The focus of this year's conference will be on "Designing with Data", a translation of Data into a potential future value and experiences through Digital Designing. Rei Inamoto, founding partner of I&CO, will host the conference again this year.

From Cells to Space: the new frontiers of design made possible through data shaping the physical world around us in ways that are both visible and invisible. No matter how much digitalization may advance and how much data may get collected, we live in a real and physical world and that won't change for a long time to come.

Given the state of the world, are design and data making the world a better place? Is data helping us design better things and experiences? And how can design help us make the Real World better with and through data?

In this conference, we explore potential future value with a highly curated line-up of speakers ranging from technology and some of the most prominent and most data-driven companies in the world; from art and architecture creating new types of creative expressions; and from science finding and building new possibilities in our bodies or in outer space.

Speakers include *more to come:

• Leo Villareal - Artist, LEO VILLAREAL STUDIO
• Kaoru Sugano - Executive Creative Director/Creative Technologist, DENTSU INC.
• Kerenza Harris - Director of Design Technology, Morphosis Architects
• Jess Holbrook - Founder and Lead of People + AI Research Group (PAIR), Google
• Steve Johnson - User Experience Executive, Netflix
• Amanda Linden - Director of Product Design, Facebook
• Ryotaro Bordini Chikushi - CEO/Co-Founder, NION
• Arvind Gupta - Founder, IndieBio

One day prior to the this event, Digital Garage, Inc. will host the "Global Pitch 2019 -Smart Cities", where 7-9 "smart city" startups from around the world, from diverse industries, including energy & infrastructure, healthcare, and mobility - are expected to pitch to an audience of large organizations and investors from Japan and other parts of the world.

The theme of this year's Global Pitch event will be "Tying Together Data and Design to Create Smarter Cities".

The purpose of the event is twofold: 1) facilitate collaborations between large organizations in search for innovative solutions and cutting-edge startups and 2) shed light on how startups around the world are challenging the status-quo to improve their respective cities.

The startups will be nominated and evaluated by investors part of Digital Garage's Global Incubation Stream - a network of innovation hubs spanning Asia, Europe and the US.

Startup Nominators *Nominators might be changed:

• Jerry Yang - General Partner, Hardware Club
• Peter Rojas - Partner, Betaworks Ventures
• Yoshinari Yoshikawa - Partner and CEO, Golden Whales Group
• Phil Libin - Co-founder and CEO, All Turtles
• Nao Ito - Operating Partner, BEENEXT
• Adam Lindemann - Partner and Group CEO, Mind Fund Group
• Ryotaro Bordini Chikushi - Partner, greenbox
• Eric Lagier - Managing Partner, byFounders
• Rei Inamoto - Founding Partner, I&CO
• Brian Yeh - Chief Investment Officer, DG Incubation
• Kaoru Hayashi - Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO, Digital Garage

【Conference Outline】
Date and Time: November 6, 2019 (Wednesday) 2:30 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.
　　　　　　　　November 7, 2019 (Thursday) 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: DG717 (717 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103)
Co-organizers: Digital Garage, Inc., Kakaku.com, Inc., Credit Saison Co., Ltd., and KDDI CORPORATION
Special Support: I&CO
Seating Capacity: Approximately 200
Official Website: https://www.dg717.com/ncc2019/
To reserve your seat: Please go to the official website and go to the tickets page.

* Media representatives who wish to participate should send their publication name, name(s) of the participant(s), contact information to the following email address.
Email: dg-cc@garage.co.jp

【DG Lab】https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly operated by Digital Garage, Inc., Kakaku.com, Inc., Credit Saison Co., Ltd. and KDDI CORPORATION. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.; TIS Inc.; and Resona Bank, Limited. are sponsoring partners.

■ Outline
Small Funeral is the industry's first funeral service that customers can order on its website with set plan and consistent pricing across Japan. In addition to current three payment methods (credit card, loans, and cash) for funeral expenses, now post-settlement payment is available for Small Funeral packages up to 300,000 yen (including tax). Customers submit an application to UNIQUEST to use this payment option. Following a credit inquiry, the customer is sent an invoice after the funeral that can be used to pay the funeral expenses at a convenience store or post office.

