provides a platform in which individuals can transmit their thoughts, sensitivities and talents to any and all that are in need of them. Our hope is that our service gives way to new projects, ideas and activities, as well as fair compensation for our valued merchants. Means of payment should be available to everyone in the world and beyond. As a company, we aim to provide each and every individual with the opportunity to freely transform their potential into value. Creating an economy for People through the Power of Payment.
come when the internet places individuals at the forefront of society. We believe. Economic activity starts with the individual, supporting each and every person in their pursuit of happiness. What BASE makes are more than just tools. They are a social infrastructure, empowering people to be proactive and live life to the fullest, empowering people to be "owners of their lives". Together we thrive. We are All Owners.
Index ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 03 Human Capital Policy ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・30 Member Interview ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・31 Overview History ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 04 Value Creation・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 05 Materiality ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 06 CEO Message ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 07 COO Message ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 1 1 CFO Message ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 1 3 ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1 5 SVP of Development Message E-Store CEO Message・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1 7 Partner Interview ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・35 Climate Change and Energy ・・・・・・・・・36 Ensuring a Safe, Secure,and Healthy Trading Environment ・・・・・・・・39 Corporate Ethics and Compliance・・・・ 40 Information Security and ・・・・・・・・・・・・41 Privacy Protection Governance Corporate Governance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・44 Products “BASE” Online Shop Opening Service ・・・20 “PAY.JP ” Online Payment Service ・・・・・・・21 Skills Matrix・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・47 Risk Management ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・48 Business Risks ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・49 Business Continuity Plan ・・・・・・・・・・・・・50 “YELL BANK” Fundraising Service ・・・・・・・22 “PAY ID” Shopping Service for Purchasers ・・23 want.jp Cross-border E-commerce Service ・24 E-Store ShopServe Hands-on E-commerce Website Building Platform・・・24 The Integrated Report 2026 presents financial and non-financial information to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the performance, management policies, business strategies, and sustainability efforts of BASE, Inc., PAY, Inc., want.jp Inc., and Estore Corporation. By actively disclosing information, we aim to use this report as a key communication tool for engaging with stakeholders and to create new dialogue opportunities. Scope: BASE, Inc., PAY, Inc., want.jp Inc., and Estore Corporation Reporting period: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025 However, some activities before and after the reporting period are also included. Board of Directors ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・45 Directors ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・46 Business & Strategy Editorial Policy Facts & Data Publication Date: May 2026 Cautionary Note on Forward-looking Statements Forward-looking statements in this report are based on the company’s judgment at the time of production. They may vary due to various uncertain factors, including economic trends, market conditions, and industry trends. Please be aware that actual results may differ from the forecasts described. Financial Information ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・52 Contact Information: BASE, Inc. PR Contact ESG Data ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・53 Inquiry Form: https://binc.jp/contacts User Interview “BASE” ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・25 User Interview “PAY.JP” ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・26 User Interview “E-Store ShopServe” ・・・・27 03
Tokyo Stock Opening Service “BASE” Established BASE, Inc. Over view History 2015 Launched Online Payment Service “PAY.JP” 2020 Raised approximately 12 billion yen through overseas public offering Aired TV commercials nationally 277,119 2016 Launched ID Payment Service 2024 Acquired want.jp and its cross-border 2018 Launched Fundraising Service 2025 Began charging fees for the “PAY ID” app “PAY ID” (now Shopping Service PAY ID) “YELL BANK” Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Exchange Mothers e-commerce business and made it a subsidiary 199,695 169,044 Acquired E-Store, which operates an e-commerce business, and made it a subsidiary 131,366 GMV (Millions of yen) BASE PAY.JP E-Store ShopServe 564 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 5,419 9,087 FY2015 FY2016 24,164 FY2017 S u s t ain abilit y 8 2,266 66,888 40,766 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 2020-2022 2023-2025 Business Growth and Expansion of Business Domains Rapid Growth Triggered by COVID-19 Pursuit of Growth and Profitability The Online Shop Opening Service “BASE” was launched in December 2012, enabling individuals and small teams to open online shops and implement payment solutions, endeavors previously only possible for large corporations. Following the acquisition of Pureca Inc. as a subsidiary in 2014, we l aunched the On l i n e Pa ym e n t S e r vi ce “PAY.JP,” aimed primarily at startups, the following year, and have since worked to help all kinds of teams introduce payment solutions through the power of the internet. In the BASE business, we expanded our business foundation by enhancing payment methods for “BASE Easy Payment” and offering the “BASE Apps” extension features, as well as launching the physical shop space “SHIBUYA BASE” and “Design Market,” while f u r t h e r s t re n g t h e n i n g o u r m a r ke t i n g investment. In 2016, we released the ID Payment Service “PAY ID” (now Shopping Service “PAY ID”), and in 2018, the Fundraising Service “YELL BANK,” working to increase the added value for shops using “BASE.” COVID-19 triggered a surge in stay-at-home consumption and support consumption, significantly increasing the number of shops using the BASE business and driving substantial growth in GMV (Gross Merchandise Value). To meet the surging demand for opening online shops, we secured large-scale funding in September 2020, strengthening our investment in marketing and organizational expansion. From April 2022, we began offering a new pricing plan for “BASE”: the “Monthly-fee Plan.” The PAY.JP business also achieved strong growth, supported by startups and other businesses, significantly expanding the merchant base empowered by the Group. We returned to a growth trajectory starting in 2023. With “PAY.JP,” “PAY ID,” and “YELL BANK” showing steady growth, we have been pursuing both growth and profitability by creating synergies among existing products and pursuing M&A to achieve inorganic growth. In the fiscal year ended December 2024, we achieved operating profitability one fiscal year earlier than initially anticipated. We also began offering “PAY.JP YELL BANK,” advancing collaboration among existing businesses within the Group. In 2025, the Group’s profitability improved through the growth of the BASE business driven by the introduction of paid features for the “PAY ID” app and the start of consolidation of the E-Store ShopServe business. 04 Fa cts & D at a 2015-2019 Founding and Business Launch G ov e r n an c e 2012-2014
