Tatsuya Hamada (left), CEO of KDDI Digital Life, and Deepak Gulati (right), President of Corporate and Industry Alliances at Circles, signed an agreement to expand the KDDI-Circles partnership and scale Japan's digital telco success worldwide, witnessed by Rameez Ansar (center), Co-Founder and CEO of Circles.
Money News PH | Tokyo & Singapore, July 17, 2025 — KDDI Digital Life Corporation, a subsidiary of Japan’s telecom giant KDDI Corporation, has announced the global expansion of its strategic partnership with Circles, a global SaaS telco leader. The move aims to bring the success of povo—KDDI’s flagship digital telco brand—to international markets, marking a major step in redefining the future of mobile experiences worldwide.
What’s New?
Since its launch in 2021, povo has disrupted Japan’s mobile market with a fully digital, customer-first approach. Backed by Circles’ cloud-native full-stack SaaS platform, the brand quickly earned over one million subscribers in its first year—70% of whom came from outside KDDI’s traditional base. With Net Promoter Scores (NPS) 50+ points above industry norms and top-tier customer satisfaction rankings, povo has become a standout in Japan’s competitive telco space.
Now, KDDI Digital Life and Circles are taking this momentum global.
Under the newly expanded agreement, Circles will lead the international rollout of povo, blending its global go-to-market expertise and SaaS technology with povo’s innovative model. The partnership will prioritize key growth markets across Southeast Asia and the Americas, adapting povo’s agile platform to suit local demands while keeping its AI-powered, hyper-personalized DNA intact.
A Blueprint for AI-First Telcos
At the heart of povo’s growth is a digital telco playbook rooted in advanced AI, agile product testing, and ecosystem integration. Flagship innovations like the Xplore/Innovation Engine—an in-app experimentation hub driving ARPU—and Xtend, a developer-friendly SDK for digital distribution, are being localized for international markets. These tools make povo more than just a mobile service; they position it as an adaptive platform built to evolve.
A major part of the global push also involves expanding povo’s successful partnerships with sectors like convenience retail, digital content, and fintech—core to its differentiation in Japan.
Flexible, Scalable, Future-Ready
The partnership introduces new commercial models designed to support operators at different scales and stages of digital maturity. Whether launching a new brand or refreshing an old one, Circles and KDDI Digital Life offer a repeatable, scalable framework that has already proven effective in Japan.
Beyond rollout logistics, the partnership also aims to facilitate long-term knowledge exchange in areas such as:
- Telco-to-techco transformation
- AI and automation adoption
- Customer experience design
- Building vibrant telco ecosystems
Executive Insights
Tatsuya Hamada, CEO of KDDI Digital Life, emphasized the strategic vision:
“This is an exciting step in our journey to bring povo to a wider global audience. Our data-driven, customer-first model has already reshaped the digital telco experience in Japan. With Circles, we’re now equipped to deliver intelligent, personalized services to customers around the world.”
Deepak Gulati, President of Corporate and Industry Alliances at Circles, added:
“povo is a prime example of Japanology in action—a digital telco born through deep collaboration, designed for agility, and ready for global scale. We’re proud to help take this blueprint to new markets and redefine the telco experience.”
About Circles
Founded in 2014, Circles is a global technology company reimagining the telecommunications industry through its innovative SaaS platform. Circles enables telcos to launch or refresh digital brands with speed and simplicity, currently operating in 14 countries across six continents. Its partners include top-tier telecom players like KDDI Corporation, Etisalat Group, AT&T, and Telkomsel.
Circles is backed by leading investors such as Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia), Warburg Pincus, Founders Fund, and EDBI.
Learn more at www.circles.co.
About KDDI Corporation
KDDI Corporation is one of Japan’s leading telecom providers, delivering a full suite of services ranging from mobile and fixed-line connectivity to enterprise internet solutions. Known for its commitment to digital innovation, KDDI continues to drive advancements in how individuals and businesses connect.
About KDDI Digital Life
KDDI Digital Life is KDDI’s vehicle for exploring next-gen digital services beyond traditional telecom. With a mission to enrich user experiences, the initiative blends advanced technologies, strategic partnerships, and innovative digital offerings to create seamless and personalized everyday digital life solutions.
Source: PR Newswire