Funeral costs are usually paid in a lump sum by cash around one week after the funeral, and a survey by VeriTrans showed that cash payments account for the majority at 64.9%_*. However, sometimes it is difficult for customers to immediately procure enough cash to pay for unexpectedly high costs. To provide more convenient payment methods, Small Funeral also accepts credit cards and offers loans. The new post-settlement payment option is easy to use for customers who do not have credit cards or prefer not to use them, as well as elderly persons who are not used to paying online. The payment must be made within 14 days of the invoice issue date, which gives customers extra time before paying funeral expenses.

■ Future developments
In the future, UNIQUEST plans to introduce VeriTrans Atobarai for funeral plan for pets. VeriTrans and UNIQUEST plan to increase the maximum usage amount for VeriTrans Atobarai, initially offered for packages up to 300,000 yen, to offer more convenient payment methods to customers. In 2015 the companies released Monipay (Ceremony Security Payment), a funeral credit card payment service for UNIQUEST's partner funeral business operators using VeriTrans' credit card payment platform. Going forward, they will continue working together on support for bereaved families and funeral business operators alike through VeriTrans Atobarai and Monipay (Ceremony Security Payment).

In addition to the funeral market, VeriTrans and SCORE will promote post-settlement payment services for the overall ceremonial occasional market, where similar payment demand is expected to be high.

_{* VeriTrans survey on payment methods to funeral companies: Cash 64.9%, bank transfer 28.6%, credit card 5.8%, funeral loan 0.4%, convenience store 0.1%, other 0.2%
(Survey method: Internet research Conducted: June 8 to 11, 2018 Targets: 1,003 men and women across Japan, age 40 to 79, who paid funeral expenses as a funeral host or equivalent standpoint during the past three years)}

【About Small Funeral】https://www.osohshiki.jp/
Small Funeral, the industry's first funeral service that customers can order on its website with set plan and consistent pricing across Japan from UNIQUEST INC. In October 2009, UNIQUEST launched the industry's first service to attract customers over the internet for funeral plans with consistent pricing across Japan. As it had gained solid reputation from customers because of the user-friendliness of online information about funeral, nationwide network, low cost and understandability of its fee structure, Small Funeral won the nation's No.1 funeral performance in 2018 and 2019.

【About VeriTrans】https://www.veritrans.co.jp/
A payment provider that carries out online payment, POS payment, barcode payment, and other initiatives for the Digital Garage Group. VeriTrans supports cashless payments and business growth through payment solutions that can be used by business operators in a wide range of industries--such as logistics, services, manufacturing, government ministries, and local governments--in diverse channels including e-commerce, physical stores, and omnichannel developments. As a leader in the payment services industry, which has now grown into a basic social infrastructure, VeriTrans will work with DG Group company ECONTEXT to offer advice to government institutions and the credit card industry, along with speedy service that meets the needs generated by trends in business and policy. Such efforts will support the expansion of convenient solutions, along with a safe and secure environment, as required by EC businesses and consumers.

【About SCORE】https://www.scoring.jp/
This joint venture by Nissen Co., Ltd. and VeriTrans Inc. was established on September 4, 2018. It launched SCORE @Barai (a post-settlement payment service) in October, renamed from Nissen Co., Ltd.'s "Nissen Atobarai." Utilizing the strengths of both companies and their track records in e-commerce payment agency services and the overall mail-order shopping business, SCORE is aiming to develop data marketing and new financial businesses.

The application for the proof of concept project was designed by DG Lab, an R&D organization operated by four companies: DG; KDDI; Kakaku.com, Inc. (TSE first section: 2371; HQ: Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Shonosuke Hata; Kakaku.com); and Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TSE first section: 8253; HQ: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Hiroshi Rinno; Credit Saison). It is equipped with a function to suggest optimal routes to facilities and landmarks in line with individual preferences. The app considers the final arrival time and time required at each point to automatically display routes matching the user's mood. App users can find a restaurant information of Tabelog (https://tabelog.com/en/), a restaurant search and reservation site operated by Kakaku.com, in looking at the scenery integrated with AR on the app screen. It allows users to easily find restaurants based on their preferences.