the People. Advancing the BASE Group’s AI Vision “AI to the People” Business Output Outcome Social and Relationship Capital Social and Relationship Capital Social and Relationship Capital Trust in the BASE Group and its products Expansion of existing and new customer base Enhancing the added value of the BASE Group and its products ◦Group GMV: 430.4 billion yen ◦Five partner municipalities ◦Improving the brand value of the BASE Group and its products ◦Further expanding the scope of empowerment ◦Recognition as products that empower individuals and MSMBs ◦Building sustainable win-win relationships with local communities and partner companies Payment / Online Shop Opening Human Capital Human Capital Environment where diverse talent can thrive ID Payment / Shopping App Financial Capital Capital-efficient financial strategy ◦A value-enhancement investment strategy encompassing growth investments, M&A, and new business development ◦Strong financial base and diverse funding sources ◦Sound financial governance ◦Ratio of female managers: 16.1% ◦Disability employment rate: 3.2% Financial Capital Financial Strong group growth ◦Net sales: 20.7 billion yen (YoY +29.7%) ◦Gross profit: 9.9 billion yen (YoY +39.4%) ◦EBITDA: 1.7 billion yen (YoY +117.7%) ◦Operating Profit: 1.6 billion yen (YoY +118.2%) Payment Strong digital infrastructure underpinning value creation Safe trading environment Natural Capital Payment / Online Shop Opening Financial Capital Strengthening the management foundation ◦Maximizing the economic value created by the Group ◦Choosing diverse and agile corporate actions Enhancing reliability as a social infrastructure provider ◦Compliance with PCI DSS ◦Ongoing improvement of security systems ◦Reducing security incident risks ◦Enhancing competitive advantage as a secure platform Natural Capital Natural Capital Carbon-neutral management Contributing to an environmentally friendly society ◦Support for and disclosure aligned with TCFD recommendations ◦Carbon offsetting for office electricity usage Eco-conscious management ◦Eco-efficient management across both business operations and offices ◦Proactive disclosure of information ◦Improved engagement ◦Improved productivity G ov e r n an c e Digital Capital Cross-border E-commerce An organization that engages sincerely with diverse stakeholders Digital Capital Digital Capital ◦Rigorous cybersecurity measures ◦Investment in enhancing employees’ digital skills and literacy ◦Promoting the integration of AI into our products Human Capital S u s t ain abilit y ◦Promotion of DE&I ◦Employee training programs ◦Competitive compensation packages Diverse and competitive organizational structure Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Input ◦Mitigating business and compliance risks through environmental impact reduction ◦Lowering funding costs through improved ESG ratings 05 Fa cts & D at a Robust corporate governance supports value creation
in es s & S t r at egy Material Issue Identification Process Over view Materiality We referred to international standards such as GRI Standards, SDGs (United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals), SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board), and ISO, as well as international ESG rating criteria. Based on our business characteristics, we selected candidates for material issues related to the environment, society, and governance. Social Governance Creating social value by empowering individuals and SMBs Realizing diverse lifestyles unrestricted by life stages, social environments, place, or time S u s t ain abilit y Information security and privacy protection STEP2 Identifying Material Issues STEP3 Achieving DE&I Climate change and energy Corporate ethics and compliance Providing a safe and secure work environment Important Recruiting, developing, and promoting talent Ensuring a safe, secure, and healthy trading environment Importance to BASE Most Important 06 Fa cts & D at a Through discussions at the Board of Directors and management meetings, we evaluated the relevance of these issues to our mission and management strategy. Subsequently, the most important issues to prioritize were identified through a resolution of the Board of Directors. Liberating payments and finance through technology Practicing sound and transparent corporate governance G ov e r n an c e We interviewed internal and external directors, senior executive officers, auditors, shareholders, and investors. Based on the results, we narrowed down the material issue candidates by comprehensively assessing them in terms of “issues important to the company” and “issues of high interest to stakeholders.” Stakeholder Interest Narrowing Down and Evaluating Material Issue Candidates
r at egy CEO Message S u s t ain abilit y Creating Synergies That Accelerate the Group’s Growth While Advancing the BASE Group’s AI Vision to Create New Value for Society Representative Director and Senior Executive Officer, CEO Yuta Tsuruoka G ov e r n an c e Looking Back on the Fiscal Year Ended December 2025 and Launching the New Medium-Term Management Plan In the fiscal year ended December 2025, growth in the BASE business driven by the monetization of the “PAY ID” app, along with the start of consolidation of the E-Store ShopServe business, helped us make significant progress on both growth and profitability, with net sales of 20.729 billion yen, gross profit of 9.989 billion yen, year’s achievement, but the result of having built the foundations needed to advance to our next stage of growth. 07 Fa cts & D at a and operating profit of 1.686 billion yen. For us, this progress is not just a single
economic activity based on 2025, we announced our new medium-term the internet. Now, with the evolution of AI, we management plan. In this plan, our focus is not are convinced that what “Power” means is AI only on expanding scale but on accumulating itself. AI is not merely a tool for efficiency; it growth accompanied by profitability. Building is a new force that expands human capability on the strengthening of existing products and the possibility of taking on challenges. a s a starting point, we will combine AI This is why we have set “AI to the People” as the implementation in our products, the creation Group’s AI Vision. of Group synergies, and inorganic growth This is not a declaration that we are simply through M&A and partnerships to achieve both introducing AI, but a statement of our intent to top-line growth and improved profitability, redefine, for the AI era, the mission we have thereby realizing EBITDA growth. faced since our founding. For example, our Payment/Finance Payment BASE Easy Payment Finance Cross-border E-commerce Cart Commerce Interface Bu s in es s & S t r at egy by creating an environment where anyone Over view Additionally, in our fourth quarter earnings AI AI online shop opening service “BASE” has until BASE Groupʼs AI Vision: Redefining the Value of “Power” - Delivering Payment and Labor Through “AI to the People” - now built convenient web products (tools) We have until now realized the “Power to the conventional business model is not People” portion of our corporate mission, sustainable, and that going forward we “Payment to the People, Power to the People,” should shift to a model in which we receive Data Context under a model in which we receive usage fees va l u e o f t o o l s wi l l e v e n t u a l l y be c o m e commoditized by AI. We believe this Two-Sided Transactions Between Merchants and Purchasers / Data Context compensation for “the provision of labor using AI technology” and the accompanying “payment and infrastructure.” Net sales Gross Profit EBITDA and EBITDA Margin (Million yen) (Million yen) (Million yen) EBITDA Margin 12.5% 11.1% 16,634 5,192 12.0% 14,070 10.5% 8.4% 8.7% 5,000 3,796 8.1% 9,989 8.0% 3,600 2,457 1,749 FY2025 FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 Actual FY2025 FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 Actual 2,270 1,686 FY2025 FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 Actual We have already begun incorporating this The strength of our Group lies not in operating way of thinking into our Group’s a single service, but in having multiple organizational structure and business functions, including e-commerce, payments, strategy. As part of the BASE Group’s AI finance, and cross-border e-commerce, and strategy, we plan to leverage “Data in being able to expand value by combining Context,” a Group asset, and combine them. In the fiscal year ended December 2025, “Commerce Interface” with “AI” to quarterly Group GMV grew to approximately strengthen our advantage in 138.0 billion yen, driven by growth in the BASE “Payment/Finance,” our monetization business and the start of consolidation of the point. We will promote the AI Vision across E-Store ShopServe business. We will leverage the entire BASE Group and continue to this business foundation to create even evolve the Group’s strengths. greater growth opportunities, not only by growing each product individually, but also by 08 Fa cts & D at a FY2025 FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 Actual (Million yen) Operating Profit Margin 19,517 28,371 20,729 Operating Profit and Operating Profit Margin Discontinuous Growth Created Through Group Synergies and M&A G ov e r n an c e Inorganic E-Store ShopServe want.jp 41,500 YELL BANK PAY.JP 34,300 BASE S u s t ain abilit y and commissions. However, we believe the
