SBI Holdings announced a strategic investment in THE CORE, acquiring a 34% voting stake in the entertainment production group through a third-party share allocation. The financial conglomerate did not disclose the investment amount.
THE CORE operates three specialized subsidiaries: SAFEHOUSE, which handles computer graphics and video production; AREA35, a Tokyo-based game development studio; and WHISTLER, focused on sound design. The company has worked on high-profile projects including Netflix’s “Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance” and content related to the hit anime series “Demon Slayer.”
The partnership comes as SBI aggressively expands its digital asset operations, recently announcing joint ventures with Startale Group for tokenized stock trading and partnerships with Circle and Chainlink for blockchain infrastructure. The company manages over ¥11 trillion ($74 billion) in assets and serves 65 million customers globally.
SBI plans to integrate THE CORE’s content development capabilities with its “neo-media ecosystem” that combines platforms, intellectual property, advanced technology and production functions. The collaboration will focus on developing Web3 games incorporating blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens, while expanding existing game properties to global markets.
The partnership reflects SBI’s broader strategy of building what CEO Yoshitaka Kitao describes as a “structural transformation” in global financial markets through tokenization initiatives. THE CORE brings proven expertise in Unreal Engine development and houses former Blizzard Entertainment staff who worked on titles like “Overwatch” and “World of Warcraft.”
Additional cooperation areas include establishing joint ventures for enterprise services, creating content investment funds, and launching a corporate venture capital arm targeting markets across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The companies also plan regular personnel exchanges between their technical teams.