As a collaborative partner of Future Design Shibuya, General Incorporated Association (location: Tokyo; President: Hideki Koizumi; Future Design Shibuya), DG will continue supporting various initiatives based in Shibuya--including the Shibuya Entertainment Tech Promotion Project operated by KDDI, Future Design Shibuya, and General Foundation Shibuya tourism organizations (location: Tokyo; Chairman: Jungo Kanayama; Shibuya Tourism Association)--through DG Lab. DG will also promote R&D in DG Lab's five focus areas (Blockchain, AI, VR/AR, Security, and BioHealth) and strive to create technologies for the new era through R&D and proof of concept projects.

_{*1: A Visual Positioning Service (VPS), regarded as a more advanced version of a Global Positioning System (GPS), compares 3D maps with images from cameras on smartphones and other devices to identify high-precision positioning information, including direction and orientation.}

【DG Lab】https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly operated by DG, Kakaku.com, Credit Saison and KDDI. Daiwa Securities Group Inc., TIS Inc. and Resona Bank, Limited. are sponsoring partners.

DG Lab Fund II will work with DG Lab --an open innovation R&D organization-- to invest in promising Japanese and foreign startups in DG Lab's five R&D fields: Blockchain, AI, VR/AR, Security, and BioHealth, just like DG Lab Fund I. With participation from industry-leading companies in various fields and in collaboration with DG Lab, DG Lab Fund II will precisely understand the diversifying startup circumstances and cutting-edge technological trends to rigorously select and invest in excellent startups in each field.

DG will contribute to DG Lab Fund II building a superior portfolio through DG's network of strategic partner companies and prominent investors, as well as the activities in DG Lab. The operation of DG Lab Fund II will also incorporate the extensive expertise developed by the Daiwa Securities Group as an integrated securities group. The first round has closed as of August 2019 with a total amount of over 10 billion JPY, with participating companies including existing core partners of DG Lab such as Kakaku.com, Inc. and KDDI CORPORATION, newly joined companies Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. and more. The final close is planned in March 2020, with the final fund amount of around 20 billion JPY. This means DG Daiwa Ventures will operate funds totaling around 30 billion JPY (DG Lab Funds I and II).

DG Lab Fund is achieving multiple accomplishments thanks to its incubation function in collaboration with DG Lab, of which engineers have exemplary technical competence. For example, Crypto Garage, Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; President: Masahito Okuma) was founded for blockchain financial service development as a joint venture by DG, investee Blockstream (HQ: Canada; CEO: Adam Back), and investor The Tokyo Tanshi Co., Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo; President: Shoji Ushiro; Tokyo Tanshi). Crypto Garage received the first official authorization in the finance field under the Regulatory Sandbox, managed by the Cabinet Office of Japan, in January 2019. Under this Regulatory Sandbox system, Crypto Garage and multiple business partners have started proof-of-concept testing the issuance of Japanese JPY tokens and the delivery versus payment settlement service between tokens and crypto assets. In the future, we will accelerate business promotion and open innovation development of investees through collaboration with: the DG Lab's development assets in the blockchain field, the general-purpose framework "DG Lab DVEP (Digital Value Exchange Platform) ™" that can issue proprietary cryptocurrencies on the bitcoin-based blockchain; in the next-generation data technology researches in AI field; and the "Open Network Lab" accelerator program both in the smart city incubation and the biohealth field.

To achieve the biggest ROI, choices and investments can be made in excellent startups from a global perspective, as investees are selected from the profusion of international deal sources retained by the DG group including its Global Incubation Stream connecting North America, Japan, Asia, and Europe. In operating the fund, the Daiwa Securities Group applies its experience and know-how to make the most of these advantages. DG Lab Fund will continue to push forward the development as a venture investment fund with a new structure, utilizing the investment network and incubation competence of the DG Group and the fund management expertise of the Daiwa Securities Group.