through synergies and M&A, is the core of As a pillar of our medium-term management our discontinuous growth strategy. policy, we have clearly positioned the Steadily executing our growth strategy requires “PAY ID Post Pay” in BNPL, “YELL BANK” in not only the strategy itself but also the finance, and “Easy Overseas Selling” in organizational strength and governance that cross-border e-commerce. The E-Store support it. As our business portfolio expands and ShopServe business, which we consolidated management agendas such as the AI in 2025, is also an important step that will implementation of our products and M&A expand our target customer base and increase, continuing to balance the quality and increase revenue opportunities across the speed of decision-making has become more Group. Expanding the scope of our growth, important than ever. partnerships. In practice, initiatives to BASE Group’s Intended Value Creation In 2025, as part of establishing the structure balancing growth investment with disciplined needed for E-Store to join the Group, Kenji management. Yamamura, an Executive Officer of the Support package for merchant growth Cross-border E-commerce We remain committed to our overarching policy grows autonomously while sharing a common Expansion to products other than “BASE” Finance of working toward a society that embodies both Group direction and collaborating across the realization of our mission, “Payment to the ID Payment / Shopping App Increasing Added Value functions where needed is a prerequisite for People, Power to the People,” and the spirit sustainably achieving profitable growth. underlying our Foundation, “We are All Owners.” (Take Rate) Additionally, since the Ordinary General Meeting We are aiming to make our Group a company of Shareholders in March 2025, we have Finance Finance that continues to create significant value for transitioned to a structure that includes three society over the long term, rather than one Supporting Merchant Access to Payments outside directors, further strengthening the that only produces temporary results. To Board of Directors’ supervisory function. Going New Domains achieve this, we believe management must forward, we will continue to enhance the Payments / Online Shop Creation Payments Payments / Online Shop Creation not only grow the business but also properly effectiveness of our governance to support share its results with our stakeholders. sustainable corporate value growth, while Expanding Target Customers (GMV) We have expanded our business in the areas of 09 Fa cts & D at a management structure in which each business Representative Director and CEO of E-Store New Domains G ov e r n an c e on June 30. We believe that further refining a To Our Stakeholders - Balancing Growth and Returns to Stakeholders - Company, assumed the position of S u s t ain abilit y businesses are already underway, including and inorganic growth through M&A and Bu s in es s & S t r at egy connect functions across multiple Building on Organizational Strength and Governance to Achieve Sustainable Corporate Value Growth strengthening of Group synergy creation Over view connecting our customer base, data, and
easily take on we will continue to pursue investment in our challenges. Now, with the evolution of AI, we businesses, the creation of Group synergies, feel that the time has come to advance those and the acquisition of growth opportunities challenges even further. The world we want to through M&A and partnerships. We would also build together with AI is “a society where the like the results generated from these efforts to limits of challenges and achievements are not lead to returns for our shareholders. Balancing determined by ability, capital, or organizational shareholder returns with growth and continuing scale.” Through AI, individuals and small teams to invest in the future will become the without capital or scale will be able to generate foundation for even greater returns, and that the value of ten or even a hundred people on trust will in turn lead to our next stage of growth. their own. A single person’s creativity will go on We will steadily build this kind of sustainable to solve social issues that no one has been able virtuous cycle within our Group going forward. to solve before. We see this as the very world we Together with our shareholders, users, partners, envisioned when we founded the company in employees, and everyone else involved with our 2012, and after much anticipation, our “golden Group, we want to continue being a company age,” the time when the stars align for us, has that delivers power to those who take on finally arrived. challenges. S u s t ain abilit y an environment where individuals, small teams, Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Of course, realizing this will require investment. Over view e-commerce, payments, and finance to create G ov e r n an c e Fa cts & D at a 10
r at egy COO Message BASE Group’s business strategy: maximizing the Group’s strengths through business synergies and the advancement of the BASE Group’s AI Vision S u s t ain abilit y Senior Executive Officer COO Nao Takahashi Looking Back on the Fiscal Year Ended December 2025 In 2025, both consolidated net sales and consolidated gross profit for the Group grew, G ov e r n an c e and following on from 2024, we were able to maintain growth exceeding the market average across the business as a whole. In our existing businesses, we were able to carry out the monetization of the shopping app “PAY ID” as planned. In the BASE business, gross profit increased due to GMV growth and a rise in take rate from the “PAY ID” app, and although we also carried out mass marketing in the form of TV commercials targeting the Kanto region at the end of the year, we were able to maintain positive segment income. In the PAY.JP business, gross profit increased due to GMV growth and an improvement in gross profit margin, and we have also strengthened new initiatives such as measures such as sponsoring startup-related events. In addition, the YELL BANK business grew, with its gross profit increasing 24.2% year on 11 Fa cts & D at a expanding payment methods, including PayPay payments, and enhancing marketing
functionality to development of our own cross-border “Smaregi,” operated by Smaregi, Inc. This was e-commerce functions, which would otherwise also a year in which we were able to steadily have taken several years to develop, and work on plans and initiatives aimed at achieve synergy creation with a strong sense of business growth, including providing financial speed. functionality to companies outside our Group. Under “BASE Group’s Intended Value Creation,” Data Context Creative Design Example: Product Design Data, Image Data Marketing Promotion Example: Product Data, New and Repeat Customer Data Purchaser Inquiry Response Example: Inquiry Data, Purchase History Data Shop Settings and Inquiries Example: Various Shop Systems, Setting Data Overseas Sales (Cross-border E-commerce) Example: Product Category Data Overseas Shipping Data Easy Overseas Selling (Cross-border E-commerce) Cash Flow Management Example: Sales Data, Sales History Data YELL BANK (Finance) Product and Sales Planning Example: Inventory Data, Access Data Phased Rollout Under Consideration AI Interface Payment Phased Rollout Under Consideration BASE Easy Payment Cross-border E-commerce Cart categories: those that increase GMV across the Progress in creating synergies between Group, and those that provide new added value businesses is also proceeding steadily. In 2025, to that GMV and generate take rate. We have the project to release “Easy Overseas Selling,” a been able to reliably create value through joint initiative between want.jp and the BASE business synergies, such as “PAY.JP YELL BANK,” business, moved forward, and after test Advancing AI Implementation in Products Across Each Business business areas pursued by the Group, and I work created through the combination of “YELL Starting in 2026, we have set the BASE Group’s creating business synergies. Our Group has a operation for shops using the “BASE” Online Shop BANK” and “PAY.JP,” and “Easy Overseas AI Vision, “AI to the People,” as our Group-wide culture in which the entire organization focuses Opening Service during the year, we officially Selling,” created through the combination of vision, under which we have begun on user-first product creation as One Team, launched the service in January 2026. Thanks to “want.jp” and “BASE,” reflecting the strengths implementing AI across all of our products. In and I feel that each time a new team joins want.jp, which joined our