Socioak Group's Ashitaba and Socioak Hutech Sign Agreement with Iyo City for DX Promotion in After-School Children's Clubs

Socioak Group (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takashi Okuma) announces that Ashitaba Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takaaki Yamashita, hereinafter "Ashitaba") and Socioak Hutech Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hidefumi Matsufuji, hereinafter "Socioak Hutech") have entered into an "Agreement on the Establishment of the Iyo City After-School Children's Club DX Promotion Consortium" with Iyo City, Ehime Prefecture (Mayor: Kuninori Takechi) on May 14, 2026, with the aim of promoting DX in after-school children's clubs. We also announce that a report meeting for the said agreement was held on June 5 at Iyo City Hall.

This initiative is being implemented with the support of the "DX Promotion Demonstration Project for After-School Children's Club Usage Procedures, etc." supervised by the Ministry of Children and Families. It aims to further improve the convenience and operational efficiency of after-school children's club operations in Iyo City.

From left: Takaaki Yamashita, President and CEO of Ashitaba; Kuninori Takechi, Mayor of Iyo City, Ehime Prefecture; Hidefumi Matsufuji, President and CEO of Socioak Hutech.

Background of the Agreement Signing

Starting April 2026, Ashitaba will be responsible for operating public after-school children's clubs in Iyo City (8 locations, 11 support units). Since the start of operations, the company has introduced the "Gakudo Socio Connect" app developed by Socioak Hutech, promoting operational efficiency through ICT, such as managing children's check-in/out and staff attendance.

Amidst this, Iyo City received grant support for the "DX Promotion Demonstration Project for After-School Children's Club Usage Procedures, etc." supervised by the Ministry of Children and Families. To further promote DX for various procedures, including the online application for enrollment, Ashitaba and Socioak Hutech will sign the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Iyo City After-School Children's Club DX Promotion Consortium" with Iyo City and cooperate with the city's initiatives.

Report on the Agreement Signing Ceremony

A report meeting for the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Iyo City After-School Children's Club DX Promotion Consortium" was held on June 5, 2026, at Iyo City Hall. Representatives from Iyo City, Ashitaba, and Socioak Hutech attended to share the overview and future prospects of this demonstration project.

At the meeting, Mayor Kuninori Takechi stated, "Taking this agreement as an opportunity, we will take a further step forward and aim to make this a DX promotion demonstration project that contributes to further improving the convenience for parents and guardians and further increasing operational efficiency for Iyo City by advancing initiatives such as the complete online processing of 'application procedures.' We will continue to work with Iyo City to provide a safe and secure after-school children's club environment for children and their parents."

Furthermore, Hidefumi Matsufuji, President and CEO of Socioak Hutech, expressed his renewed determination, saying, "We consider the signing of this agreement among the three parties to be highly significant. By combining Ashitaba's 'on-site operational capabilities' with our company's 'technical capabilities' in system development, we will contribute to next-generation childcare support."

Mayor Takechi expressed his gratitude for the knowledge and cooperation of Ashitaba and Socioak Hutech, emphasizing the great significance of this consortium from the perspective of promoting municipal management that allows children to envision their future.

Main Improvements Targeted by This Demonstration Project

In this demonstration project, the following functions are planned for implementation during fiscal year 2026 to digitize and improve the convenience of enrollment procedures, user management, and emergency communication systems for after-school children's clubs:

1. Complete Online Enrollment Procedures

A system will be established to allow parents and guardians to apply online, including during evenings and holidays, without needing to visit the city office, thereby reducing application burdens and streamlining reception operations.

2. Integration with Existing App "Gakudo Socio Connect"

The "Gakudo Socio Connect" app, developed by Socioak Hutech and introduced by Ashitaba, will have an enrollment application function added. By linking it with the daily check-in/out management system, a seamless operational mechanism from enrollment to facility use will be established.

3. Introduction of a Rapid and Fair Priority Determination System

For priority determination required when deciding eligibility for use during periods of exceeding capacity, a system will be considered and implemented to reduce manual transcription and aggregation, thereby speeding up the determination process and improving fairness.

4. Strengthening of Rapid Communication System for Disasters and Emergencies

A system will be established to enable simultaneous broadcast of emergency notifications, such as warnings or suspicious person information, across all after-school children's clubs. It will also support prompt and reliable information dissemination by allowing targeted distribution based on grade level or residential area.

Future Outlook

Over the course of this fiscal year, Iyo City, Ashitaba, and Socioak Hutech will bring together their respective knowledge and experience to systematically review and improve business processes using digital technology.

The Socioak Group will combine Ashitaba's on-site operational capabilities with Socioak Hutech's system development and operational expertise. In a manner that aligns with the system design and operational realities of each municipality, the group will provide support for DX in after-school children's club procedures, contributing to reduced workload and improved user convenience.

Contact Information for Inquiries:

Socioak Hutech Co., Ltd.

Contact: Maeda

TEL: 0120-92-2794

Inquiry Form: https://socioak-hutech.com/contact/

Company Overview:

[Ashitaba Co., Ltd.]

President and CEO: Takaaki Yamashita

Established: October 1992

Business Activities: Operation of childcare support facilities such as after-school children's clubs and children's halls, and other public facilities.

URL: https://ashita-ba.co.jp/

[Socioak Hutech Co., Ltd.]

President and CEO: Hidefumi Matsufuji

Established: March 10, 2025

Business Activities: Support for DX promotion through IT proposal, development, implementation, and analysis.

HP: https://socioak-hutech.com/

[Socioak Group]

Company Name: Socioak Holdings Inc.

Representative: Takashi Okuma

Established: October 2013

Business Activities: A holding company engaged in school and nursery school meal services, childcare support, international understanding, mobility services, public facility management and designated management, PFI projects, disability welfare, and BPO platform businesses.

URL: https://www.socioak.com/