The KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND Invests in YuaBread, Inc.
Supporting Bakeries Through Frozen Bread Delivery, a Bread Sales Platform, IT, And Sales Channel Support
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June 14, 2022
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
TOKYO, June 14, 2022 - The KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND, a corporate venture capital (CVC)*1 fund founded by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) and Global Brain Corporation, a leading independent venture capital firm, has invested in YuaBread, Inc. (YuaBread), a company that develops platforms connecting bakeries in various regions of Japan with consumers through the use of refrigeration, IT, and sales channel support on March 24, 2022.
1: The practice of an operating company investing its corporate funds directly in an external startup company aligned with its business lines, intended to establish a mutually beneficial relationship or launch a new business by leveraging the latter’s assets.
YuaBread’s mission is to “create a new bread economy” (see below), and has also begun to enter the health food market by developing bread with less than 15g of sugar content. Through this investment, Kirin Holdings will explore the possibility of future collaboration to create new healthy experiences through easily accessible bread products.
About YuaBread
YuaBread is a start-up company aims to solve issues faced by regional bakeries, such as operation and sales channel expansion, by using its unique freezing technology and IT. With the mission of "creating a new bread economy” and “contributing to regional economies," YuaBread does this by providing a platform service for the good of all three parties involved in the bread business - bakeries, sellers, and consumers - connecting bakeries with consumers nationwide through its unique bread freezing technology, SaaS products for bakeries, and sales channel expansion strategy.
YuaBread’s Services
Planning and operation of "Pansuku" - a regular delivery service of frozen bread from bakeries nationwide.
https://pansuku.com/
Planning and operation of "PanForYou Office" a delivery to offices
https://office.panforyou.jp
Planning and operation of "PanForYou Biz," a bread sales platform for businesses
https://panforyou.jp/biz
Planning and operation of "Bakery gift ticket" bread gift certificates that can be given online.
https://bakery-gift.com
*Note: some of the above contain the word “pan,” which means “bread” in Japanese.
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“Pansuku” frozen bread
Purpose of Establishing the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND
Through the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND, Kirin Holdings intends to invest in startups around the globe that have innovative technologies and business models for resolving health issues, and to leverage their advanced health science technologies and solutions for improving customer experience. By combining the Kirin Group’s wealth of assets and competence in health science with innovations and technologies that startups will bring to partnerships, Kirin Holdings will be better able to bolster its existing Food & Beverages domain as well as step up efforts to launch new businesses in its Health Science domain.
Supplementary Information
(1) About the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND
| Fund name | KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND (registered as KIRIN and GB Investment Limited Partnership) |
|---|---|
| Primary sector for investment | Startups around the globe operating in the health science domain |
| Established | March 2020 |
| AUM | 5 billion yen |
| Investment period | 10 years |
| General partner | Global Brain Corporation |
(2) About Global Brain
| Company name | Global Brain Corporation |
|---|---|
| Head office | 10-11 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| President | Yasuhiko Yurimoto |
| Established | January 1998 |
| Primary business | Venture capital business |
| URL | https://globalbrains.com/en |
(3) Outline of YuaBread, Inc.
| Company Name | YuaBread, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Location | Gunma, Japan |
| Representative | Kenta Yano |
| Established | January 2017 |
| Business | Planning and operation of "Pansuku" a frozen bread delivery service that connects local communities and consumers, etc. |
| URL | https://panforyou.jp/ |
About Kirin Holdings
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.
Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.
Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
* Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.