News Summary

• Japan's low birth rate and rapidly aging population have left many business owners without adult children to inherit their companies.
• platforms such as Relay and BATONZ connect owners looking to hand over their businesses with prospective successors.
• In 2023, the Japan Finance Corporation found that 57.4% of small and midsize businesses it surveyed expected to close when their current owners stepped away, up from 52.6% in 2019.
• For some business owners, these platforms can offer a lifeline when an unexpected crisis forces them to confront succession planning sooner than they expected.