Group in August 2024, of our Group in our products. the BASE business, for example, we aim to break through M&A or other means, the possibilities New Domains Cross-border E-commerce ID Payment / Shopping App Increasing Added Value (Take Rate) Finance Finance Supporting Merchant Access to Payments New Domains Payments Payments / Online Shop Creation Expanding Target Customers (GMV) down the merchant's e-commerce value chain for our products expand, and we are evolving in detail and make each part of the value chain into a structure that can bring out the strengths AI-native. Through this, our policy is to allow of our teams even more. merchants to focus on sales and manufacturing, In addition, in preparation for 2027, BASE has while "BASE" handles all other tasks. begun hiring new graduates for the first time. Functions such as “Easy Overseas Selling” and We look forward to the great contributions of “YELL BANK” were implemented on the premise of this AI-native generation, and we will AI, and we believe that this area has the potential strengthen our efforts to build products and to move beyond specific functions and progress teams best suited to the times. toward providing diverse added value and Going forward, based on the BASE Group’s updating existing products. Under this structure, growth strategy of (1) achieving both top-line as such product evolution increases merchant g r o w t h a n d i m p r o v e d p r o fi t a b i l i t y b y payments, our revenue also increases. It is our strengthening existing products, (2) working on Group’s policy to increase the total number of AI implementation in our products to provide new monetization points, including payment and added value to customers, (3) strengthening our finance, by leveraging AI, data, and interfaces. efforts to create Group synergies to achieve top-line growth and improved profitability, and One Year Since Becoming COO (4) promoting M&A and partnerships to pursue It has been one year since I became COO in discontinuous growth for the Group, we will 2025. As COO, I am responsible for matters continue striving to provide further value to related to our business as well as the new all our users across the entire Group. 12 Fa cts & D at a Payments / Online Shop Creation progress in growing existing businesses and G ov e r n an c e Expansion to products other than “BASE” Finance every day to be able to report to you on our S u s t ain abilit y BASE Group’s Intended Value Creation Support package for merchant growth Bu s in es s & S t r at egy we broadly classify our products into two Creating Business Synergies E-commerce Value Chain for Merchants Over view year. In February 2026, we began providing
r at egy CFO Message S u s t ain abilit y Driving Group management toward a virtuous cycle of discontinuous growth, improved profitability, growth investment, and shareholder returns Director and Senior Executive Officer, CFO Ken Harada G ov e r n an c e Looking Back on the Fiscal Year Ended December 2025 In the fiscal year ended December 2025, net sales grew significantly by 29.7% year on year and operating profit grew by 118.2% year on year, driven by growth in the BASE business and the start of consolidation of the E-Store ShopServe business. Gross profit margin and operating profit margin also improved, making this a year in which we were able to achieve both improved profitability and top-line growth. The main drivers of this growth were the contribution of E-Store, which joined the Group in July 2025, as well as the rise in take rate from the monetization of the “PAY ID” optimizing SG&A expenses, strengthening our ability to generate profit. Against this backdrop, we carried out our first share buyback and dividend payment. 13 Fa cts & D at a app and the growth of the YELL BANK business. In addition, we made progress in
As our medium-term management policy, we aim to year. We will continue to aim for share price stability Net sales achieve EBITDA growth by pursuing both top-line and enhanced shareholder value through (Million yen) growth and improved profitability through the appropriate profit distribution to our shareholders. strengthening of existing products, thereby creating In the fiscal year ending December 2026, we aim to solid foundation, we will continue to promote M&A achieve growth in net sales and gross profit through and partnerships, with the aim of achieving the strengthening of existing products, the creation discontinuous growth for the Group. of Group synergies, and the full-year contribution of In making M&A investment decisions, we remain the E-Store ShopServe business. We will also work conscious of the cost of capital and place on AI implementation in our products to provide new emphasis on the ability to generate future cash added value to our customers. We will continue to flow. In addition, starting in 2026, our Group has set promote M&A and partnerships, aiming for forth the BASE Group’s AI Vision, and we regard this discontinuous growth for the Group from next fiscal as an important theme that will have a medium- year onward. In terms of finance, we will continue to to long-term impact on our earnings structure invest in growth while prioritizing the maintenance and cash generation capability. From a financial and improvement of profitability. While enhancing perspective as well, we will clarify the priority of our cash generation capability, we will pursue both AI-related investments and scrutinize their strategic investment and shareholder returns. cost-effectiveness, thereby contributing to sustainable growth in corporate value. Shareholder Return Policy To Our Stakeholders We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Having achieved profitability in the fiscal year Group. Our Group will continue to thoroughly ended December 2024 and reached a financial maintain disciplined financial management while position that allows for shareholder returns, we working to enhance sustainable corporate value. carried out our first share buyback as a company Post-merger integration following our M&A is also and paid a dividend for the fiscal year ended proceeding smoothly, and we recognize our Group’s December 2025, with the aim of improving capital organizational strength as a significant asset. We efficiency and maximizing shareholder value. For the will continue to steadily build up results and current fiscal year as well, we are proceeding toward work to maximize sustainable shareholder value, returns in the form of dividends. To enable more including through profit distribution. We ask for agile shareholder returns, we have set a share your continued support. and everyone who uses the services of the BASE 9,092 FY2024 Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin (Million yen) 6,336 5,728 10,832 FY2025 9,989 7,166 48.2% +39.4% 44.8% Gross Profit Margin FY2024 EBITDA and EBITDA Margin (Million yen) EBITDA Margin 1,749 803 (Million yen) Operating Profit Margin +117.7% 8.4% 5.0% FY2024 Operating Profit and Operating Profit Margin FY2025 FY2025 1,686 772 +118.2% 8.1% 4.8% FY2024 FY2025 14 Fa cts & D at a shareholders and investors, our business partners, 258 902 YoY +29.7% G ov e r n an c e - Carrying Out Our First Share Buyback and Dividend Payment - 15,981 1,309 1,139 1,120 S u s t ain abilit y new added value to our customers. While building a our investors. With respect to our products, our 20,729 Bu s in es s & S t r at egy policy is to work on AI implementation and provide Earnings Forecast and Management Policy for the Fiscal Year Ending December 2026 corporate value that meets the expectations of E-Store ShopServe want.jp YELL BANK PAY.JP BASE Over view Medium-Term Management Policy
r at egy SVP of Development Message S u s t ain abilit y Technology Strategy in the AI Era and Realizing “AI to the People” Senior Executive Officer, SVP of Development Shinichi Fujikawa G ov e r n an c e Our Group has long been working to expand our AI capabilities, and as a more comprehensive initiative to advance AI across our business and organization, we have set forth the BASE Group’s AI Vision and made clear that we are placing AI at the core of our business. What we aim for is “AI to the People.” As AI narrows the differences between services in the market, the competitiveness of organizations and products is increasingly determined by whether they can redesign user experiences and business processes on the premise of AI. In addition, as the cost of AI as infrastructure continues to fall, the feasibility of putting it to practical use is also increasing. technology organization will take the lead in driving this comprehensively, we renamed the organization the AI Tech Department from 2026. By aiming to build an organization and 15 Fa cts & D at a To realize “AI to the People” across the entire organization, and with the resolve that our
