Company Announcement
Airwallex obtains registration as a Type 2 Funds Transfer Business Operator (FTBO2), with plans to launch payout and collection services
The global fintech also launched its Payment Acceptance solution to empower local businesses to scale cross-border commerce and boost global sales
Ken Uchiyama joins as Japan country manager to lead market expansion
Japan - Airwallex, a leading financial and payments platform for modern businesses, today announced a major regulatory milestone with the successful attained registration as a Type 2 Funds Transfer Business Operator (FTBO2) in Japan. This critical registration, issued by the Kanto Local Finance Bureau, highlights the company's commitment to operating with the highest standards of regulatory compliance and trust in the market. It will allow Airwallex to directly onboard Japanese businesses and fully enable its core cross-border services, including local payouts and collections in the near future.
Airwallex also announced the launch of its comprehensive Payment Acceptance solution in Japan, supporting the fast-growing cashless payments and eCommerce market in the country. This solution empowers Japanese businesses, from eCommerce stores and marketplaces to SaaS platforms, to accept customer payments globally with increased efficiency.
Japanese retailers and eCommerce players often face significant challenges in quickly and securely accepting payments from diverse global customer segments, leading to lost sales and revenue. By leveraging Airwallex's modern payments platform, Japanese merchants can expand their customer base and increase global checkout rates by accepting multi-currency online payments. Shoppers will be able to check out in their local currencies via their preferred payment methods, and merchants will be able to receive like-for-like settlements across various currencies.
The global fintech firm has also appointed Ken Uchiyama as Country Manager, Japan. With over 20 years of leadership and deep local market expertise, Uchiyama will lead Airwallex's operations in the country, manage strategic relationships with financial institutions, engage with regulators and media, and champion customer success. His appointment reinforces Airwallex's commitment to deliver innovative global financial infrastructure to local businesses. Prior to joining Airwallex, Uchiyama served as the Japan Country Manager for Mastercard. He will report to Arnold Chan, Airwallex’s APAC General Manager.
"I am incredibly excited to join Airwallex at such a pivotal moment for Japanese businesses,” said Ken Uchiyama, Country Manager, Airwallex Japan. “Drawing on local market insights and Airwallex’s global payments and treasury infrastructure, we will reduce operational friction, simplify cross-border payments, and help Japanese companies scale internationally. I look forward to working closely with customers, financial partners and regulators to deliver practical solutions that drive measurable growth."
Japan represents a sizeable and growing addressable market for Airwallex. The country’s B2C eCommerce market reached about US$177 billion in 20231, and as of 2025, there are an estimated 34,000 Japanese-affiliated companies with overseas operations across Airwallex’s strategic markets2 including the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Europe. Cross-border deposits with BIS-reporting banks in Japan totalled about US$859 billion in 20243, underscoring demand for streamlined cross-border payments and treasury infrastructure.
“Japan is a strategic priority for Airwallex, and we see significant opportunity to bring world-class financial infrastructure to local businesses,” said Arnold Chan, Airwallex APAC General Manager. “Securing the FTBO2 registration is a critical milestone in this market. I am confident that with Uchiyama’s unparalleled experience across the Japanese financial ecosystem, we will successfully empower Japanese businesses to accelerate their global expansion and efficiently reach customers worldwide.”
Following its Series F fundraising in May, Airwallex is valued at US$6.2 billion and now processes an annualised transaction volume exceeding US$200 billion. This month the company crossed $1 billion in annualised run rate revenue (ARR). With over 60 licences and permits globally, and a dedicated team of over 2,000 employees across 26 worldwide offices, Airwallex provides a robust financial infrastructure, enabling businesses to collect payments in 130+ currencies and process transactions using 160+ local payment methods.
1 https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2024/0925_002.html
2 https://biz.toyokeizai.net/en/data/service/detail/id=860
3 https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/27_cross-border-deposits-with-bis-rep-banks-wb-data.html
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Ken Uchiyama Biography
Ken Uchiyama has over two decades of proven leadership experience across the financial services and technology sectors in Japan.
Prior to joining Airwallex, Ken served as Country Manager for Japan at Mastercard, where he was responsible for leading all aspects of the business, including strategy, sales, business development, product, services, operations, and marketing. His extensive experience involved strengthening the partnership ecosystem and driving the adoption of comprehensive and secure payment solutions throughout the Japanese market. Ken previously headed Mastercard Advisors in Japan.
Before his tenure at Mastercard, Ken held various executive and management roles at prestigious global organisations, including Oracle Japan, McKinsey & Company, and General Electric (GE), gaining deep expertise in corporate strategy, operational excellence, and organisational leadership.
Ken holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Tsukuba.
About Airwallex
Airwallex is building the future of global banking. As the global leader in business banking innovation, we provide trusted solutions to manage everything from global payments, business accounts, corporate cards, and spend management to embedded financial services.
Built for scale, our platform removes the friction from global financial operations – empowering over 150,000 businesses worldwide, from startups to global enterprises, to operate and grow beyond borders.
Founded in Melbourne and trusted by leading brands such as BILL, Bolt, Brex, Canva, Deel, Navan, and Qantas, Airwallex is redefining how businesses manage their finance and payments globally.
Learn more at www.airwallex.com.
