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Overview of ABEJA, Inc.

ABEJA
December 16, 2021

Overview of ABEJA, Inc.

ABEJA

December 16, 2021
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  1. Implement a Fruitful World
    1

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  2. 1. Corporate Profile
    2. Business Overview
    3. Work Environment, Team and Culture
    2
    Confidential
    2

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  3. 1. Corporate Profile
    3
    Confidential
    3

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  4. Confidential
    4
    Company profile
    Name of the
    company
    Head office
    Foundation
    The number
    of employees
    Board
    members
    Technical
    advisors
    Representative Director, CEO Yousuke Okada
    Representative Director, COO Motohiro Koma
    Director, CFO Kazuki Hanabusa
    Outside Director  Kunihiro Tanaka
    Outside Director  Koji Asano
    Outside Director  Ryosuke Takatsuki
    Outside Director  Hitoshi Matono
    Full-time Auditor  Junichi Tobaru
    Outside Auditor Takuma Shimizu
    Outside Auditor  
     Masaaki Aoyama
    Hitoshi Matsubara
    Professor at Graduate School of Information Science and
    Technology, the University of Tokyo
    Yutaka Matsuo
    Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, the
    University of Tokyo
    President of Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA)
    Confidential
    4
    ABEJA, Inc.
    the ARGYLE Aoyama WeWork 6F
    2-14-4 Kita-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
    107-0061, Japan
    September 10, 2012
    95 (as of March 16, 2022)

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  5. Confidential
    5
    ABEJA’s philosophy
    Tagline:
    Implement a Fruitful World
    We drive business with our philosophy “Implement a Fruitful World”.
    We leverage our own strength - “collaboration between AI and humans” and “fusion of digital and real”.
    We lead our client companies to become indispensable existence in the future world.
    Confidential
    5
    Value:
    Technopreneurship
    Move Fast
    Focus on Impact
    Update Yourself
    Team First
    Win Right
    Mision:
    Reform industrial structures by the power of technology
    Vision:
    Change the world through our innovation

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  6. Confidential
    6
    Our code of conduct
    Entrepreneurship
    Technopreneurship
    Liberal Arts
    The driving force to promote
    circulation of the both
    Keep questioning ourselves our own conducts
    by Liberal Arts
    Innovate by technology
    and make impactful contributions to society
    Society Culture
    Driven by entrepreneurship, we continue to question ourselves how society should be from both liberal arts and technology
    points of view. At ABEJA, we call those who embody such behavior “technopreneurs”.
    In today’s world, which is undergoing major changes, we believe that technopreneurs are the ones who will create new
    values with breakthrough ideas. They are the ones to bring about a truly fruitful world.
    Technology
    Confidential
    6

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  7. 2. Business Overview
    7
    Confidential
    Confidential
    7

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  8. Confidential
    Our Business
    We provide professional services to our client companies to meet their individual needs for DX. Also, we provide versatile
    systems and services to multiple companies to solve common customer problems. Our product, “ABEJA Platform”, enables
    efficient AI deployment and it lets us provide services that exceed customer and social expectations.
    Highly common and reproducible problems
    Speed up business and better efficiency
    Highly common and reproducible problems
    Speed up business, better efficiency
    collaboration
    Mutual
    *Including not only fully AI-automated systems but also the systems that were designed to work with “Human in the Loop/ Expert in the Loop” for the actual operation in live environment.
    Solutions
    We provide professional services to client companies to meet their
    needs for DX individually, by “ABEJA Platform”.
    Upper process Grand design, DX/AI strategies
    Middle process BPR, Model dev, evaluation, operation, HR strategy
    Lower process Integration, , BPO, DX/AI trainings
    Operation process Live operation (HITL/EITL*), retraining, growth
    Products
    We build various systems on “ABEJA Platform” as versatile systems
    and services, and provide them to multiple companies.
    Horizontal
    Recommendation system
    Repair parts identification system
    Demand prediction system
    Vertical
    Retail
    Distribution
    Real estate etc.
    etc.
    It enables AI incorporation to propel DX processes throughout. The software suite consists of various
    functions that are well organized and integrated.
    Our tech partners
    Confidential
    8

