Woodstock
Tokyo, JP · 3 known investors
Woodstock is a US stock investment app for Japanese retail investors that eliminates trading fees and provides seamless access to global financial markets. The platform connects individual investors to US equities through a mobile application with no unnecessary commissions.
Also known as Woodstock株式会社 · ウッドストック
Founders & leadership
Investors · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Woodstock (Woodstock株式会社) operates a mobile application in Japan that gives retail investors access to US-listed stocks and ETFs. Its central proposition is the removal of all fees: the company states that trading commissions, currency-exchange (FX) fees, balance/account-maintenance fees and withdrawal fees are all free, with no limits on frequency or amount, and describes this as a first in Japan. The site illustrates the saving with a worked example comparing itself to a typical Japanese broker charging 0.495% trading commission and 25 sen per dollar FX spread, and cites an estimated annual saving of around 150,000 yen.
The product supports trading of US equities 24 hours a day (outside of system maintenance, and excluding some securities not eligible for extended-hours trading), fractional trading in units of 0.0001 share, a minimum investment of 200 yen, and a range of dividend-paying stocks and ETFs for income-oriented investors. The app provides real-time stock prices and FX rates, discovery features for trending securities, and AI-generated summaries of charts and company information. Woodstock also offers what it describes as Japan's first no-code brokerage MCP (Woodstock MCP), which lets users connect AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT to perform market analysis, access chart data and execute trades without writing code. According to a Google Cloud page referenced on the site, Woodstock has implemented a Gemini-based AI agent in the app.
Account opening is presented as a fully digital flow: sign-up, app download from the App Store or Google Play, identity verification by scanning a My Number card or using the My Number card on iPhone (including via Apple Wallet, which the company describes as a securities-industry first), then trading after approval. Non-Japanese nationals can also open accounts with a My Number card plus a residence card or special permanent resident certificate. The app is rated 4.5 on the Japanese App Store as of the date cited on the site.
Business model
Consumer brokerage: Woodstock provides a mobile trading account for US equities and ETFs and forgoes trading, FX, balance and withdrawal fees on US cash equity trading. The company states it plans to launch additional services — including discretionary/managed investing, API integrations and margin trading — which is the stated reason it can waive fees on spot US stock trading.
Fees are not charged on US spot stock trading (commissions, FX, balance and withdrawal fees are stated as free); the company indicates planned future services such as managed investing, API connectivity and margin trading.
Traction
The Japanese version of the app carries a 4.5 App Store rating as of the date shown on the company site (2026-08-06). The company published product notices in July and August 2026 covering new securities listings and an upgraded stock information page.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, risks & controversies
Market position
A fee-free challenger to established Japanese online brokers for US-equity trading, framing its pricing against typical Japanese brokerage commission and FX spreads and describing itself as bringing US-standard zero commissions to Japan.
Positions itself as the first in Japan to make all fees (trading, FX, balance, withdrawal) free without frequency or amount limits, combined with 24-hour US stock trading, fractional shares from 0.0001 share, and the first no-code brokerage MCP integration in Japan for AI assistants; it also cites securities-industry-first identity verification using the My Number card in Apple Wallet.
Technology
Mobile apps for iOS and Android with real-time price and FX quotes, fractional order handling to 0.0001 share, passkey-based authentication for trade approval, and digital identity verification using the My Number card, including via iPhone and Apple Wallet. AI features include AI summaries of charts and company data, a Gemini-based AI agent in the app, and Woodstock MCP, a no-code Model Context Protocol connection allowing external AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT to run research and trades.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-consumer acquisition through its website and mobile app stores, with a one-minute application flow, plus referral marketing — a two-month campaign offering up to 50,000 yen for inviting friends was announced in August 2026. Customer support is offered via LINE.
Retail investors in Japan seeking exposure to US stocks and ETFs, including small-ticket investors (minimum 200 yen per investment), dividend-focused long-term savers, and short-term traders attracted by fee-free 24-hour trading. Foreign nationals resident in Japan with a My Number card and residence documentation can also open accounts.
Geography
Japan; the service is a Japan-facing app registered with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau, providing access to US securities markets.
Risks & controversies
Woodstock operates as a registered financial instruments intermediary (関東財務局長（金仲）第965号) rather than holding its own brokerage licence, relying on affiliated financial instruments business operator AlpacaJapan株式会社 (関東財務局長（金商）第3024号); customer assets are segregated and held in trust at a trust bank through AlpacaJapan, with investor protection fund coverage up to 10 million yen if segregation fails. The company states it shares transaction-related information with its partner broker as operationally necessary but does not sell user data to third parties for money. Its fee-free model depends on future monetisation from planned services such as managed investing, API access and margin trading. 24-hour trading is subject to system maintenance and excludes some securities.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 6
by search overlap
Companies competing with Woodstock for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsUsers who invite friends to Woodstock can receive up to 50,000 yen during a two-month campaign.
A Google Cloud page referenced on the company site states Woodstock implemented an AI agent using Gemini in its stock investing app.
Woodstock offers what it describes as Japan's first no-code securities MCP, letting users connect AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT to run market analysis, access chart data and execute trades without coding.
Woodstock株式会社 holds registration 関東財務局長（金仲）第965号 and operates through affiliated financial instruments business operator AlpacaJapan株式会社 (関東財務局長（金商）第3024号).
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
Woodstock set to tackle illegal dumping | The Stratford Beacon Heraldstratfordbeaconherald.com · Aug 2026▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Woodstockwoodstock.co · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Woodstock do?
- Japanese brokerage app offering commission-free, 24-hour US stock and ETF trading with AI-assisted research.
- Who founded Woodstock?
- Woodstock was founded by Brian Yun.
- Who are Woodstock's investors?
- Woodstock's investors include Coral Capital, Kindred Ventures, Sony Ventures Corporation.
- Where is Woodstock headquartered?
- Woodstock is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.