【DG Daiwa Ventures】https://dg-daiwa-v.com/en/
DG Daiwa Ventures is a venture capital firm jointly founded by DG and the Daiwa Securities Group to invest in startups with next-generation technologies and assist their business development. DG Lab Fund accelerates investees' growth by combining the investment network and incubation competence of the DG Group and the fund management expertise of the Daiwa Securities Group in five technical fields: Blockchain, AI, VR/AR, Security, and BioHealth.

【DG Lab】https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly operated by DG, Kakaku.com, Inc. (TSE first section: 2371; HQ: Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Shonosuke Hata), Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TSE first section: 8253; HQ: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Hiroshi Rinno) and KDDI CORPORATION (TSE first section: 9433; HQ: Tokyo; President, Representative Director: Makoto Takahashi). Daiwa Securities Group Inc.; TIS Inc.; and Resona Bank, Limited. are sponsoring partners.

_{*This press release is not intended to offer any investment operation services and specific operation products by DG, Daiwa Securities Group and DG Daiwa Ventures. DG, Daiwa Securities Group and DG Daiwa Ventures are not calling for any participation of DG Lab Funds I and II through this press release.}

DG supports various type of online marketing activities for companies through internet advertising, mainly performance ads, ad tech platform development and CRM solutions. In addition, with the aim of creating new value in the digital marketing business, we are focusing on developing new services that utilize various assets of DG Group and strengthening upstream marketing consulting areas. DG will continue to further strengthen marketing solutions by expanding businesses around media and marketing support using influencers, and by collaborating with CyberBuzz, who promotes the creation and activation of influencer marketing markets.

【About CyberBuzz】https://www.cyberbuzz.co.jp/
Founded in 2006. The company is developing a social media marketing business centered on influencers under the vision of "changing communication into value and changing the world". It is providing services such as promotion support using the influencer network, social media account management service, and "to buy", the influencer commerce media.

DG has formed a consortium with major real estate, construction, and lifeline companies and started "Open Network Lab Resi-Tech" in November 2018, with the goal of developing and supporting promising startups with products and services that enrich the lives of people looking toward the fifth-generation communication technology (5G) era. This time by promoting proof-of-concept projects with multiple partner companies at the same time, DG and partners will shorten the lead time for standardization of the specifications to be confirmed in the projects. DG aims to solve common issues in the real estate industry, such as "work force shortage of building management", "watching over the elderly" and "redelivery problems". DG will continue to support the creation of new businesses and the resolution of social issues through communities that comprise partner companies and startups.

■ Partners (no particular order)
COSMOS INITIA Co.,Ltd., Takenaka Corporation, Tokyu Group, Tokyo Tatemono Co.,Ltd., Nomura Real Estate Holdings, Inc., Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp., Mitsui Fudosan Co.,Ltd.

■ Summary for proof-of-concept projects
"Verification of out-of-home delivery for collective residence utilizing information technology" (Yper Inc.)
For home delivery in an auto-locking housing, provide means for receiving in the absence, and verify the demand and satisfaction of the service.

"Verification of advanced technology use for elderly care" (Origin Wireless Japan, Inc., Tellus You Care, Inc.)
Verify the possibility of quality and efficiency improvement of elderly care by monitoring the health condition of elderly utilizing radio-based sensoring equipment.

"Verification of security measures monitoring space with advanced technology" (Origin Wireless Japan, Inc.)
Verify the possibility of security measure for the nighttime office occupancy monitoring using household Wi-Fi and AI.

"Verification of efficiency improvement for check and record report in building management" (THIRD Inc.)
Verify the reduction of cost associated with managing real estate assets by introduction of business support IT tools.

"Verification of demand and satisfaction of small-scale trunk room service" (Data Science Professionals Inc.)
For the original collection and delivery type trunk room service (storage service) which can be used from a single box, verify the demand and satisfaction for users live in collective residence with delivery boxes and/or with shared house.

■ List of startups

・Yper Inc.

・Origin Wireless Japan, Inc.

・THIRD Inc.

・Data Science Professionals Inc.

