Mobile tech and investment mix as Line Corp and Folio Co form capital alliance

Maria Nikolova

In a move apparently targeted at younger clientele, messaging app expert LINE teams up with online securities brokerage Folio.

The importance of mobile technologies and messaging applications for younger investors was underlined earlier today, as chat app expert Line Corp (TYO:3938) announced its partnership with online securities brokerage Folio Co., Ltd. The primary goal of the capital alliance is to launch a next-generation investment service within the LINE messaging app.

Folio has developed a service that aims to allow anyone to easily start managing their own investments and have fun as they do it. In November 2017, a beta-version of the service was publicly released. Folio is the first service in Japan to allow investing based on common themes.

Operated by the company of the same name, Folio allows users to make diversified investments based on common themes, starting at around JPY 100,000. By simply choosing a theme such as “drones” or “trendy among women,” investors can invest in various companies. Each theme is made up of 10 promising companies selected by Folio. Diversification of investments is seen as a way for investors to minimize the risk associated with fluctuations in stock prices.

The move enables Line to advance its strategy to use the LINE messaging app as a “Smart Portal,” through which users can seamlessly connect with people, information, services, companies, and brands.

Through this capital alliance, LINE will make an investment in FOLIO and, in the future, the companies will collaborate to implement the FOLIO service on the LINE platform – which boasts over 71 million monthly active users in Japan.

Takeshi Idezawa, Representative Director, President, Chief Executive Officer of LINE Corporation, said:

“Not only is this beneficial for experienced investors, but also serves as an investment opportunity for novice investors who are interested but haven’t gotten started, as well as those who are unfamiliar with the idea of investing. Further, we believe that online securities will play a vital role in LINE’s smart portal strategy going forward. We will be working together to strive to make users’ lives even more convenient and fulfilling through this service”.

Shinichiro Kai, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer of FOLIO Co., Ltd., noted:

“Once the “anyone can use it” FOLIO asset-management platform is released on the “used by everyone” LINE messaging app, we fully expect that the transition from “simple savings” to “personal finance” will begin in earnest.”

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