Ocean takes Global Brain funding for Japan's switch to tax-free refunds

Ocean takes Global Brain funding for Japan's switch to tax-free refunds

9 October 2026: Ocean, a Tokyo start-up building software for Japan's new tax-free shopping rules, has taken investment from KURONEKO Innovation Fund 2, a fund run by the venture firm Global Brain with Yamato Holdings as its limited partner. Global Brain announced the investment on 9 October without giving the amount, the stage of the round or the size of the stake.

Not yet independently verified. The amount and round stage are not disclosed. The November 2026 switch to refunds at departure is stated in the investor's release, and the fee, set-up times and currency count come from Ocean's own service pages; we have not read the National Tax Agency's notice. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

Why November's refund rule changes every tax-free shop

According to Global Brain's release, Japan's tax-free system moves in November 2026 from exemption at the point of purchase to a refund method, under which visitors are repaid when they leave the country. The change takes effect for all tax-free shops at once, and every one of them needs new systems and procedures.

Ocean's own site says its system switches to the new rules automatically after the November change, and that it will respond to any further changes after that as quickly as it can.

What Ocean Tax Refund costs and who pays

Ocean Tax Refund is the company's refund-method platform. Merchants pay no set-up fee and no monthly fee. Ocean instead collects 1.55% of the sale price from the visiting shopper as a system usage charge on each tax-free sale, a pricing model the company states on its service site.

The service runs on a smartphone or tablet app, and Ocean says one phone is all the equipment a shop needs. It advertises support for more than 30 currencies and several languages, and it offers free APIs, an SDK and a DLL for connecting to point-of-sale registers, along with custom development. Support is by email and telephone.

How a shop goes live

Any shop already registered as a tax-free seller can use the system. Registration is done through the local tax office, and Ocean says it will file the application on a shop's behalf, as well as handle the move from another provider's system.

The company lists four steps: prepare documents and sign a contract, apply for tax-free registration, set up the account and receive training, then start using the service. It says a shop that is already registered takes about two weeks, while a new registration usually takes one to two months.

Beyond refunds: coupons and visitor marketing

The release says Ocean plans to give retailers more efficient refund operations, multilingual support and guidance on payment methods for foreign visitors, and to grow into an inbound marketing platform built on purchase data. The wording is future tense, and the company says its brand awareness is growing.

That second business already has a name. Ocean Marketing aims to send visitors to shops from before they travel until they are in the country, using tax-free data and media, and its coupon service has no set-up or monthly fee but takes a share of the sales that coupons generate. Its prices are given on enquiry. Ocean's careers page describes a company working across fintech and inbound tourism with several products and looking for founding team members.

A fund backed by Yamato Holdings

Ocean was founded in May 2024 and is based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, with 星野 遼 as its representative. Global Brain says it backed the company for a management team with a strong grasp of the market, the timing against the tax reform and room to grow in inbound tourism.

The fund's registered total is 8 billion yen, a figure that describes the fund, not this investment. Global Brain, which has been investing since 1998 and is based in Shibuya-ku, is its general partner, and Yamato Holdings, the parcel delivery group, is the limited partner. Global Brain plans to explore sharing know-how with Yamato in the inbound market. The release names 梁 穎琦 and 中川 太介 as the investment team.

Our sales tax software category lists 15 products and our retail POS system software category lists 19.

Ocean's own site describes its business as tax-free systems, digitised tax-free procedures and support for attracting overseas visitors.

Company profile on TrustList: Ocean Inc.

Related on TrustList:

• Ocean raises about ¥500m for Japan tax-free refund platform
• Pakistan: retailers’ fixed-tax scheme returns are due by 15 October 2026, with monthly penalties after, as FBR maps markets and checks returns with AI

Sources

• Global Brain (PR TIMES): KIF2 invests in Ocean, provider of a refund-type tax-free platform and inbound marketing support, 9 October 2026
• Ocean Inc. company site (read 2026-10-10), 10 October 2026
• Ocean Tax Refund service site (read 2026-10-11), 11 October 2026