Gojo & Company

Gojo & Company, Inc. is a Tokyo-based holding company focused on expanding financial inclusion in developing countries. Founded in July 2014 by Taejun Shin and Sanjay Gandhi, the firm operates with the ambitious goal of becoming a "private-sector World Bank". This mission is deeply rooted in the personal history of its founder, Taejun Shin. Born stateless as a descendant of Korean diaspora in Japan, Shin's personal experiences with societal and financial barriers fueled his passion for creating a more equitable world. Before establishing Gojo, Shin accumulated extensive experience in the finance industry at Morgan Stanley and Unison Capital. This background in private equity and investment banking, combined with his programming skills to automate financial modeling, provided a solid foundation for his entrepreneurial venture. In 2007, he founded the NGO Living in Peace, which launched Japan's first microfinance investment fund, a precursor to Gojo's large-scale vision.

Gojo's business model centers on investing in, acquiring, or establishing microfinance institutions (MFIs) in emerging markets. As a holding company, it raises capital from mission-aligned investors and channels it to its group companies, providing not just funding but also support in management, governance, and technology. The firm primarily serves low-income individuals and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that lack access to traditional banking services. Revenue is generated through the financial performance of its portfolio companies. By March 2023, the company had achieved consolidated profitability, reporting financial revenue of JPY 18.6 billion. Gojo's global footprint extends across Asia and Africa, with operations in countries including India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Georgia, and regions in Africa. As of March 2025, the group serves over 3.4 million clients.

The company's core service is providing access to a range of affordable financial products. This includes microcredit, often delivered through a Joint Liability Group (JLG) model where small groups of neighbors co-guarantee loans, which is suitable for clients with limited collateral or credit history. Other services include loans for MSMEs to support working capital and expansion, microsavings accounts, and insurance products. A significant milestone was the completion of its Series F funding round in September 2024, which brought the total paid-in capital since its inception to JPY 46.5 billion (USD 325 million). This demonstrates strong investor confidence from a diverse group that includes Japanese institutional investors, international development finance institutions, and impact venture capital firms.

Keywords: financial inclusion, microfinance, impact investing, emerging markets, holding company, MSME lending, developing countries, social enterprise, Taejun Shin, Tokyo, microcredit, microsavings, debt financing, venture capital, financial services, sustainable development, poverty alleviation, global finance, Asia, Africa