The leadership change comes as the European arm of Japan's SBI Holdings looks to increase its presence in the region.
Shotaro Iwano has become the new managing director of SBI Ventures Europe, the European arm of SBI Holdings, as the Japanese investment group looks to increase its presence in the region.
“I want to build on the legacy of my predecessors and lead the next phase of growth for SBI’s European financial ecosystem, bridging Europe’s innovation with SBI’s global network,” said Iwano, who worked for the Japan Bank of International Cooperation prior to joining SBI unit SBI Investment as a deputy general manager in 2024.
As global trade alliances shift, SBI, like several other investors, has identified investment opportunities opening up in Europe, outlining some of these thoughts in a note published earlier this year.
Iwano takes the role as Takeshi Kuribayasi steps down from the position, having led the team for two years. Kuribayashi will remain within SBI Group, moving to the international business division of parent company SBI Holdings.
SBI Holdings manages the corporate venture funds of 21 large Japanese corporations, including names such as Nikon, Subaru and Panasonic, and SBI Ventures Europe supports the European initiatives of these funds.
In Europe the team has invested in a number of well-known fintech startups including social trading platform eToro, SME-focused financial platform Tide, and digital identity company Onfido. It has also made a number of investments in industrial-focused startups.
Iwano will be based in Berlin, where the seven-person SBI Ventures Europe team is located.
Maija Palmer
Maija Palmer is editor of Global Venturing and puts together the weekly email newsletter (sign up here for free).