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  9. 9
    Our solutions reach production and receive excellent customer evaluation
    We have excellent technical capability such as image analysis, natural language processing, etc., leveraging advanced
    Machine Learning technology. A lot of our solutions have reached production, and achieved DX of over 300 client companies.
    Highly evaluated by industry
    leaders
    ● We are the first company in Japan to receive investment by the
    US headquarters of world leading companies such as Google and
    NVIDIA.
    ● Various prestigious Japanese companies also invest in ABEJA.
    ● AWS evaluated our technical capability. We are the first company
    in Japan to be certified with Machine Learning Competency.
    Our investors
    Our solutions have been deployed to
    over 300 client companies
    ● Since the start of the AI boom in 2012, we’ve deployed various
    technologies, particularly Deep Learning, to various industries
    during the past 9 years.
    ● Our solutions have been introduced and deployed to over 300
    companies in various industries (retail, manufacturing, logistics,
    infrastructure, finance, medical, etc.). We’ve been gaining a lot of
    experience from operation in the actual business environments.
    Manufacturing Logistics Retail
    Finance
    Infrastructure Medical
    IT, Telecom, Media
    Confidential
    Our clients
    Confidential
    9

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  10. Confidential
    Solutions
    10
    Confidential
    10

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  11. 11
    Our client companies
    Business partners
    Provide systems
    Provide services
    Pay
    Highly common and reproducible problems
    Speed up business, improved efficiency
    collaboration
    Mutual
    Solution field
    We provide professional services to client companies to meet
    their needs for DX individually, leveraging “ABEJA Platform”.
    Upper process Grand design, DX/AI strategies
    Middle process BPR, Model dev, evaluation, operation, HR strategy
    Lower process Integration, , BPO, DX/AI trainings
    Operation process Live operation (HITL/EITL*), retraining, growth
    Fee
    Product field
    Provide services
    Fee
    1
    2
    3
    4
    We have advanced technological capabilities and
    wealth of knowledge backed up by experience.
    We provide solutions that drive successful DX of
    our client companies.
    We tackle core problems as a partner of leading
    companies in various industries. We strive to
    reform industrial structure and business models.
    We go deep in customers’ business, gain a lot of
    domain knowledge and identify common
    customer problems. We develop and provide
    systems to solve them.
    We make DX happen with speed by “ABEJA
    Platform”. We gain new knowledge and
    experience through various projects, and they are
    feedbacked to “ABEJA Platform” which will further
    speed up DX and enhance the impact.
    1
    Features of our services
    2
    3
    4
    Confidential
    11

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  12. Success stories - Joint business with Hulic
    ABEJA and Hulic have been developing various systems for office DX since November 2020. Hulic highly evaluated the
    accomplishments we’ve made from the joint business in the last one year as well as ABEJA’s human resources, technology, and
    experiences in AI/DX in various industries. As a result, we have concluded Capital and Business Alliance Agreement in October
    2021.


    Hulic is a leading company in the real estate industry. We will further strengthen our partnership and drive the joint business. We
    will reform workplace and contribute to solve social problems through our business in the real estate industry. By these activities,
    ABEJA aims to achieve our vision “Implement a Fruitful World”.

    Confidential
    12
    Main initiatives and achievements
    We’re driving development for “Bizflex by HULIC”, a professional rental office solution that
    combines essential elements for today’s workplace. On November 1, 2021, HULIC opened a
    medium-sized flexible office building, “Bizflex Azabujyuban by HULIC” that embraces three
    concepts - Subscription, Workplace, Office.
    Confidential
    12

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  13. Success stories - Joint business with SOMPO Holdings
    ABEJA and SOMPO Holdings started joint business in 2020. To handle insurance business in Japan, we’ve worked on data
    analysis, built prediction models utilizing Machine Learning, carried out joint business development, and developed DX human
    resources and the hiring systems.

    SOMPO highly evaluated the achievements we made from our joint business as well as ABEJA’s technical capabilities, products
    including SaaS and Paas, and human resources including our engineers and Data scientists. As a result, we have concluded Capital
    and Business Alliance Agreement in April 2021.