foundation of the organization as a whole. the value of the BASE Group. The latter is a more fundamental theme. As AI The BASE Groupʼs AI Shift becomes embedded in social infrastructure, we Technology Organization Structure in 2026 - Establishing the AI Tech Department and Driving Company-wide Adoption - AI?” We also believe that raising literacy across the organization as a whole is a factor that supports maintaining our sense of speed. For each Group company, we respect autonomous initiatives rather than imposing believe it is important to recognize the risk that In 2026, we renamed our technology uniform controls. At the same time, we support AI has significantly changed the competitive rendered obsolete. Through our AI shift, our division, the Tech Department, to the “AI Tech the incorporation of AI into the development landscape surrounding technology companies Group will redefine the value of our products Department.” While AI is one technological infrastructure of each company, including worldwide. In particular, concerns that SaaS themselves, and carefully consider and build the element among many, the impact of generative E-Store, and we remain continuously involved companies “may be replaced by AI” are foundation needed to continue delivering AI has reached a scale capable of transforming from the PMI stage onward in the case of M&A. increasingly being discussed in the market. Amid optimal value. industrial structures themselves. This renaming Through documenting each company’s leading is a symbolic statement that our technology practices, sharing knowledge across the Group, Initiatives in the Fiscal Year Ended December 2025 organization will lead the BASE Group’s AI and rolling out successful patterns horizontally, Vision. It also serves as a clear message to we will strengthen our Group-wide capacity to respond to AI. broadly two-layered structure, centered on the - From Verification to Implementation Phase - both internal and external stakeholders. “AI Tech Department.” 2025 was a turning point in which the practical follows. We are also discussing initiatives in the agentic The first is the standardization of AI across the applicability of generative AI dramatically •Leading the development of commerce space in the Japanese market. Amid entire organization, embedding AI as standard increased worldwide. While the beginning of practice in development and in the workflows of the year centered on “verifying potential use all internal operations. cases,” by the second half we had reached a The second is transforming the products our level where AI could be embedded at the core Group provides into AI-native products. of our development processes. In 2025, our The former is about strengthening our Group advanced the following initiatives. In addition, we have formed a special project significant value that can be leveraged even organizational foundation with the aim of These were positioned not merely as structure comprising top engineers and product within AI-native purchasing experiences. improving productivity and speed. For example, operational efficiency measures, but as managers to accelerate the development of Precisely because the market environment is in the technology organization that oversees our preparation for the transition to an AI-native new AI-native products. We are evolving this undergoing major change, we want to be a engineers, the quality, volume, and speed of organization. into a structure that combines both speed and company that positions itself at the center of output determine competitiveness. Advancing •Company-wide verification of generative AI implementation capability. structural change rather than being passively AI-assisted code generation and more tools and preparation of the environment for this environment, what our Group is clearly working toward is not merely being a “user of AI,” but evolving into a “provider of AI.” Our Group is advancing its AI shift through a •Applying AI to business analysis and reporting AI-native products •Redesigning our development infrastructure •Promoting the use of AI company-wide (including support for improving internal literacy) concerns that the market could be displaced as generative AI evolves rapidly and features are updated with increasing frequency, the product information infrastructure and payment functionality held by our Group represent affected by it. Viewing the evolution of AI as What matters is not building an organization in an opportunity to rebuild our products’ competitive advantage, we will continue to •Implementing AI-assisted code generation but instilling a culture in which “every employee advance the AI shift across the entire BASE organization but across all departments, and review support in the development designs their work on the premise of AI.” This Group, and firmly support the business growth including sales and back-office functions, we process means standardizing a way of working in which of individuals, small teams, startups, and all each person, in their own area of expertise, our business operators from a technological continually asks, “Could this be redesigned using standpoint as well. will standardize the use and implementation of AI and shift toward becoming an AI-native •Budgeting for AI-related investment with a view to 2026 and beyond 16 Fa cts & D at a which only a limited number of specialists use AI, Furthermore, not only in the technology prerequisite for sustained product evolution. G ov e r n an c e their adoption At present, the department’s roles are as S u s t ain abilit y sophisticated analytical work will become a Bu s in es s & S t r at egy conventional forms of value delivery could be In recent years, the rapid evolution of generative Over view products where everyone can use AI as a
r at egy E-Store CEO Message S u s t ain abilit y Inheriting E-Store’s Legacy and Creating Value Under a New Management Structure Representative Director and CEO, Estore Corporation Kenji Yamamura G ov e r n an c e On Becoming Representative Director and CEO I am Yamamura, Representative Director and CEO of E-Store. E-Store joined the BASE Group in July 2025. Prior to that, I took over the role of representative from the company’s founder, Kenichi Ishimura, and assumed the position of Representative Director and CEO effective June 30 of that year. of E-Store, I had little hesitation and decided to take on the responsibility of 17 Fa cts & D at a Until then, I had served as COO at BASE, but when I was asked to become CEO
make the changes after becoming CEO was how different the structure, which centers on corporate organized our meeting structures and that are necessary. nature of the role is from that of COO. A customers, many of whom use our services organizational design to improve COO is primarily responsible for business over the long term, forming a stable decision-making speed even incrementally, The Future Outlook for E-Store execution, whereas a CEO bears the foundation for sales and profit. This stability clarifying who is responsible for deciding For our future growth, I believe it is important responsibility of defining the company’s creates room to invest in medium- to w h a t , a n d d e fi n i n g c l e a r r u l e s f o r to broaden the range of value we provide. In policies, vision, and mission itself. As a result, long-term initiatives without being swayed decision-making. addition to our existing infrastructure offerings the scope and perspective of my by short-term fluctuations. For the BASE In addition to rebuilding this foundation, we such as e-commerce system building and decision-making have changed. I am now Group as a whole, having a point of contact are currently working to strengthen the payments, we will extend our support into focused on engaging fully with with the corporate segment in addition to business and achieve cost optimization. peripheral areas related to e-commerce, management, including business growth, the individual and small-team segment also and thinking through what this company broadens the range of value we can should be. provide. The Value of E-Store Toward PMI and a New Management Foundation including consulting, advertising, creative Gratitude to the Founding Management Team and the Spirit We Have Inherited work, outsourced operations, and efficiency The fact that the transition to the new greater added value. I recognize that Post Merger Integration