Investments for Service Collaboration and Business Partnerships

「In addition to our previous collaboration in the media area, we are currently discussing multifaceted collaboration aimed at enhancing the value of our membership offering. In particular, we aim to build solutions through collaboration in payments and other areas to address issues faced by restaurants, such as fee burdens and deteriorating cash flows associated with the spread of cashless payments.」

「To make maximum use of the diverse information obtained from these initiatives and the restaurant network and improve the precision of management support, the Company will proceed with the development of a data platform centered on generative AI.」

「In cooperation with Rakuten Card Co., Ltd., the company decided to begin integrating the “Rakuten Card Premium Program,” through which Rakuten Card provides members with various benefits, with the “Organizer Rank Program,” the loyalty program for Rakuten Gurunavi users, from October. It also conducted a points-awarding campaign to commemorate the integration.」

「As a new initiative to improve our medium- to long-term ability to make proposals to and support restaurants, we leveraged our collaboration with business partner TENPOS HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd. and pre-opened “テンポスぐるなび,” a kitchen-equipment retailer, in Edogawa, Tokyo, in March 2024.」

「In addition, in May the Company entered into a business alliance agreement with TENPOS HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd. to expand opportunities to acquire new customers, enhance comprehensive restaurant support services beyond sales promotion, and develop employees through personnel exchanges. In December, it entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with OPTiM CORPORATION to plan, develop and provide digital support tools for various restaurant operations, thereby accelerating the promotion of digital transformation in the food-service industry.」

「As an initiative aimed at the recovery and renewed growth of its core restaurant support business, the Company entered into a business alliance agreement in May with TENPOS HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd. (hereinafter “TENPOS”).」

「As an initiative aimed at the recovery and renewed growth of its core restaurant support business, the Company entered into a business alliance agreement with TENPOS HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd. in May.」

「Since its founding, the Company has provided support for restaurants, primarily in the sales promotion field. It has adopted “evolving into a company that supports restaurant management” as its medium-term vision and is also working to expand a range of services that contribute to greater management efficiency at restaurants, including ICT utilization support and outsourced operations.」

「To build a strong alliance framework aimed at enhancing the momentum and execution capabilities of these initiatives, the Company amended its capital and business alliance agreement with Rakuten and entered into a new capital and business alliance agreement with SHIFT Inc., both effective 25 August.」

「On 23 April, the Company entered into an absorption-type company split agreement with Rakuten Group,Inc. to receive the takeout and delivery businesses, usage of which by consumers had increased and become habitual during the COVID-19 pandemic, and proceeded with preparations for the service launch on 1 July.」

「As part of these initiatives, on 23 April the Company entered into an absorption-type company split agreement under which it would receive the “Rakuten Delivery” and “Rakuten Real-Time Takeout” businesses operated by Rakuten Group,Inc.」

「In addition, from October the Company participated as an online restaurant reservation operator in the “Go To Eat Campaign” implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and began collaborating in November with “LINE Reservations,” provided by LINE Corporation.」

「During the second quarter, the Company began collaborating in July with “Rakuten Real-Time Takeout,” a prepaid-order and payment takeout service operated by Rakuten, Inc., to support sales generation through takeout, demand for which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.」

「In promoting initiatives based on this policy, the Company will seek to expand its business by promptly identifying changes in the environment surrounding the food-service industry and in the needs of restaurants and consumers through its “human support system,” and reflecting them in the creation of new businesses and services. It will also actively pursue the thorough use of its unique business assets developed and accumulated to date, deeper collaboration with Rakuten, with which it has a capital and business alliance, and the application of advanced technologies based on innovative ideas unconstrained by conventional practices.」

「In May, the Company also entered into a new agreement with the other company to strengthen the capital and business alliance, further strengthening the collaborative framework.」

「For the securities whose number of shares increased during the fiscal year, there were 9 unlisted securities with total acquisition costs of ¥309.008 million and 1 security other than unlisted shares with an acquisition cost of ¥49.984 million. All were acquired to strengthen cooperative and collaborative relationships.」

「Through collaboration with 楽天株式会社, with which the company entered into a capital and business alliance agreement in July, the company began linking member IDs and awarding Rakuten Super Points in October, and its year-end and New Year party campaign to promote online reservations has been successful, resulting in increases in the number of ぐるなび members and online reservations.」

「In July, we entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with Rakuten, Inc. and agreed to the phased integration of our membership systems and points programs, as well as the reciprocal use and promotion of services operated by the two companies. We first proceeded with preparations for linking member IDs from October.」

「As stated in the “Notice Regarding the Execution of a Capital and Business Alliance Agreement” dated 30 July 2018, the Company entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with Rakuten, Inc. and agreed to the phased integration of the two companies’ membership systems and point programs, as well as mutual use of the services operated by both companies and joint sales promotion. The initial aim is to improve convenience and benefits for users when searching for and making reservations at restaurants. In addition, the companies will jointly develop and promote services that address the diverse challenges faced by restaurants and the needs of consumers by leveraging both companies’ brands and accumulated data, thereby strengthening and expanding the business.」

「The increase of ¥530 million in investment securities resulted from investments made to expand service partnerships and collaboration aimed at broadening the Company’s support for restaurants.」