    Confidential
    13
    ABEJA will contribute to promptly achieve SOMPO
    Holdings’ objective, “Real Data Platform for
    Security, Health, and Wellbeing”, making the most of
    real data created by the SOMPO group. Through
    these activities, ABEJA aims to achieve our vision
    “Implement a Fruitful World”.
    Confidential
    Existing areas
    New areas
    Quickly realize
    Real Data PF for
    Security, Health,
    and Wellbeing
    Promote AI
    utilization
    Develop
    digital human
    resources
    Combine the data SOMPO group
    accumulates and ABEJA’s tech expertise to
    promote AI utilization in their core biz
    operation (e.g. Insurance underwriting, etc.).
    Make various systems to hire/retain DX
    specialists and base human resources based
    on ABEJA’s 8 years of experience. Cultivate
    the culture, etc.
    Leverage SOMPO & Palantir’s strengths and
    ABEJA’s expertise to drive overall biz dev.
    Start with product development to meet needs
    on site in elderly care business.
    Not only incorporating AI or achieving DX of
    conventional App layer, but also provide
    added values to digitize core system,
    considering data value and utilization
    Make systems to achieve true “in-house” DX
    human resources hiring and nurturing

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  14. Motion analysis of factory workers
    (Denso International)
    Problem
    They used to measure the time spent for each
    process manually to improve factory workers’
    operation, which they wanted to automate.
    Solution
    We used Bone estimation technology and built
    an AI model that can automatically measure the
    time spent for each process using cameras.
    Reference media article
    ABEJA supported kaizen of a factory for Denso
    Thailand
    Detection for risk mitigation
    (Hitachi Logistics)
    Problem
    The client wanted to find risky driving using dash
    cam info, and give instructions to the drivers to
    avoid traffic accidents. But it was hard to find
    high-risk driving from big video data.
    Solution
    We made dangerous driving videos into training
    data, let an AI model train with the dataset, and
    built a model that detects risky driving
    automatically.
    Reference media article
    Save people’s lives by AI! Hitachi explains how
    they made “Safe driving management system”
    Automated eye inspection
    (Topcon)
    Problem
    To further advance Ocular fundus examination,
    the client wanted to utilize AI and automate the
    examination.
    Solution
    We created training data with medical doctors,
    established an AI model for automatic ocular
    fundus examination to automatically examine
    fundus and specify the pathological point.
    Reference media article
    Presented at SIX: AI utilization for
    ophthalmology images - What AI can bring to
    clinical practice
    Other projects, examples (1/3) Confidential
    14
    Confidential

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  15. Confidential
    Other projects, examples (2/3)
    15
    Industry Theme Project overview (objects and detection targets) Types of data used
    Any
    Marketing
    recommendation
    Customer clustering and recommendation engine development Customer data, purchase data
    Any Knowledge search Advanced knowledge search for customer helpdesk and internal operation Existing knowledge data, CRM data (communication history)
    Any Text Analysis
    Judge the severity level of customer complaints received from consumers to the
    customer helpdesk
    Past history data of complaints
    Any Copyright search
    Judgement of whether if the products to be purchased and displayed violate
    copyright or not.
    Product image data, description
    Any AI-OCR Achieving output with 100% accuracy by using HI (BPO) to assure AI accuracy Scanned image data of forms
    Manufacturing Behavioral Analysis Factory workers’ motion measurement model for a manufacturing factory Video data of experienced workers’ work movement
    Manufacturing Visual inspection Visual inspection of car parts
    Image data of the target areas of the parts to be visually
    inspected
    Manufacturing Demand prediction Demand prediction of product sales
    Past purchase data, customer data, factor data that may
    correlate with demand
    Manufacturing
    Establish a simple
    model for
    Advertisement
    copy review
    Detect faulty expressions, wrong product names or approved names in
    Advertisement copy texts.
    Faulty expressions list data, product and approval names master
    data
    Manufacturing
    Maintenance
    support efficiency
    Predict repair parts to be brought to the repair site based on the inquiry contents. The last few years’ inquiries and communication history data
    Infrastructure
    Infrastructure
    inspection
    Inspection of rust/corrosion on bridges using drones Image data including the target construction/building
    Infrastructure Facility inspection Detect the degree of corrosion on factory buildings Image data including the target construction/building
    We work as a partner for clients in various industries conducting various types of business. We support client companies’
    business reform by DX and we challenge business innovation by collaboration between AI and humans, in order to promote
    industrial structure reform.
    Confidential