・Tellus You Care, Inc.

DG through the SEI's experiments and related events, plans to work on its R&D in the area where new innovations are expected, such as building sharing platforms that network existing satellites managed by blockchains, and the monitoring, impact analysis, and application method search of human physiological functions in Space.

"From the US and Japan, we will work on space technology innovation in each way. As the only Japanese company to co-sponsor the current project, DG pursues cooperation. DG creates contexts for the next 50 years utilizing Japan's unique culture and specialized technology domains for the peaceful use of Space technology based on the Japanese past experiences" (DG Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi).

The SEI, launched by the MIT Media Lab in 2017, aims to promote innovation through projects unifying us independent of boundaries, cultures, and economies; looking beyond interests to global and interplanetary opportunities as we enter the New Space Age. Space exploration, which was once an exclusive, expensive and narrowly serious pursuit is now evolving to include a vast array of possibilities, thanks to the dropping costs of Space launches and CubeSats. The SEI is working to make Space accessible through the reach of DIY instruments, experiments, sensors, satellites, and ultimately through a new age of Space exploration. This year, to test 15 unique research projects from the SEI portfolio, SEI's upcoming zero gravity research flight is planned for launch during the historic 50th anniversary year of the Apollo 11 flight, when astronauts were in microgravity on their way to the moon. Also, on July 25th, the globally live-streamed meeting with senior aerospace leadership, Lunar Exploration Convening, will take place.

"The state of development in the space industry today reminds me of where the Internet was in the early '90s, when companies, individuals and NGOs began innovating on it, and unlocking a potential that was previously unimaginable. The cost of putting a satellite into orbit has dropped dramatically as private players are moving into space and transforming it into a robust environment for innovation, and for business. We are truly pleased to have Digital Garage join the MIT Media Lab in exploring exciting new possibilities in the space sector," noted Joi Ito, MIT Media Lab Director. Ito is also a Digital Garage co-founder and board member.

【DG Lab】 https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly operated by DG, Kakaku.com, Inc., Credit Saison Co., Ltd. and KDDI CORPORATION. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.; TIS Inc.; and Resona Bank, Limited. are sponsoring partners.

Fukuoka City was designated a Global Foundation and Job Creation Specific District in May 2014. The city has actively worked to support startups, including Fukuoka City Startup Cafe opened in October 2014 to encourage consultations and communication among aspiring entrepreneurs. As a result, Fukuoka City has a high new business entry rate (7.65% in FY2016) compared to the rest of Japan, and many businesses are being established. The Tenjin Big Bang project for creating new spaces and jobs in the Tenjin area is underway until 2024, and a crucial issue is establishing new companies in Fukuoka and drawing corporations to the city.

Since 2010, DG has cultivated more than 100 of entrepreneurial teams from over 1,200 entries to Open Network Lab, Japan's first accelerator program. To contribute to job creation and regional economic development in Fukuoka City, DG and FDC concluded an agreement in September 2017 to promote entrepreneurship and support startup business management in the Fukuoka region. This program is based at Fukuoka Growth Next (https://growth-next.com/en/), Fukuoka City's startup support facility through public-private cooperation. Innovation will be accelerated in the Fukuoka region through the joint planning and implementation of proof-of-concepts by startups and major companies, with verification at FUKUOKA Smart EAST (https://en.smartcity.fukuoka.jp/), one of Japan's largest Greenfield Smart Cities.

This program is aimed at discovering and developing services and products that provide secure, comfortable, and high-quality lifestyles and urban spaces. This includes smart buildings, smart healthcare, and public security using mobility, security, energy, and other cutting-edge technologies, as well as 3D data and other types of open data. Excellent companies in a range of fields, starting with influential enterprises based in Fukuoka, will serve as partner companies to offer startup mentoring and lectures on business expertise for planning and implementing proof-of-concepts.

DG will help Fukuoka-based startups expand overseas, and provides assistance for overseas startups to take part in this program, through its Global Incubation Stream linking Japan, the United States, Europe, and Asia. DG also plans to provide proof-of-concept and collaboration opportunities with DG Lab, an open innovation R&D organization with five focus areas (Blockchain, AI, VR/AR, Security, and BioHealth).

