Episode Six Achieves Strategic Fundraising from Japan Airlines

Investment reinforces strong collaboration with E6 to Drive JAL’s financial services initiatives

AUSTIN, Texas & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Episode Six (E6), a global provider of ledger and cards infrastructure, has secured a strategic investment from Japan Airlines (JAL), a longstanding customer of E6 since 2017. This investment allows JAL to contribute to E6’s ongoing success while advancing its financial services initiatives, including JAL Pay, the core payments feature integrated into JAL’s ecosystem, and expanding new offerings to serve JAL’s approximately 30 million customers. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at E6’s Austin headquarters.

“We are proud of our enduring partnership with JAL, one of our earliest customers in Asia, and deeply appreciate the trust and investment they have placed in our solutions,” said John Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO of E6. “We are excited to strengthen our collaboration with JAL, both as a most valued customer and our newest investor, as we continue to deliver world-class products to JAL’s customers.”

“E6 has played a pivotal role in advancing our financial services initiatives, and we look forward to deepening our partnership through this strategic investment,” said Yoshiaki Yabugami, Director of New Business Development, Japan Airlines. “This marks the beginning of a new chapter as we work together to achieve groundbreaking milestones in serving the dynamic Japanese market.”

Since 2017, JAL and E6 have forged a trusted partnership fueled by a shared vision for innovation, a dedication to creating customer-centric products, and a mutual commitment to driving meaningful growth and transformation. Together, they have achieved notable accomplishments, beginning with the launch of JAL Global Wallet, a multi-currency wallet designed to enhance travel convenience and differentiate JAL in a competitive market. JAL Global Wallet has since been rebranded as JAL Pay. JAL Pay has continued to add to its features, such as bank debit top-ups, Apple Pay, Google Pay and SmartCode among others. With a robust JAL Pay roadmap in place, this partnership continues to deliver value, creating new opportunities for innovation and payments solutions across the entire JAL Group. These joint achievements underline the mutual trust and alignment between JAL and E6, paving the way for today’s strategic investment and the exciting opportunities ahead.

About Episode Six

Episode Six (E6) is a global provider of enterprise-grade ledger and cards infrastructure for financial technology companies, banks, and brands. E6 delivers the innovative capabilities needed to compete with disruptors and lead the market. Flexibility, adaptability, and resilience are built into the core of E6's platform, ensuring clients maintain a market-leading position. E6 operates globally with customers in 30 countries, and an expanding team located in the US, UK, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and India. Investors include HSBC, Mastercard, SBI Investment Co Ltd, Anthos Capital and Avenir. For more information, visit www.EpisodeSix.com or LinkedIn.

About Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL), Japan’s first private aviation company, was established in 1951 and is a member of the oneworld® Alliance. The airline operates a fleet of 227 aircraft (as of March 2024) and began renewing its international long-haul aircraft with the Airbus A350-1000 starting 2023 Winter Schedule. Together with other JAL Group and partner airlines, JAL offers an extensive domestic and international network that serves 384 airports across 66 countries/regions. The airline has received numerous accolades for its exceptional service, including being recognized as a certified 5-Star Airline by Skytrax and being awarded the prestigious "World Class" Airline title by APEX, the Airline Passenger Experience Association. The airline is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of flight safety and overall service quality, striving to be the most preferred airline by customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.jal.com/en/.