Kong Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Daiki Ariizumi), a leader in API and AI connectivity technologies, announced that it has joined the Financial IT Association, a specified nonprofit corporation based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo and chaired by Shozo Yamaguchi, as a startup member. The Financial IT Association (FITA) was renamed from its predecessor organization, “Financial IT Takumis,” which was established in February 2011, and began operating under a new structure in January 2024. With cross-industry missions of “developing digital talent” and “democratizing IT,” FITA provides a community that goes beyond organizational boundaries for everyone involved in finance and IT. The association works with financial institutions, partner companies, and related organizations to support talent development and skills transfer. Kong has supported enterprise data utilization and system integration through API and AI connectivity technologies. In recent years, the company has focused particularly on enabling “AI connectivity,” which securely and reliably connects the robust legacy systems used by financial institutions with the latest AI agents. This makes it possible to apply advanced AI while continuing to leverage existing assets. Kong’s decision to join FITA is based on its strong alignment with FITA’s vision of developing digital talent and democratizing IT. The company aims to contribute to the advancement of AI adoption and the acceleration of talent development in the financial industry. Going forward, Kong will participate in FITA’s community activities, strengthen collaboration with financial institutions and related companies, and share practical knowledge and perspectives on data connectivity infrastructure required in the AI era, thereby helping advance AI utilization across the financial industry. Shozo Yamaguchi, Chairperson of the Financial IT Association, stated that as AI advances, data utilization and system integration are