Going forward, DG will continue building ecosystems to support new business creation, and will keep cultivating and supporting more startups, through locally-rooted programs in collaboration with major Japanese cities like "Onlab FUKUOKA". DG will also start programs in specific domains, such as "Open Network Lab BioHealth" and "Open Network Lab Resi-Tech".

■ "Onlab FUKUOKA" fields

■ Partner companies *As of May 31, 2019

【Onlab FUKUOKA outline】
・Support
　- Mentoring and lectures by a diverse range of specialists
　- Office space usage rights during the program
　- Access to domestic and international network
　- Fundraising opportunities

・Eligible candidates
　- Companies with services, products, or ideas that are likely to result in cooperation and synergy with partner
companies, and that can positively consider funding, business, and other types of collaboration with partner
companies over the mid-to-long term
　- Companies that can allocate resources to carry out co-creation initiatives with partner companies after selection

・Schedule
　Applications accepted: From May 31 (Friday) to July 8 (Monday), 2019
　Teams selected: Late July 2019 (TBD)
　Program provided: August to October 2019 (TBD)
　Demo Day*: Late October 2019 (TBD)
　_{*Demo Day: Japanese and international investors, as well as business companies, are invited to this pitch event that is an opportunity for fundraising, joint research, and collaboration.}

■ Outline of "Cloud Pay"
With "Cloud Pay", consumers can pay at stores by launching an app of his/her choice for payment, then scanning the single QR Code displayed at the store that supports all the selected payment services. The consumer inputs the app the payment amount charged to complete payment.

【Payment flow with "Cloud Pay"】

There are two formats of QR Code and barcode payments. With the merchant-presented mode (MPM) format, the consumer uses a smartphone to scan a QR Code displayed at a store. With the consumer-presented mode (CPM) format, the QR Code or barcode displayed on consumer's smartphone is scanned by a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Stores must upgrade their POS terminals to use the CPM method, which involves high costs and labor. In contrast, the MPM format is unique in that it requires no new equipment or system upgrades, including POS terminals, so it is relatively easy to introduce. There are many QR Code and barcode payment services today, and participating stores are increasingly struggling because individual contracts are required when introducing these services, and QR Codes must be displayed at stores for each.

With "Cloud Pay", participating stores do not need to conclude contract for integrating each and every payment method, but can introduce multiple QR Code and barcode payment services all at once. By installing one common in-store QR Code, each store can save space near the register and reduce consumer confusion about which QR Code to scan.

With the past MPM method, stores had to confirm the completed payment on the consumer's smartphone, or perform cancellation procedures on each service's management screen. However, the "Cloud Pay" app for participating stores offers transaction management functionality for all QR Code and barcode payment services. Stores can confirm or cancel payments on the app, which reduces the burden of operating the system. The sales amounts from all payments can be batch deposited from "Cloud Pay", which cuts down on the required accounting tasks.

Service Website URL: https://cloud-pay.jp/mpm/
Contact: support@cloud-pay.jp

■ Background
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced its Cashless Vision_*1, aimed at a cashless payment ratio of 40% by 2025, in 2018, and efforts by the government are underway to promote cashless payments.

The government has invested 279.8 billion yen in its Cashless Point Reward Program_*2 for the consumption tax increase in October 2019. It is implementing measures for rewards using points from cashless payments (such as QR Code and barcode payments, credit cards, and electronic money) at small to medium enterprises. Applications to participate in the program have been taken from small to medium enterprises since mid-May 2019. The government is also widely promoting this measure to consumers, and expects the rapid expansion of cashless payments at participating stores and by consumers.

"Cloud Pay" participating stores can take part in the Cashless Point Reward Program. The DG Group is supporting the government's promotion of cashless payments through "Cloud Pay" by offering speedy, simple, and convenient payment experiences to business operators (including small to medium retail stores and restaurants) and consumers alike.

