Press release

July 20, 2022
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.
JAFCO to Host an Online Event of 2,000 People on July 21

New Business Conference “OFFROAD”
One of Japan's Largest Conferences on Internal Corporate Ventures
July 21, 2022 (Thurs.) 12:30 - 17:15 (Archived streaming available)

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President&CEO: Keisuke Miyoshi,hereinafter “JAFCO”) will hold the New Business Conference “OFFROAD,” one of the largest
conferences in Japan on internal ventures created within large companies, on Thursday, July 21,
2022 from 12:30.
Following the first session of the New Business Conference in July 2021, the second session held in
December attracted more than 2,000 people. The theme for the third session to be held on July 21 is“Common Sense in New Business Creation.”
We will share the "practical knowledge" of people at large companies who continue to take onchallenges while confronting the "common sense" in existing businesses.
Large companies that are now in the mainstream were once startups traveling “offroad.” JAFCO has
continued to "take on challenges" together with not only entrepreneurs but also people involved innew businesses and people who continue to deal directly with management issues.
Based on our desire to “encourage high aspirations of those who are heading towards the future,” weregularly hold the New Business Conference to provide hints that lead to the attendees’ next action.
Many of those in charge of new business development may be groping to create new values without
experiencing success. The more challenging the goal, the more likely our common sense will become
an obstacle to the business creation.
Our aim is to provide hints for changing the future by reviewing "common sense" that is taken for
granted in existing businesses, such as common sense that has become part of corporate culture,common sense that is considered a business development theory, common sense in predicting marketand consumer trends, etc.

For more information, please contact
pr@jafco.co.jp, JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Press release

July 20, 2022
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Outline of the Third Session
Date

July 21, 2022 (Thurs.) 12:30 -17:15

Venue

OnlineCapacity

2,000 people

Registration feeFree

Organizer

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd., Co-nnect Inc. WeWork Japan

Organizing partners

hypex Corporation, kenma Inc.

Websitehttps://jafco-seminar.com/2022-s (Japanese only)

Note: The viewing link (URL) for the session will be sent to attendees on the previous day.

Program
Opening remarks（12:30-12:35）
OPENING（12:35-13:05）: Doubt common sense; clues to new markets lie there
Clues to new market creation are hidden in the current norm and common sense. Many unicorn
companies such as Uber and Airbnb, which have now become commonplace, were initially ridiculedfor their preposterous business models. In the opening session, Partner Saka will share the importanceof questioning common sense from the perspective of startup investment.
SESSION 1（13:05-13:45）: Common sense for new business-1 "Start from "zero" allies within
the company
When embarking on new business creation, it is almost 100% unlikely that the necessary systems andorganizational structures are in place. The future success depends greatly on the ability to move forward
by considering "a lack of systems and organization is an opportunity to build from scratch.” How were
the organization and systems for a new business built from scratch? How did a company become
involved in the new business? The two founders of “MIRAI Business Division (Hakuhodo)” and“Biostock (NTT East)” will talk about the difficulties they faced when setting up their organizations
and how they overcame them.
SESSION 2（13:55-14:35）: Common sense for new business-2 "Unattractive" businesses are theones that should be pursued.
There are many cases where people give up on creating new businesses because they lack attractive
ideas or because those around them do not understand the appeal of their ideas. In the face of such awall of "common sense," should one give up on the business or continue to pursue it?
The two speakers, who still continue such questioning in the field, will talk in detail about the mindset
to keep making their businesses attractive and how to refine their businesses based on his experience ofFor more information, please contact
pr@jafco.co.jp, JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Press release

July 20, 2022
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

four consecutive business pivots.
SESSION 3（14:45-15:25）: Common sense for new business-2 “Respond to Trends" - The"TikTok selling" mechanism
When planning a new business, it is necessary to keep up with changes in the world. Regardless ofindustry or profession, one must always be trend conscious. In particular, it will be necessary to learn
the trends of Generation Z, the mainstream that will drive public opinion in the coming era. One of theplatforms to which Generation Z is paying the most attention is TikTok. By abandoning the stereotypeof TikTok as a social media for young people and expanding one’s ideas on how to incorporate TikTok
into in-house marketing, we will be able to develop even more new business ideas. We will hear more
about the latest trends and marketing techniques of TikTok from the platform's marketing manager.
SESSION 4（15:35-16:15）: Common sense for new business-4 “Users don’t know the answers,
they don’t speak up”
Listen to, observe, and imagine users. There are various ways to grasp the needs of the market. However,there is no end to the effort required to discover needs that we ourselves are unaware of. Is there a way
to discover the needs buried in the market? What actions are required to convince ourselves that "thisis the need"? In this session, the two speakers who continue to explore the new needs of customers willtalk in detail about how to face the users and how to identify their needs.
SESSION 5（16:25-17:05）: Common sense for new business-5 "Loose connections allow open
innovation to sprout"“Loose connections" have been attracting attention in the fields of social networking and businessmatching in recent years. In line with an increase in opportunities to create new business ideas anddevelop partners and customers through casual interaction, an increasing number of businesses havestarted to offer contacts with a diverse range of people. Since 2018, WeWork has been a pioneer inproviding a place for interaction for various business operators, from startups to large corporations, andlocal government officials. In this session, WeWork tenants will talk about the possibilities for open
innovation created by a place for "loose connections," including case studies
Closing remarks（17:05-17:15）

About JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.
Since its founding in 1973, JAFCO Group has always worked with leading-edge entrepreneurs.
The total commitments of its investment funds in Japan and overseas have exceeded ¥1 trillion andthe cumulative number of portfolio IPOs to date has reached over 1,000. In addition to venture
For more information, please contact
pr@jafco.co.jp, JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

Press release

July 20, 2022
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

investment, JAFCO Group also carries out buyout investment and commit to the creations ofinnovative technologies and services worldwide. As entrepreneurs’ closest partner in bringing theirvisions to life, JAFCO provides support in areas of HR, marketing/ sales, and back-office
operations, in addition to providing financing.
Company name

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

President & CEO

Keisuke Miyoshi

Head Office

24F Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Establishment

April 5, 1973

Paid-in Capital¥33,251 million

Stock Listing

Tokyo Stock Exchange, Prime Market

No. of Employees

135 (consolidated) (as of March 31, 2022)

For more information, please contact
pr@jafco.co.jp, JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.