcase the power of our technology,” said Episode Six CEO and co-founder John Mitchell. “The Tokyo office under Oko’s leadership offers us the ability to better serve the needs of our clients in Japan and the rest of Asia, as we continue to disrupt and enhance the way payments products are designed and put into market.”

Oko Okamoto joins Episode Six after more than 20 years at Japanese credit card company JCB Co., Ltd., serving most recently as Senior Vice President for Europe and the Americas. At JCB, Okamoto oversaw projects related to mobile payment, merchant acceptance, regulation and more. Okamoto is an alumni of Kyoto University in Japan and Washington University in the U.S. In his position as General Manager of Episode Six Japan, he will manage all facets of Episode Six’s business operations in Japan.

“I am very pleased to join the Episode Six team and spearhead our operations in Japan,” said Okamoto. “I am confident that Episode Six’s innovative technology will transform the Japanese payments industry and the consumer experience. Our new and advanced solutions will bring significant benefits to the Japanese market.”

Earlier in 2017, Japanese-based SBI Investment Co., Ltd. invested an undisclosed amount in Episode Six through its FinTech Business Innovation Fund, which has ¥30 billion of capital commitment in the financial technology industry.