BIG Impact K2 Fund Begins Full-Scale Investment Activities

BIG Impact K2 Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter referred to as the K2 Fund), operated by BIG Impact Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Takao Hosono), has executed its first three investments since its establishment. Furthermore, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC. and Saishunkan Co-creation Laboratory Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saishunkan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; hereinafter referred to as "Saishunkan") have decided to join as new Limited Partners (LPs), strengthening the fund's foundation.

The K2 Fund was established with the aim of fostering the startup ecosystem originating from the Kansai region, particularly Kobe, and promoting international collaboration centered in East Asia. Currently, the fund is actively investing in promising startups both domestically and internationally, and these investments mark the first step in that endeavor.

Overview of the K2 Fund

The K2 Fund is a startup fund based in Kobe and the Kansai region. However, it is not limited to a specific region. It aims to create a structure that is rooted in the region while simultaneously collaborating with external entities, including financial institutions and corporations nationwide, as well as investors and business partners primarily in East Asia (South Korea and Taiwan). By leveraging a three-tiered structure of "Region (Administration) x Financial Institutions x Corporations" involving administrative bodies, regional financial institutions, and corporations, the fund provides not only capital but also integrated opportunities for customer contact, demonstration fields, and business collaboration, offering support that extends to social implementation. The K2 Fund is positioned as an investment platform that concretely implements this growth-recycling model. It adopts an investment model that does not confine itself to investing in specific regions but incorporates external growth opportunities and recycles the results back into the region.

Key Investment Areas

The K2 Fund focuses on the following three areas, aiming to solve social issues while achieving business growth:

Industrial Base DX (Industrial Transformation) Including manufacturing DX, logistics DX, environmental GX, AI, etc. Leveraging Kansai's industrial base, it promotes business development with a focus on on-site implementation.

Healthcare/Well-being Including medical devices, healthcare data, preventive medicine, and lifestyle fields. Collaborating with the medical and life science sectors in Kansai and Kobe, it aims to balance social value and economic returns.

Urban/Infrastructure Implementation (including Culture/Content) Including smart cities, tourism, and drones. Utilizing urban areas as demonstration fields, it supports the creation of new experiential value and industries.

Investment Performance (as of the end of June 2026)

The K2 Fund has executed three investments since its establishment.

Investee 1 INTEP Inc.

Business Overview: Information platform service specializing in rehabilitation medicine

URL: https://www.intep.co.jp/

Investment Rationale: Amidst the rapidly increasing demand and severe labor shortage in an aging society, the unique information platform "Smart Reha" possesses high growth potential in the rehabilitation medicine market, which is at a turning point. With the tailwind of the 2026 medical DX incentive reform, we invested with expectations for its development into a rehabilitation data platform leveraging academic knowledge and hospital networks.

Investee 2 ARCS Inc.

Business Overview: Develops business aimed at improving the success rate of infertility treatment and standardizing operations using AI and robotics technology

URL: https://www.arcs-inc.jp/

Investment Rationale: With approximately 1 in 9 births in Japan currently born through assisted reproductive technology (ART), numerous challenges exist, such as a shortage of embryologists performing operations and the need to improve operational quality by reducing variations in their techniques. ARCS possesses a unique solution that combines AI and automation technology to alleviate the burden on medical sites and improve treatment outcomes. We invested to strongly support the social implementation of this solution both domestically and internationally.

Investee 3 Arktus Therapeutics Inc.

Business Overview: Research and development of three-dimensional artificial cartilage using iPS cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSC) (Knee Cartilage Business / iMSC Business)

URL: https://arktustx.com/

Investment Rationale: In Japan, which holds a national advantage in the iPS cell field, the company has established a monopolistic technological position with iPS-derived cartilage implants using bio-3D printing technology. As a startup combining knowledge from Kyoto University and Saga University, we invested, evaluating the high probability of growth for social implementation of products contributing to a healthy longevity society.

Fund Progress

In parallel with investment activities, the K2 Fund is advancing collaborations with corporations, financial institutions, and local governments. The NX Group and Saishunkan Group have newly joined as LPs, further expanding the startup support network. Going forward, we will continue to contribute to the creation of new businesses and the development of the regional economy by connecting the regional industrial base with domestic and international startups.

Fund Outline

Fund Name: BIG Impact K2 Investment Limited Partnership

Fund Size: Approximately 3 to 5 billion yen in total (target)

Investment Targets: Innovative domestic and international startups that revolutionize society Seed and early-stage focus

Company Overview

Company Name: BIG Impact Inc.

Representative: Takao Hosono, Representative Director & CEO

Established: June 2022

Business Activities: Venture capital business, innovation creation business

Headquarters: Shibuya Scramble Square 15F, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo