Credit Saison, a prominent Japanese credit investor, announced on Wednesday a $100 million investment in Brazil, marking a significant step in its strategic expansion across Latin America. This initiative mirrors a similar investment the firm has made in Mexico, highlighting its growing commitment to the region.
Credit Saison’s strategy involves partnering with fintech companies, intermediaries, and local businesses to extend loans to individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Kosuke Mori, the CEO of Saison International, a subsidiary of Credit Saison, emphasized the firm’s goal of creating a diversified loan portfolio.
“Brazil’s fintech landscape is both sizable and robust, making it an attractive market for us,” Mori stated in an interview. He praised Brazil’s central bank for its strong and transparent regulatory framework, which he described as “friendly” to foreign investors.
While there is no fixed timeline for the complete deployment of the $100 million investment in Brazil, Mori indicated that Credit Saison aims to expand at a similar pace to its other international markets. “In the next three to five years, we hope to grow this investment to $300 million or even $500 million,” Mori explained. “We’ve seen similar growth in other countries, such as India. Five years ago, we started with the same business model, collaborating with fintechs. Today, our operations there are worth several billion dollars.”
Credit Saison’s global footprint extends beyond India, with operations in emerging markets like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The firm’s ongoing expansion in Latin America underscores its strategy to leverage the region’s dynamic fintech ecosystems for substantial growth.