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  16. Confidential
    Other projects, examples (3/3)
    16
    Industry Theme Project overview (objects and detection targets) Types of data used
    Infrastructure Railway inspection Inspection of train railway Image data including the target construction
    Infrastructure
    Scrap copper
    estimation
    Estimation of scrap copper (breaking down to subdivisions) Image data per type
    Infrastructure
    Estimation of
    danger levels
    Objects/positions where incidents may happen (building exits, etc.) Image data, sensor data
    Logistics
    Estimation of
    anomaly
    Detect anomaly of logistics equipment
    Sensor data and anomaly data of the target object to be
    detected
    Logistics
    Visualize
    packaging
    Measurement of the time spent for packaging and the number of packed items
    Video of packing work of the target products, image of the target
    items to be packaged, classification linked to the items to be
    packaged
    Logistics
    Prevent dangerous
    driving
    Raise an alert for dangerous driving based on multiple definitions Data of drivers obtained by sensors
    Construction,
    Logistics
    Risk/incident
    mitigation
    Raise an alert when people come too close to machines Video data of the target in the factory to be detected
    Game Cheat detection
    Detect unauthorised accounts from action log in a game. Auto monitoring of field
    activity log, etc., by AI to check/monitor accounts conducting unauthorised
    actions.
    Action log in a game, battle history, field activity log
    SNS
    Detect
    unauthorized posts
    (social media
    function)
    Auto monitoring by AI to check if posted texts, images, videos, etc., by users
    include inappropriate contents (abusive language, offensive to public order and
    morals)
    Image, video, texts
    Media
    Advertisement CTR
    prediction
    Use past Advertisement distribution data to train image features and actual
    results to predict the degree of effectiveness by the features of new images
    Image Advertisement data (image file, number of display,
    number of clicks, number of conversion)
    Media
    1to1
    recommendation
    Optimize display of contents in the client’s service
    User data (purchase log, user master data, feedback data),
    Metadata
    Communicatio
    n
    Demand prediction
    for store sales
    Demand prediction for the number of store sales per store/ per product
    Past purchase data per store, customer data per store, Factor
    data that may correlate with demand per store
    Leasing Total platform Maximize profitability by dynamic pricing
    Past sales history data, stock status data, external input data
    (Big data - events, weather, competitors, social media, etc.)
    Medical
    Automated medical
    inspection
    Automated ocular fundus examination by utilizing AI Medical image data
    Confidential
    16

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  17. Confidential
    17
    Products (ABEJA Insight for Retail) Confidential
    17

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  18. Acquire data
    POS data
    ToF sensor Camera
    Integrate,
    analysis
    Visualize
    Image analysis Dashboard
    Hypothesis

    Analysis, Verification Measures
    ● To make right decisions on measures to enhance sales, and grow out of having
    too much dependency on individual staff’s experience and intuitions.
    ● To explain the reasons why the sales has improved
    ● To expand application of effective sales enhancement measures to other stores
    Service overview
    “ABEJA Insight for Retail” is a service for retail stores. It visualizes and analyzes customer behavior to enhance
    reproducibility of “the state of selling well”.
    ABEJA Insight for Retail enables:
    Confidential
    Confidential
    18
    18

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  19. Confidential
    Functions overview
    We introduce the right
    equipment for measurement
    according to the purpose,
    based on the problems in
    stores and between store
    managers and head quarter
    Target setting
    Measure in-store customer
    behavior by utilizing cameras
    and sensors

    Once measurements are done
    in stores, the information is
    organized appropriately for
    each role - store managers,
    area managers, head
    quarters, etc.
    Stores and the head quarters
    can verify the effectiveness of
    the implemented measures,
    then identify the next action to
    take, supported by our
    Customer Success team.
    In-store measurements Dashboard, Report
    Verification of the
    effectiveness
    Confidential
    19
    Our focus is not just providing data but “letting our clients utilize the data”. Our service covers “target setting” and
    “verification of the effectiveness of measures” as well as measurements and reports. It supports clients with building natural
    habit of data utilization in their daily work.
    19

