In a bid to augment the funding pool for burgeoning growth sectors, Japan’s financial watchdog, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), intends to amplify the amount retail investors can allocate to unlisted startups, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The current regulation allows retail investors to contribute up to JPY500,000 (USD3,339) annually to individual startups via crowdfunding platforms. The FSA’s proposal seeks to elevate this cap to one million yen or potentially higher, contingent on the investor’s yearly income. This revision is anticipated to come into effect next year. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has championed the transition of household savings to investments and the support of startups as central objectives. Through the relaxation of crowdfunding norms, the administration aspires to cultivate a productive growth investment cycle.