Mofuku Rescue Raises Approximately 500 Million Yen in Series A Funding

Mofuku Rescue Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Yusuke Goto/Yuma Nagae; hereinafter referred to as Mofuku Rescue) is pleased to announce that on July 8, 2026, it successfully raised approximately 500 million yen in a Series A funding round. This round was led by ALPHA and HIRAC FUND, with participation from NANKAI NEXT Ventures and angel investors through a third-party allotment of shares, supplemented by loans. This funding will accelerate business investments focused on expanding the multi-store network and product development for 'Mofuku Rescue,' an unmanned rental service for mourning attire available 24 hours a day, aiming to build a social infrastructure that allows everyone to face farewells with loved ones with peace of mind.

From left: Naoki Kanaya (NANKAI NEXT Ventures), Takumi Ogoshi (Angel Round), Yuma Nagae (Mofuku Rescue), Yusuke Goto (Mofuku Rescue), Masato Tanaka (ALPHA), Hiroyuki Jinno (HIRAC FUND), Naoto Horinobe (HIRAC FUND)

Background of Business Development

In Japan, with the advancement of an aging population, the number of deaths is increasing annually, and the funeral market is expected to maintain a certain level of demand in the future. Our company's projections, based on Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimates of deaths and the number of funeral attendees, indicate that the occasions requiring mourning attire will reach approximately 56 million times per year by 2038.

Meanwhile, funeral formats are diversifying, including family funerals, direct funerals, and one-day funerals. This has led to an increase in cases with limited attendees and situations requiring rapid preparation. Consequently, the need to 'prepare mourning attire quickly and with peace of mind when needed' is growing more than ever.

In such circumstances, sudden news of a death can arrive at any unexpected moment for anyone. At the time of facing a final farewell with a loved one, practical anxieties such as 'I don't have mourning attire' or 'I can't get it ready immediately' can place an additional burden on those already in deep sorrow. Traditional methods of purchasing or renting mourning attire often require store visits during business hours and can be difficult to accommodate for news received late at night or early in the morning. Furthermore, there were challenges in fully meeting the needs of sudden funeral arrangements, such as having to visit multiple stores without knowing if the desired size or design would be available.

◾️ About 'Mofuku Rescue'

To address these challenges, Mofuku Rescue, with its purpose of 'questioning assumptions, rethinking systems, and creating future norms,' launched 'Mofuku Rescue,' the first unmanned rental service for mourning attire in the rental industry (※ self-researched), in December 2022.

After receiving news of a passing, users can select a plan, make a reservation, and complete payment via their smartphone, then enter the unmanned store using a dedicated key. They can try on attire at their leisure 24 hours a day and take home the mourning attire that fits them, allowing them to face the final moments with their loved ones without the stress of searching for attire when confronted with a sudden farewell.

Driven by the aging population and changing lifestyles, service demand continues to expand. As of July 2026, the service operates 22 stores nationwide, achieving approximately a sevenfold increase in stores over two years, and is proceeding with nationwide expansion as a new social infrastructure supporting sudden funeral arrangements.

Purpose of Funding

With this funding, Mofuku Rescue will accelerate business investments in 'Mofuku Rescue' by focusing on multi-store expansion in major cities nationwide and product development to enhance user experience (UX) and store operations.

1 Multi-store Expansion in Major Cities Nationwide: We will strengthen our store network through openings in major cities across the country.

2 User Experience (UX) Updates: We will promote the expansion of size ranges and product lineups to accommodate diverse body types and usage needs, as well as diversify pickup methods and store formats.

3 Enhancement of Store Operations: We will also work on improving the efficiency of store operations and optimizing inventory and logistics management using generative AI, thereby building a service foundation that anyone can use with confidence and without hesitation when facing sudden funeral arrangements.

◾️ Future Outlook

Moving forward, we will focus on multi-store expansion and service development to strengthen our role as social infrastructure that alleviates anxiety and burden during sudden funeral arrangements by providing a secure and safe mourning attire rental experience on a national scale. With our purpose of 'questioning assumptions, rethinking systems, and creating future norms,' we aim to build a new business foundation that, starting with 'Mofuku Rescue,' solves various challenges in important life moments through the power of technology and systems.

Mofuku Rescue aims for business growth as an indispensable infrastructure that supports people's peace of mind in the long term, being a reliable presence that anyone can turn to without hesitation or rush when facing a sudden farewell.

【Comments from Investing Companies】

・ Masato Tanaka (ALPHA General Partner)

Upon actually using Mofuku Rescue, I strongly felt its high level of convenience. Furthermore, the customer feedback notes in the stores were filled with numerous expressions of gratitude and joy from users, confirming that it is a service that is widely supported and truly needed. In addition to this customer-centric value, our high evaluation of their execution capabilities in earnestly addressing social issues and continuously refining their business was the deciding factor for our investment. We expect that with this funding, they will further expand their service areas and domains, growing into a social infrastructure that can be used with peace of mind during sudden funeral arrangements. We will continue to provide our full support.

・ Hiroyuki Jinno (HIRAC FUND Director & Partner), Naoto Horinobe (Associate, same company)

While online mourning attire rental services already exist, an unmanned store-based service like Mofuku Rescue is unprecedented. We felt that the experience of trying on and renting attire on the spot is a business model with extremely high affinity for mourning attire as a product. In addition, we sensed the fundamental strength of the service not only in the momentum with which they have expanded to multiple stores in a short period but also in the high口コミ (word-of-mouth) ratings achieved across all stores. We decided to invest in this round based on our evaluation of this execution capability and UX strength. We will also provide our full support for their future store expansion and business growth.

・ Naoki Kanaya (NANKAI NEXT Ventures, Head of Investment Department)

Mofuku Rescue is highly praised by customers as a 'service that can be used with peace of mind for the first time when needed,' supporting those facing farewells with loved ones. We believe that the team's execution capabilities in expanding to multiple stores with high reproducibility in a short period, along with their continuous refinement of both the service and operations, are the foundations of their current growth. We were attracted by this strong business foundation and growth potential, which led to our investment. We look forward to its further development as a social infrastructure that everyone can rely on with peace of mind when facing sudden funeral arrangements.

・ Takumi Ogoshi (Angel Round Representative Director & General Partner)

Mofuku Rescue is truly a pioneer, creating a new solution for the inconvenience that anyone can experience with 'mourning attire needed suddenly' through its 24-hour unmanned rental stores. We see great potential in their ability to address latent needs, establish an unprecedented option as a business, and nurture it into a scalable form. We look forward to accelerating their challenges even further with this funding.

【Mofuku Rescue Co., Ltd.】

Since December 2022, we have been operating 'Mofuku Rescue,' an unmanned rental service for mourning attire, the first of its kind in the mourning attire rental industry. Our stores (some locations excluded) allow for trying on and renting mourning attire 24 hours a day, enabling users to prepare the necessary attire with peace of mind for sudden needs.

・Location: Create Yoyogi 4F, 2-39-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

・Representatives: Yusuke Goto / Yuma Nagae

・Established: November 2022

・Business Description: Operation of the mourning attire rental service "Mofuku Rescue"

・Corporate Site: https://mofuku-rescue.co.jp/

・Service Site: https://mofuku-rescue.com/