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  20. Confidential
    What can be visualized by in-store measurement
    20
    Cameras installed in stores
    measure storefront traffic and
    visitor counts real-time
    Obtain facial image and
    estimate age/gender by
    image analysis
    Measure how many customers
    came in and stayed for how
    many seconds. Understand
    customer flow.
    Estimate new/repeat
    customers. Measure indexes
    such as “x% visit the store once
    a week/month””, etc.
    Storefront traffic, store
    visitor count
    Age/gender estimation In-store customer flow Repeater analysis
    We make the most of IoT × AI (mainly image analysis) × BigData × Web technology, which can visualize the following
    information.
    Confidential
    20

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  21. Confidential
    ABEJA Platform
    21
    Confidential
    21

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  22. Confidential
    ”ABEJA Platform” is our own service. It enables “collaboration between AI and humans” and “fusion of digital and real” which are
    essential for DX. Through our service, we build platforms together with our clients and let the solutions reach production and move
    onto a continuous operation phase. It’ll lead to reform the clients’ core business, and we challenge to innovate business models.

    API
    Retail
    Manufacture
    Infrastructure
    Construction
    Logistics
    Cloud
    On premise
    Data center
    Supports the entire DX
    processes
    Edge
    22
    Service overview
    e.g.) Establishment of infrastructure such
    as data center, storage, GPU. Model
    revision management, O&M systems, etc.
    Confidential
    22

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  23. 3. Work Environment, Team and Culture
    23
    Confidential
    Confidential
    23

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  24. Our organization
    24
    ABEJA provides professional services to meet the needs for DX of client companies individually. Therefore, we have a lot of
    members and data scientists in the Solutions business field.
    Confidential
    Confidential
    24
    Composition by business field
    (Excluding the ones with multiple roles)
    Products
    CEO Office
    AI Product Div
    Solutions
    Composition by job type
    Corporate
    Engineer & DS
    Division, Business
    Corporate
    Business

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  25. The way of working at ABEJA
    25
    Remote work and Flex time
    ● To let people work flexibly, we have Remote Work and Flex Time systems.
    ● The working hours are 8 hours per day including the core time 10:00-15:00.
    Free to use WeWork offices across Japan and “Bizflex Azabujyuban by HULIC”
    ● We have exclusive office space at WeWork in Gaienmae as ABEJA’s head office.
    ● We also have ABEJA’s exclusive office space at “Bizflex Azabujyuban by HULIC” to explore office DX.
    ● In addition, our employees can freely use WeWork offices across Japan.
    We support flexible and diverse ways of working.
    Confidential
    Confidential
    25

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  26. The way of working at ABEJA
    26
    A special leaves to recharge your battery
    ● We have employees from various countries, so we don’t have a fixed summer holiday. Leaves are granted in the form of
    additional paid vacations.
    ○ Those who joined the company during 2nd April till the end of June: 3 days
    ○ during 1st July till the end of September: 2 days
    ○ during 1st October till the end of December: 1 day
    ○ during 1st january till the end of March: None
    Year-end and new-year holidays
    ● Four days of designated paid holidays are granted for the year-end and new year holidays.
    Annual paid holiday
    ● Upon joining the company, employees are granted 10 days of paid vacation. Then, it will be granted based on years of service.
    ● Employees can use paid vacations from the probationary period.
    Years of service Upon joining 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6+ years
    Days granted 10 days 11 days 12 days 14 days 16 days 18 days 20 days
    Confidential
    Confidential
    26

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  27. Reference: ABEJA’s response to COVID-19
    27
    ABEJA continues to be flexible, giving top priority to creating a safe and secure work environment for our employees.
    Confidential
    Confidential
    27
    Employees are allowed to work remotely completely
    ● Before the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection, employees were allowed to work remotely up to 2 days/week.
    However, currently we allow employees to work fully remotely. (*1)
    ● We have some employees who live and work remotely in Nagoya, Kyoto, etc.
    Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccinations
    ● We have special treatment on work hours regarding COVID-19 vaccinations:
    ○ Who is eligible?: Full-time regular & contract employees, Part-time employees who are covered by corporate social
    insurance
    ○ If an employee gets vaccination during regular work hours on a weekday, the time required for vaccination including
    transportation, is regarded as worked hours.
    ○ The time required to recover from any after-effects from vaccination within 3 days is also regarded as worked hours.
    ○ If an employee takes a full-day break using a paid holiday, we provide another paid holiday to make up for it.
    *1: We have not yet decided the policy after the outbreak of new coronavirus infection has come to an end..

