Celebrating Innovation: Kort Valuta's Recognition at WSJ's Next Era Leaders Award
In a prestigious event hosted by The Wall Street Journal, Kort Valuta, a Tokyo-based fintech company led by CEO Hideki Shibata, received the Next Era Leaders Award during "The Future of Everything 2026" conference. This award honors leaders and companies that create new value through innovative technologies and services. The award ceremony was featured in a broadcast on Nikkei CNBC's program "The New Wave of the Era."
Event Highlight
The broadcast showcased the atmosphere of the WSJ event and the award ceremony, highlighting Shibata's achievements and vision for the future. The program included interviews with Shibata, who discussed the company's next-generation wallet, TwooCa, and its impact on the financial landscape.
At this event, Shibata was praised for his work towards establishing a new financial infrastructure that connects people, money, and health through TwooCa. This innovative technology not only provides a digital wallet, but represents a broader vision of a 'Financial OS' that integrates payments, payroll, employee benefits, and health data to improve value circulation among individuals and businesses.
Left: Elena Chaynikova, Associate Director of Sponsorship Marketing at WSJ. Right: Katie Purchas, VP of Media Sales at WSJ (Tech & Enterprise).
About Next Era Leaders Award
The Next Era Leaders Award is presented in line with WSJ's mission to highlight forward-thinking enterprises and entrepreneurs. Shibata’s recognition reflects the profound impact Kort Valuta aims to achieve in global markets and their commitment to enhancing user experience through innovative payment solutions.
In his remarks regarding this honor, Shibata emphasized the significant changes brought about by advancing AI technologies. He affirmed that Kort Valuta aims to go beyond traditional payment services. The company is developing comprehensive solutions that merge payment methods with various employee services, reinforcing the idea of creating a holistic financial ecosystem.
"With evolving AI technologies, the landscape of our economy and society is changing dramatically. We are progressing towards a 'Financial OS' that supports the value cycles of individuals and corporations by integrating digital payroll, payments, benefits, health data, and communication," stated Shibata.
Future Vision
In alignment with their vision to be "the most appreciated company in the world," Kort Valuta is committed to building an ID tech platform, TwooCa, that connects people, money, and health. The company aims to expand its service capabilities and form partnerships that address the needs of various organizations and communities.
Shibata’s leadership and innovation are positioning Kort Valuta as a prominent player on the international stage, focusing on creating positive social impacts and addressing the problems faced by merchants, employees, and communities.
What is TwooCa?
TwooCa is a collective term for the suite of services offered by Kort Valuta. Its main feature is an application that enables payment transactions via an international brand card linked to employee and membership IDs. It also allows for payments, expense transfers, and peer-to-peer transactions, specifically available to residents in Japan. The service aims to improve organizational value by nurturing employees and members, encapsulated in the philosophy 'Compassion begets compassion.'
Through technology, Kort Valuta is bringing this philosophy to life, establishing a unique economic ecosystem where every interaction counts.
For further details on TwooCa and its functionalities, visit
this link.