management structure has proceeded In terms of creating Group synergies, we aim Our core business is the online shop building (PMI) related to the M&A is, overall, without major disruption is due in large part not only to provide the solutions of other system E-Store ShopServe, and our strength progressing smoothly. While respecting the to the founding management team. Their Group companies to E-Store’s customers, lies in our customer base of approximately organizational structure built up over our sincere commitment to handing over to the but also to return E-Store’s know-how and 6,000 shops and the human support long history, the organization is becoming new structure has enabled a smooth capabilities in human-based support to the structure that underpins it. A key feature is flatter as BASE’s culture is introduced. BASE transition. I also feel that it has been Group as a whole, in what could be that, under a dedicated-representative has, since its founding, cultivated an enormously important that our frontline described as bidirectional value creation. system for every shop, we support each organizational culture of product members have continued to focus on I recognize that E-Store’s role in customer individually. At present, the development with a strong emphasis on day-to-day shop support without being contributing to the Group is strongly functionality of the product itself is speed in order to maximize its value as a affected by changes in the environment. The characterized by serving as a stable becoming commoditized, and this trend is startup, and to that end placed importance fact that this was originally an organization revenue base. We must continue to steadily being further reinforced by advances in AI. on transparency and visualization of resilient to change is also one of the reasons build on our efforts to grow sales and Amid this, what becomes the source of information. Embedding this way of thinking PMI has proceeded steadily. connect them to medium- to long-term differentiation is the know-how for growing across the Group is essential to building a Personally, I place great importance on growth. While pursuing both stability and sales and the human insight tailored to each structure that smoothly generates synergies values such as being “open,” “fair,” and growth, we will continue to contribute to individual situation. The very act of between Group companies. “flat.” These are values I have cherished value creation for the Group as a whole, deliberately involving people, thinking First, we visualized management information throughout my experience, and I will and we ask for your continued support. through a strategy for each shop, and and data within the company as much as continue to make them a core part of how I walking alongside the customer is itself a possible, creating an environment in which manage E-Store. I want to approach this source of value. stakeholders can make decisions based on with a stance of respecting what is already - Competitive Advantage and Market Expansion - Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Another distinctive feature is our revenue Over view managing E-Store. The first thing I noticed gains through the use of AI. By moving into areas that directly contribute to improving our customers’ sales, we aim to provide even S u s t ain abilit y G ov e r n an c e Fa cts & D at a 18
that allows anyone to easily create an online shop. It is equipped with the features needed to run an online shop, including an Bu s in es s & S t r at egy easy-to-implement payment function, stylish design themes, and transaction analysis tools, making it easy for those who previously found it difficult to start an online shop due to cost, internet skills, time, or other reasons. Because the shop can be operated with simple, easy-to-use functionality, those who plan, produce, and manufacture products can handle sales themselves while focusing on making their products. Characteristics Growth Strategy Optimal Pricing Plans for All Shops Shifting Our Products to AI and Developing High-Value New Features Through the AI implementation of our products and the development of high-value new they make sales, is perfect for small businesses and first-time online shop owners. For features (such as “Easy Overseas Selling,” a feature that allows anyone to easily sell shops that exceed a certain sales volume, we offer a monthly-fee plan that includes a products overseas), we will continue to provide value to individuals and small teams, and fixed monthly charge and, in return, features lower payment processing fees, helping aim to grow net sales and gross profit through GMV growth and improved take rate. S u s t ain abilit y The non-monthly-fee plan, which incurs no fixed costs as shop owners pay fees only when online businesses reduce operating costs as they scale. “BASE Easy Payment” – Instantly Ready for Use Our “BASE Easy Payment” system allows shops to start selling immediately after opening. It eliminates the need for complex screening and procedures, and, once set up, supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, BNPL “Post Pay (PAY ID),” and bank Strengthening New Shop Openings and Improving Profitability With th e a i m of a c h ievi n g m e d i u m- to l o n g-te rm GMV g row th a n d m a i nta i n i n g competitiveness, we will continue promotional activities, including mass marketing, to increase the number of new shop openings. Go v er n a n c e transfers, with eight payment methods available from as early as the next business day. Features that Expand as Needed The basic functions needed to run an online shop are provided as standard features to all shops, making them easy to use even for those creating an online shop for the first time. In addition, more than 80 extended features, “BASE Apps,” are available as needed to meet diversifying needs according to purpose and stage of growth. Fa cts & Da ta 20
that allows developers to seamlessly integrate payments. With its simple API and extensive Bu s in es s & S t r at egy libraries, payments can be easily implemented into web services and mobile apps. It is used by businesses, including startups, that offer online payments. PAY, Inc. was established in January 2018 through a corporate spin-off from BASE, Inc. Characteristics Growth Strategy Flexible and Reasonable Pricing Structure Expanding Payment Methods and Strengthening Marketing In addition to product development such as expanding our lineup of payment methods, industry-leading low fees (Visa/Mastercard: from 2.59%). With an easy-to-understand and we aim to increase the number of new merchants by strengthening our sales and flexible fee structure, and a smooth screening process backed by our proprietary marketing initiatives. S u s t ain abilit y We o ff e r s eve ra l p l a n s ta i l o r e d to d i ff e r e n t b u s i n e s s e s , i n c l u d i n g a p l a n w i t h pre-screening, which achieves an approval rate of approximately 90% with card companies, we support your business from a variety of angles. Our services and customer support also have high levels of customer satisfaction, noted in particular for attentive, detailed support. Creating Group Synergies and Improving Profitability We are promoting the introduction and migration (planned for 2026) of the “PAY.JP” payment system for merchants using E-Store ShopServe, the hands-on online shop Reliable Security We comply with the international standard PCI-DSS Version 4.0.1 and support EMV 3-D building system operated by Estore Corporation, which joined the Group in July 2025. We aim to grow net sales and gross profit, as well as improve gross profit through a reduction in the cost of payments. Go v er n a n c e Secure, allowing customers to implement credit card payments protected by security that meets international standards, without merchants ever having access to card numbers. Fa cts & Da ta 21
