～The company has raised a total of ¥9.3 billion in equity financing to date, including ¥500 million in new financing.
- The following is content from the press release -
Unifa Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Yasuyuki Toki, CEO; hereinafter "Unifa"), which solves social issues related to childcare and child rearing through the power of technology, has entered into an agreement with MIXI Corporation (hereinafter "MIXI"), MPower Partners, Fujitsu Ventures Limited, Hachijuni Investment Corporation as the underwriters of the Series E round of transactions (the "Round") through a third-party allotment of new shares and transfer of shares from existing shareholders (the "Secondary Transaction"). The amount of new funds raised through the Third Party Allotment in this Round is 500 million yen, and the size of the transaction regarding the Secondary Transaction is undisclosed.
In conjunction with this round, a capital and business alliance agreement with MIXI was also signed. By linking Unifa's "Childcare Comprehensive ICT Lukumi" series with MIXI's "Family Album Mitten (hereinafter "Mitten")" service, the two companies aim to achieve further business growth. For details of the capital and business alliance, please refer to the separately disclosed press release.
(in Japanese history)https://unifa-e.com/news/event/entry-528.html)
About the Series E round
Investors in this round (in no particular order)
- MIXI Corporation
- MPower Partners
- Fujitsu Ventures Limited (*1)
- Hachijuni Investment Corporation (*2)
1 Underwritten by Fujitsu Ventures Fund, LLC.
2 Underwritten by Hachijuni Sustainability No. 1 Investment Limited Liability Partnership
Major Use of Funds and Future Prospects
The newly procured funds will be used for the development of new products in the comprehensive childcare ICT "Lukumi" series, including service linkage with MIXI's "Mite" photo and video sharing application for children and AI functions, sales and marketing expenses for further expansion of client facilities, acquisition of excellent human resources, and M&A targeting other companies in the same industry. The Company plans to use the funds for sales and marketing expenses to further expand the number of client facilities, acquisition of talented human resources, and M&A targeting other companies in the industry, etc., to further strengthen its business and financial base and accelerate medium- to long-term growth.
2. comments from each investor
Mr. Daiki Yamaguchi, Investment Business Department, MIXI Corporation
We have invested in Unifa because we see great potential in the company's ability to solve problems in the childcare field, where ICT has yet to be fully utilized, through a variety of solutions.
We are convinced that "Lucumi" is a wonderful service that provides peace of mind not only to childcare facilities and providers, but also to families and guardians, and we are confident that our strong management team and organization will enable us to achieve even greater growth in the future. Through this investment and business collaboration, we hope to challenge together and create a future beyond our imagination.
Ms. Yumiko Murakami, General Partner, MPower Partners
Unifa has established a business model that enables both corporate value and social value, and we are pleased to execute our investment in 2021 as an attractive investment opportunity for Unifa.
In considering another investment, we have examined the probability of a "chase two rabbits" strategy and, with even greater confidence, have decided to make an additional investment. We look forward to supporting further growth through this latest round of funding.
Mr. Takashi Yamanishi, EVP CSSO (Chief Sustainability & Supply Chain Officer), Fujitsu Limited
Fujitsu's Purpose is to "bring trust to society through innovation and make the world more sustainable. We believe that Unifa's solutions, along with the creation of childcare environments as social infrastructure, will realize the healthy growth of children and have great significance toward the realization of a sustainable society. We share Unifa's vision of the world and are very pleased to be working together with them to realize it.
Mr. Shinichi Uchikune, Representative Director, Hachijuni Investment Co.
As the number of children in Japan declines and the number of childcare facilities and childcare providers increase, we expect Unifa's services to make a significant contribution to resolving these issues. As the birthrate declines and the population ages in rural areas, Unifa's services will help create an environment in which the child-rearing generation can live with peace of mind and help revitalize local communities by utilizing the Hachijuni Bank Group network.
3. strengthening recruitment
We plan to continue hiring for the purpose of future business growth and strengthening our organizational structure. Please refer to the following URL for the positions we are currently hiring for. In particular, we will be strengthening our hiring of PdMs and engineers to promote product development and sales personnel to further expand our client base. We are also planning to hold a recruiting event in the near future, so if you are interested, please consider attending.
Recruitment page:https://jobs.unifa-e.com/
4. about Lukumi and Unifa
What is ICT Lukumi ＜ https://lookmee.jp/>
The duties of childcare workers are extremely diverse, ranging from managing children's arrival and departure from preschool, watching over them during naptime (nap time), preparing daycare diaries and plans, preparing documents to be submitted to parents and the local government, and managing shifts of childcare workers.
The "Lukumi" series automatically collects data on attendance, temperature, sleep, meals, bowel movements, etc., as well as photos taken with Lukumi Photo, and automatically posts the data to forms and contact sheets. In addition, with Lukumi Sleep Check, the sensor detects body movements and the application automatically records the orientation of the body. Lukumi Noon Sleep Check has the largest market share in the industry*1. This system aims to achieve DX (digital transformation) of childcare-related operations, significantly reducing workloads and creating more time and mentality for childcare workers. The time created will also allow caregivers to spend more time with their children, which is important for them, and the provision of a photo documentation function will create an environment in which caregivers can easily share their observations of children's growth with each other, thereby increasing rich communication. Through these efforts, the service contributes to the creation of job satisfaction for caregivers and the improvement of the quality of childcare services. To date, the service has been used by a cumulative total of more than 20,000 people, and has been introduced in about 70 municipalities*2.
1: From "MIC IT Report Monthly," MIC Economic Research Institute, Deloitte Tohmatsu, October 2023, "Comparative Analysis of Introduction Results of Leading Vendors in the Noon Sleep Check Sensor Market"; ranked first in terms of cumulative number of sensors shipped, cumulative number of children using sensors, and cumulative number of facilities introducing sensors in FY2022.https://mic-r.co.jp/micit/
*2: As of August 2024. In-house research.
Unifa Corporation (https://unifa-e.com/)
Unifa is a startup in the "Childcare-Tech" domain that aims to solve social issues related to childcare and childcare. With the company's purpose of "creating new social infrastructures that create happiness for families around the world," Unifa develops and provides a childcare support service called "Rukumee®" that utilizes the latest technologies such as IoT, AI, and ChatGPT. Through the concept of "Smart Nursery School®, Smart Kindergarten®, and Smart Childcare Center®," we are contributing to the creation of an affluent society in which it is easy to work while raising children. -Startup in 2017 and J-Startup Impact in October 2023. He is also the President of the Impact Startup Association, established in October 2022, and a board member of the Children's DX Promotion Association.
About Us
Company name: Unifa Corporation
Representative Director & CEO: Yasuyuki Toki
Established: 2013
Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Chiyoda Fujimi Building 2F, 1-8-19 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Company URL: https://unifa-e.com/