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  28. 28
    Employee benefits and allowances (examples)
    Challenge system
    ● The company provides resources (cost, location, etc.) for employees to take on a unique challenge that is not limited to their
    current work or mission. (They need to apply the project plan in advance.)
    ● Employees are free to work on the challenge outside of their regular work hours.
    ● Examples
    ○ PoC of face recognition payment system at the office kiosk
    ○ Application for patents
    ○ Making an AI×IoT workshop package
    ○ Get qualifications 
    ○ etc.              
    Childcare allowance
    ● We provide 10,000 yen per month for each child up to 20 years of age for whom you have parental rights. (Starts after the
    probationary period.)
    Support program for self-learning
    ● Up to 10,000 yen per month (before tax) is subsidized without prior application if you purchase books or courses that are
    necessary to achieve your mission.
    Congratulatory money to celebrate marriage and childbirth
    ● When an employee gets married or his/her baby is newborn, we provide 30,000 yen to the employee as a congratulatory gift.
    Confidential
    Confidential
    28

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  29. 29
    Communication across the company
    Various initiatives are taking place online to stimulate communication between members despite the remote work situation.
    ABECON
    ● We hold internal study meetup on Fridays.
    ● The presenters are our employees mainly. We sometimes invite presenters from outside such as specialists in certain
    fields, business owners of startup companies, venture capitalists, etc.
    ● Participation is voluntary. There is no fixed topics and wee share knowledge on various topics.
    ● We hold an external study meeting about once a month. (ABEJA Tech LT)
    We put information on connpass (https://abeja-innovation-meetup.connpass.com/event/228855/)
    Presentation by
    ABEJA members
    Presentation topics (examples)
    Data science, IoT, Deep learning, Art, Music, Sociology, Liberal arts, Law, Origami with mathematical approach, Art x Technology,
    Logical writing
    Presentation by
    external specialists
    Mathematics, SQL for business, Problem solving skills for startup business owners, Hardships in the course of success, Topology
    Asakai - An all-staff assembly every morning
    ● Every morning, we meet up online. The designated member of the day presents for 3 minutes to share any topics such
    as their recent thoughts, lessons learnt, news, etc.
    Confidential
    Confidential
    29

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  30. 30
    Guidelines for side-jobs
    Employees must apply for approval for the following side-jobs
    Activities conducted by ABEJA’s employees that fall under any of the following conditions:
    1. Taking a position of director or officer of a corporation or other organization other than ABEJA, or entering into an
    outsourcing contract or employment contract with a corporation or other organization other than ABEJA.(*2)
    2. Conducting business on their own
    3. Conducting any other continuous commercial activities
    Confidential
    Confidential
    30
    At ABEJA, employees are allowed to have a side job because we believe being active and exhibiting their
    great talents in a different field from their regular workplace shall bring about positive impact on the employees
    themselves as well as the company and society. (*1)
    *1: Employees must obtain approval by the company in advance. If the company deems the side job is causing serious negative
    impact on performing the main job at ABEJA or the employee’s health, the company may consult with the employee to revise the
    side job or cancel the approval.
    *2: In principle, we do not permit employees who have employment contracts with ABEJA to enter into other employment contracts
    with other companies.

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  31. Confidential
    31
    External communications
    Everyday life of technopreneurs (note)
    We introduce daily life of technopreneurs at ABEJA.
    https://note.com/abeja
    At ABEJA, we value technology and liberal arts.
    We share our stories and technologies in relation to our values through our blog articles.
    ABEJA Tech Blog
    We post articles on technologies we use in ABEJA.
    https://tech-blog.abeja.asia/
    Confidential
    31

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  32. 32

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