BANK” funds instantly without taking on risk. Based on the usage performance data of businesses using platform ・December 2018: “BASE” Online Shop Opening Service operated by BASE, Inc. ・June 2024: “PAY.JP” Online Payment Service operated by PAY, Inc. services, AI automatically assesses their future receivables. By purchasing these assessed future receivables, “YELL BANK” allows businesses to put their future sales to use in their operations “right now.” In addition, starting in March 2026, we began offering our services externally, leveraging the expertise in AI screening models accumulated within the BASE Group, in order to support the business growth of an even Bu s in es s & S t r at egy “YELL BANK” is a platform-linked financial service that allows businesses using platform services to raise ・March 2026: “PAYGATE” Multi-payment Service, provided by Smaregi, Inc. greater number of businesses than before. Growth Strategy Speedy and Flexible Fundraising That Supports MSMB Growth Expanding Product Functionality and Strengthening the Revenue Base “YELL BANK” develops embedded finance that allows non-financial businesses to incorporate We will promote the expansion of our existing service functions and the strengthening of a sound financial functions into their own services. By naturally embedding this into platform services, operating base. Through this, we aim to grow net sales and gross profit by increasing the total we achieve speedy and flexible fundraising, and as a financial infrastructure supporting the amount of receivables purchased. We will also expand our lineup of cash-flow-related financial growth of Micro, Small and Medium Businesses (MSMBs), we are promoting collaborations that products beyond future receivables factoring. S u s t ain abilit y Characteristics enhance the value of platform services. Considering Horizontal Rollout Within the Group In addition to “BASE” and “PAY.JP,” we are considering a horizontal rollout to E-Store ShopServe, the hands-on online shop building system that joined the Group in July 2025. Payment Process Predict future sales Sell future sales at a payment rate Shop’s future Increase balance by the usage amount Purchaser Shops pay the total amount of usage and service fees according to the payment rate Withdraw at any time Shop / merchant Shop / merchant Sales amount excluding payment amount Transferable balance 22 Fa cts & Da ta Transferable balance Go v er n a n c e Fundraising Process
for purchasers that supports a smooth payment experience when shopping online, as well Bu s in es s & S t r at egy as discovering new products and making repeat purchases at favorite shops. It can be used when purchasing products at shops opened using the “BASE” Online Shop Opening Service. Characteristics Growth Strategy "PAY ID App" Enhancing and Monetizing the Purchasing Experience We will enhance the purchasing experience as a shopping app and increase GMV through from shops opened on “BASE.” By following their favorite shops, purchasers can receive the "PAY ID App". Through the full-year contribution of the app's monetization, which push notifications with the latest information, such as new product releases and coupon began in July 2025, we will generate fee revenue that directly contributes to gross profit distributions. The app also allows users to check their purchase history and delivery status, growth in the BASE business. S u s t ain abilit y This is a smartphone shopping app that allows users to browse and purchase products and to contact shops directly, providing a seamless shopping experience. “PAY ID Payment” O nce purchasers create an account and register their address and credit card information, they can log in with their ID and make smooth purchases at any shop opened on “BASE” thereafter, without needing to re-enter their information each time. This is an ID payment feature that provides a seamless purchasing experience, completed in just a few Go v er n a n c e taps from login to payment. The cumulative number of registered IDs surpassed 18 million (as of January 2026). “PAY ID Post Pay” “PAY ID Post Pay” is an in-house developed buy now, pay later (BNPL) service that allows purchasers to pay after receiving their products. Purchasers can choose between “PAY ID Post Pay: Pay Next Month,” in which payment is made in a lump sum the following month, and “PAY ID Post Pay: 3 Installments,” in which payment is divided into three installments payment plans, while shops can expect to expand sales opportunities without bearing the risk of uncollected payments. 23 Fa cts & Da ta with no handling fee. This allows purchasers to enjoy shopping according to their own
“E-Store ShopServe” is an online shop building system that provides hands-on Japanese e-commerce operators to access local sales networks around the support from setup through operation and growth. Used by businesses across world. By building a data-driven global supply chain and offering proprietary Japan, from small and medium-sized enterprises to large corporations, it pricing and logistics functions, we support Japanese e-commerce operators supports their continued growth with a highly stable and flexible system looking to strengthen their overseas sales. infrastructure. E-Store Corporation joined the BASE Group in July 2025. Bu s in es s & S t r at egy “want.jp” provides a cross-border e-commerce service that makes it easy for want.jp Inc. joined the BASE Group in August 2024. Characteristics Characteristics Providing One-Stop Support for Complex Cross-Border E-commerce Operations Dedicated Support System We do more than just provide a cart system; we support continuous growth by offering consulting through a dedicated representative, helping to improve operations and boost sales in ways tailored to each business's specific challenges. In addition to core functions such as site building, payments, and order and customer management, we can propose a combination of multiple measures, including support for marketing and CRM utilization, enabling efficient e-commerce operations. This provides an environment in which businesses can focus on growth with peace of mind. S u s t ain abilit y We handle much of the complex work that businesses commonly face in overseas sales, such as pricing, logistics, and inventory management, on their behalf, supporting efficient overseas expansion. Through a pricing function that automatically optimizes cost calculations for products by country and marketplace, and a logistics optimization function that automatically selects the optimal delivery company according to the purchaser's location, we achieve a high level of both price competitiveness and delivery efficiency in overseas sales. In addition, responses to each country's language, currency, and shipping conditions are also automated, allowing businesses to conduct overseas sales with the same ease as domestic e-commerce. Growth Strategy Growth Strategy Strengthening the BASE Business's Overseas Expansion and Promoting Horizontal Rollout Within the Group In addition to core functions such as site building and payments, we provide an integrated range of services covering a wide array of e-commerce areas, including consulting, marketing, creative production, and outsourced operations. Through this, we provide optimal support tailored to each business's specific challenges, helping them achieve both sales growth and operational efficiency. Expanding the Value We Provide Through Group Collaboration We will collaborate with the payment, financial, and customer base functions held by other Group companies to promote the enhancement of the value we provide. In addition to cost optimization through the integration of payment infrastructure with the PAY.JP business, we will achieve expanded revenue opportunities and continued growth through the integration of various services. 24 Fa cts & Da ta We began offering “Easy Overseas Selling,” a feature co-developed with the BASE business that allows anyone to easily sell products overseas, starting in January 2026. Through this, we aim to increase the BASE business's cross-border e-commerce transaction volume and grow net sales and gross profit. We are also considering a horizontal rollout to E-Store ShopServe in the future. Go v er n a n c e Strengthening Consulting and Solution Areas
