June 10, 2022

Impact Investment in WASSHA Inc.
- Contributing to Sustainable Development through Offering an Electric Power Service to Off-GridCommunities in Africa The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited (the “Company”; President and Representative Director: SeijiInagaki) has invested JPY 300 million in WASSHA Inc. (“WASSHA”; Founder and CEO: Satoshi Akita), a Japanesestartup that offers an electric power service in off-grid communities in Africa. This impact investment1 is a part of theCompany’s ESG investments.
WASSHA is a startup that has spun off from the University of Tokyo and offers an electric
power service to people living in off-grid communities in Africa by utilizing solar powergeneration.

Based at KIOSK (retail stores) in Africa, WASSHA offers such equipment as photovoltaic
panels and rents LED lanterns charged with solar energy developed by the company at a lowprice.

Offering a low-cost electric power service in Africa, which is home to many off-grid communities, is expected not
only to solve the issues of fires and respiratory diseases arising from traditional candles and kerosene lamps, butalso to enable education and business activities, etc. in the nighttime, thereby contributing to improved living
standards for and financial independence of people who live in off-grid communities.

[Social Impact]
Contribution tosustainable
development of Africa

Offering an electric power service through the utilization of solar
power generation improves living standards and realizes financial
independence in off-grid communities in Africa.

1

Impact investment is an investment activities where an investor makes investment decisions with the intent to coexist gaining investment returns andgenerating social impact (e.g., structural change in society).

1

The Company hopes to continue to contribute to well-being (happiness) of all people who can lead prosperous,
healthy lives filled with true peace of mind over the generations today and in the future. Through this investment, theCompany not only expects investment returns, but will provide capital support for the initiatives of WASSHA, which
are expected to contribute to sustainable development of the African region (social impact) toward the realization ofwell-being. Further, the Company will continuously monitor the progress of these initiatives.
As a responsible institutional investor, the Company will continue to actively engage in ESG investment to realize asustainable society as well as to improve its investment returns through sophisticated and diverse investment methods.
Mr. Satoshi Akita, Founder and CEO of WASSHA Inc., made the following remarks:
Founded as a startup that spun off from the University of Tokyo in 2013, we uphold “Power tothe people” as our mission and have offered an electric power service to low-income populations
in off-grid communities in Africa by utilizing solar power generation. In collaboration with local
retailers, we have expanded regional coverage and currently operate in the following three
countries: Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique. We not only improve access to electricity, butalso contribute to increased incomes, by, for example, making it possible for our users who work
as street vendors to continue their business at night. In the future, we will also aim to utilize our
retail network to improve access to various services other than electricity and realize a world
with diverse forms of development and free from inequality stemming from national and regionaldifferences. We are deeply heartened by the support we received on this occasion from the Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, which has made a large number of impact investments. Under
its guidance, we will push forward with the creation of further impact.
[Company Profile]
Trade Name

WASSHA Inc.

Head Office

305 University of Tokyo Entrepreneur Plaza 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo

Representative

Satoshi Akita, Founder and CEO

Established

November 2013

Business

・Offering an electric power service using IoT technology to people in off-grid communities

Description・Platform business by using the KIOSK (retail stores) network

Dai-ichi Life's Impact Investment HistoryHeadline

Release Date

Dai-ichi Life to Engage in Impact Investment- First Impact Investment in Gojo & Company, Inc. which provides support for
micro-finance business Dai-ichi Life to Invest in Spiber Inc.
- Second Impact Investment through Support for Development of New-Generation
BioMaterials -Oct. 23, 2017

Oct. 23, 2017

Dai-ichi Life to Investment in CureApp, Inc.
- Third Impact Investment through Support for Treatment Applications -Feb. 26, 2018

Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in CROWD CREDIT, Inc.
- Energize Business Activities in Developing Countries to Alleviate the Global
SupplyDemand Gap for Funds -Apr. 5, 2018

2URL
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2017/pd
f/index_012.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/company/news/pdf/2017_044.
pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2017/pd
f/index_018.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/company/news/pdf/2018_002.
pdf

Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in SUSMED, Inc.
- Promote the Widespread Adoption of Non-Drug Therapies through Insomnia
Therapy Apps Dai-ichi Life to Impact Investment in MELTIN MMI- Mitigating Accidents Caused by Work in Hazardous Environments by MELTIN’sAvatar Robots Dai-ichi Life to Impact Investment in MOLCURE Inc.
- Shortening of pharmaceutical development through the world's first antibody
discovery platform utilizing AI Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in QD Laser- World’s First Eyewear that Employs State-of-the-Art Laser Technology Improves
Quality of Life for Low-Vision Patients Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in Challenergy Inc.
- Helping to reduce CO2 emissions using the world’s first wind turbine capable ofgenerating electricity even in typhoons Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in Venture Fund managed by Energy & Environment
Investment, Inc.
- Japan's Only Independent Venture Capital Focused on the Energy and Resource
Related Sectors Impact Investment in CureApp and NeuroTrack- Extending healthy life expectancy and improve quality of life through synergies
between investments and life insurance Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in Integral Geometry Science- Contributing to a reduction in breast cancer deaths through the world’s first highprecision breast cancer visualizing system Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in UniFa- Contributing to Resolving the Lengthy Daycare Waiting List Problem Caused by aShortage of Nursery Care Workers by Introducing IoT and AI to Daycare Operations
Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in Life is Tech, Inc.
- Contributing to Solving the IT Talent Shortage with IT and Programming
Education Services Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in World's First Anti-Smoking Social Impact Bond- Support Social Impact Creator and Investment Recipient CureApp, throughInvestment in Anti-Smoking Project Dai-ichi Life to Impact Invest in Modulus Discovery, Inc.
- Contributing to Realizing Accessible Healthcare for All by Cutting Development
Timelines and Costs of Pharmaceuticals Impact Investment in Metcela Inc.
- Contributing to Extending Healthy Life Expectancy of Patients with Heart Failure
through the Development and Provision of a New Treatment Impact Investment in Sharing Energy Co., Ltd.
- Contributing to CO2 emission reduction through distributed renewable energy
power generation for residential solar power Impact Investment in GITAI Japan- Contributing to Economic Growth through Promotion of Space Development byMeans of R&D for Space Worker Robots Impact Investment in Noile-Immune Biotech, Inc.
- Extending Healthy Life Expectancy through Development and Provision of NextGeneration Cancer Immunotherapy Investment in Climate Infrastructure Fund for Emerging Countries- Contributing to Resolving Climate Change Challenges Through Joint
Public/Private Support for Development of a Low Carbon Economy Impact Investment in RIVERFIELD Inc.
- Contributing to Improving Patients' Quality of Life by Lessening Burden on Mindand Body Through Usage of Surgery Support Robots Impact Investment in PaMeLa Co., Ltd.
- Contributing to Improving Patients' Quality of Life through Development ofMedical Device That "Visualizes" Pain Using Brain Waves -3

June 4, 2018

Oct. 17, 2018

Nov. 27, 2018

Dec. 12, 2018

Feb. 28, 2019

Mar. 20, 2019

July 5, 2019

Sep. 13, 2019

Sep. 27, 2019Nov. 15, 2019Nov. 29, 2019

May 13, 2020

Jan. 4, 2021

Feb. 15, 2021

Mar. 1, 2021

Mar. 22, 2021

Jul. 8, 2021

Jul. 30, 2021

Sep. 29, 2021

https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/company/news/pdf/2018_008.
pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2018/pd
f/index_004.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2018/pd
f/index_007.pdfhttps://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2018/pd
f/index_010.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2018/pd
f/index_012.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2018/pd
f/index_015.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2019/pd
f/index_008.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2019/pd
f/index_015.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2019/pd
f/index_014.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2019/pd
f/index_018.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2019/pd
f/index_021.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2020/pd
f/index_003.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2020/pd
f/index_017.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2020/pd
f/index_021.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2020/pd
f/index_024.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2020/pd
f/index_028.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2021/pd
f/index_003.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2021/pd
f/index_005.pdf
https://www.dai-ichilife.co.jp/english/news_release/2021/pd
f/index_008.pdf