■ Future developments
To offer even more convenient services, the DG Group will continue adding various QR Code and barcode payment services to "Cloud Pay". It will leverage the DG Group's synergy in its three principal domains (marketing, payment, and investment) to support online-merge-offline (OMO) measures for participating stores and standardize MPM-type QR Code payments.

【Image of QR Code stand installed at stores】

<sub>*1: Cashless Vision (April 2018): https://www.meti.go.jp/report/whitepaper/data/pdf/20180411002_01.pdf
*2: Cashless Point Reward Program: https://cashless.go.jp/
*3: Cashless payment operators must also register for the Cashless Consumer Reward Program. Small to medium enterprises apply via registered payment operators.
* "Cloud Pay" is a registered trademark of Digital Garage, Inc.
* "QR Code" is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.</sub>

【About Digital Garage】https://www.garage.co.jp/en/
Digital Garage focuses on three businesses: online payment, web marketing, and startup investment and development. As a company that creates new "context" for the age of the Internet, it connects various businesses and produces innovative services.

The program was chosen as the effect authentication project for FY2018 by Fukuoka Health Lab, the initiative led by Fukuoka City and Fukuoka Directive Council.

Under the project, DG and Welby will provide a PHR service to lifestyle disease patients and others through collaboration with 2 medical institutions in Fukuoka City. Working with DG Lab, artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be used to analyze the participants' nutritional balance and other healthcare information from images of the meals they eat. This will help medical personnels provide dietary guidance and other services to promote health-related awareness and actions. After the project ends, its effects will be validated via PHR usage records (amount of meal images input, input rate, etc.), patient surveys, and other methods.

【Partner Medical Institutions】
- Maeda Clinic (Kashiiteriha, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City)
- Ohashi Cardiovascular Hospital (Ohashidanchi, Minami Ward, Fukuoka City)
*The program will continue soliciting cooperating medical institutions in Fukuoka City.

DG and Welby with its capital and business alliance from the past, have developed projects through DG Lab's BioHealth team and the Biomedical Project Office related to each field. As one facet of the alliance, Joi Ito (DG Board of Directors Member and Co-Founder) serves as a Welby advisor. Through joint development with Welby, DG builds a PHR platform involving preventative medicine and health points with implementation of DG Lab's blockchain and AI technologies. In the future, PHR will be linked with local governments, national and health insurance, medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and health-related business operators to build a person-centered health and medical data platform.

DG will also build services and infrastructure for not only medical care and caregiving, but also chronic diseases and
preventative medicine with the aim of making biotechnology and healthcare-related businesses into new leading
businesses initiated by the capital and business alliance with Welby.

【About PHR】
Short for "Personal Health Record." A set of personal health and medical information managed electronically by individuals.

【About Welby, Inc.】https://welby.jp/en/
Welby is a leading company that launched its personal health record (PHR) platform services in 2011. It provides PHR
platform services for "support for continuation of treatment" and "facilitation of self-management" for patients with
various chronic diseases. Welby My Karte, one of its PHR platform services, is a smartphone app to help patients of
lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and potential patients of the lifestyle-related disease
manage their information including blood sugar level and blood pressure. It also jointly plans many PHR platform
services that are operated by Welby with leading pharmaceutical companies. Welby provides PHR platform services in a wide range of fields including lifestyle diseases, oncology, central nervous system, autoimmune disorders, and rare
diseases. With its vision to "Empower the Patients," Welby will keep leading Japanese PHR platform services for
patient-focused medical care.

【DG Lab】https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly operated by DG, Kakaku.com, Inc. (TSE first section: 2371; HQ: Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Shonosuke Hata), Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TSE first section: 8253; HQ: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Hiroshi Rinno) and KDDI CORPORATION (TSE first section: 9433; HQ: Tokyo; President, Representative Director: Makoto Takahashi).

【Fukuoka Health Lab】https://f-healthlab.jp/
One part of Fukuoka 100, a project aimed for creating a sustainable city at the era when people's life expectancy reaches 100 years. The initiative ran with citizen cooperation to validate the effects of products and other offerings that encourage people to naturally become healthy while enjoying everyday lifestyle.