Securitize, a security token management platform, announced it has secured a fundraise from SFV・GB L.P, a corporate venture capital fund managed by Sony Financial Ventures (SFV) and Global Brain.
The investment is an extension of Securitize’s latest funding round which raised more than $14 million from backers including MUFG Innovation Partners, Nomura Holdings, and Santander InnoVentures, as well as early investors like Blockchain Capital.
Digital securities can represent various asset classes including equity, fund stakes, fixed income, and real estate. Securitize’s DS Protocol, which manages secondary trading and corporate actions, is a full-stack technology solution with the highest adoption rate in the financial services industry.
“We are pleased to add Sony Financial Ventures as a strategic investor in Securitize. The investment validates Securitize as one of the most important architects of digital capital markets while adding another marquee name to a growing list of companies who are investing in digital securities as the future of global capital markets.”
– Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder, and CEO of Securitize
Sony Financial Ventures is part of Sony Financial Group, a financial services group comprising the holding company Sony Financial Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries including Sony Life Insurance Co., Ltd., Sony Assurance Inc., and Sony Bank Inc. It provides funding for consumer and enterprise-facing businesses in various stages across North America, Europe, and Asia, and is specialized in backing revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence & machine learning, robotics, loT and visualization.
“Securitize is expertly leveraging blockchain technology to create a new asset class with astonishing abilities. We at Sony Financial Group are excited to take on this challenge with Securitize and create new value together.”
– Junji Nakamura, Director, and Member of the Board of SFV
The investment signifies Japan’s growing interest in digital securities. Last year, MUFG formed a 22-company research consortium to explore the use of blockchain and security tokens for automatic securities settlement. Securitize also received a seven-figure sum investment from SBI Investment, the asset management subsidiary of Tokyo-listed SBI Holdings, in November.
Tokenization’s transformative potential for securities and its function in capital markets is further validated by Securitize’s other backers, which include the likes of Coinbase Ventures, KDDI Open Innovation Fund, Mitusi Fudosan’s 31 Ventures, and Ripple’s Xpring.