S t r at egy A Business Born at Age 55 An Embroidery Brand, Woven Together as a Family Shishu kabu Ms. Yuko Kaburaki masks embroidered with initials, and they sold extremely well. 25 Fa cts & D at a After that, we received a message through an Instagram DM asking, “Can you make a name banner for a child?” I didn’t even know what a name banner was, but with the customer’s guidance, I made one, and she was delighted with it. When we later listed name banners on our online shop, orders came in right away. It is now one of our mainstay products. Nowadays, we focus mainly on personalized products such as name banners and pet name tags. While the embroidery itself is done by machine, the sewing and finishing are all done by hand. My daughters now handle product creation and running the online shop, which has allowed me to focus on communicating with customers and planning new products. What we like about BASE is that we can freely decide the design ourselves and shape our brand's aesthetic. We also handle a wide range of products, from items for children to pet goods, so being able to organize categories to make them easy to browse has been a great help. We write product descriptions on our computer and upload photos using an iPad, which keeps our daily operations running smoothly. It still amazes me that we can deliver our work to customers all across the country, right from home. Being able to manage everything ourselves, from design to production and sales, should help us build an even stronger sense of originality as a brand. Rather than expanding on a large scale, I feel it’s important to keep making steady, one-step-at-a-time progress. Supporting each other as a family, we hope to grow this into a brand that lasts 10 and even 20 years. We want to keep making the most of the foundation that BASE provides and contin ue valuing our connec tions with c u s to m e r s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y. A n d personally, I’d like to keep working for as l o n g a s I c a n, with o ut wo rr y i n g a b o ut retirement age. G ov e r n an c e Based in Tochigi Prefecture, we create and sell embroidered accessories and semi-custom-order products. I started this business at age 55, and today it’s run by three of us, myself and my two daughters, working from home and dividing roles from production to photography and shipping. I originally taught home economics at a high school for 28 years, planning to continue until age 60. But when my mother needed c a re, I reti re d , a n d b e g a n l o o k i n g f o r something I could do while taking care of her at home. That’s how I came to start the business. I was confident in my ability to make things, but I had no idea how to sell them. In the beginning, we barely turned a profit, earning only around 100,000 yen a year. Even so, as we ke pt g o i n g, I re a l ize d th at with o ut originality of our own, having skill alone would not be enough to sell. The turning point came when a sewing machine dealer we worked with introduced us to an embroidery machine. Seeing it for the first time was a real culture shock. I couldn’t believe what it could do, and that was when I realized embroidery was what would set us apart. When we sold embroidered brooches at a local event, the response was far greater than we expected. After that, we opened a small shop with a two-year lease, renting it for 10,000 yen a month. Customers who visited the shop began asking us, “Could you make something like this?” and this gradually expanded into custom-order production. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to open an online shop on BASE. Since we could open a shop there for free, it gave us a whole new sales channel. Mask demand was surging at the time, so we sold cloth S u s t ain abilit y From Home to Every Corner of Japan The Potential of Online Shops to Support Individual Craftsmanship
Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Supporting the Digitalization of the Funeral Industry The Role of “Funeral Tech” and Payments Mr. Go Aoto concrete solutions, including coordination with card companies. As a result, we were able to build a system that allows us to roll out our service quickly while reducing the burden on each funeral home. We also feel that the speed of response to inquiries from end users is of great value. Given the nature of funerals, users often use the service on short notice, making it an area where questions and inquiries about payments tend to arise frequently. In such cases, PAY.JP investigates and responds quickly, which reduces the response burden on both funeral homes and our company, allowing us to continue providing our service with peace of mind. Going for ward, we will continue to use technology to improve the funeral-related experience and address challenges facing the industry as a whole. As we do so, we e x p e c t P A Y. J P, a s t h e p a y m e n t infrastructure supporting the evolution of our ser vices, to continue expanding its functionality and supporting new use cases. 26 Fa cts & D at a Traditionally, orders for offerings and similar items were received by fax, and payment was typically made af ter ward by bank transfer. However, this sometimes resulted in non-payment when transfers were not made, which became a major operational challenge for funeral homes. In addition, tasks such as confirming payments and following up with reminders placed a strain on on-site operations. As a way to solve these issues, we considered introducing online payments. We selected PAY.JP because of its flexibility in adapting to our business structure and its support system. “tsunagoo” is a service used by many funeral homes through our platform, and with a conventional payment setup that requires screening for each individual business, onboarding would take time and smooth rollout would be difficult. Even for schemes that other companies considered difficult to achieve, PAY. J P worked alongside us, taking our service’s characteristics into account and proposing G ov e r n an c e Our company is headquartered in Hiroshima and operates a funeral business centered on processing and creating memorial portraits. We work with thousands of funeral homes nationwide and produce more than 500,000 m e m o r i a l p o r t r a i t s e a c h y e a r. T h i s corresponds to roughly one in every three deaths in Japan annually, showing that our ser vices f un c tion as par t of th e social infrastructure. Under the concept of “funeral tech,” our company aims to reduce the burden on bereaved families and improve the quality of the time spent facing the departed by introducing technology into the funeral industry. The funeral industry still relies heavily on analog processes, and many steps, such as notif ying people of a death, arranging o ff e r i n g s , a n d h a n d l i n g m o n e t a r y transactions, currently depend on manual labor. As a result, both bereaved families and funeral homes have faced significant psychological and time burdens. To solve these challenges, we developed the online death notification service “tsunagoo.” It allows death notices to be created as web pages and shared with relevant parties via email or social media, and it also provides a system for arranging condolence telegrams, flowers, offerings, and condolence money entirely online. Since the service launched in 2017, the number of available funeral halls has grown to over 3,200, and it continues to expand as a service that provides new value to funeral homes. In addition, as the way people attend funerals has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the service’s role as a means of conveying condolences online has also been expanding. S u s t ain abilit y Eliminating Non-Payment Risk and Improving Operational Efficiency to Enhance the Experience Value Related to Funerals
Mr. Takashi Saeki support system in place so that we could operate with peace of mind even in that situation. Having a system where we could be supported closely on the operational side was reassuring. In practice, our dedicated representative follows up with us carefully, so we are able to keep running the shop while consulting with them whenever we run into difficulties. What we value most is providing “the same hospitality, whether in our physical or our online shop.” Since our confections are very delicate and easily broken, we pack each one with great care. Ribbons are also tied by hand by our craftspeople, and we take care to ensure that customers feel a sense of joy the moment they open the box. We even consider details such as arranging products at a slight angle, keeping in mind the visual appeal and the excitement of opening the box when we put together our assortments. We have made gradual improvements in our online shop as well, such as posting photos that make it easier to convey the size of items, prompted by reviews from customers. As for our email newsletter, we did not initially expect much response, but when we send information about limited-time products, we often receive many orders, and we feel that our connections with customers are expanding through the online shop. Fundamentally, our goal is to bring joy to the custom ers who shop with us in our p hy s i c a l s to re s . We wa n t to c o n ti n u e delivering that same feeling online as well. Going forward, we will continue our careful work, aiming to be an online shop that customers can use with confidence. 27 Fa cts & D at a Customers who saw our website would place orders by phone or fax, and payment was handled through methods such as cash on delivery or registered mail. At first, we were not sure how things would tu rn o ut, b ut with i n a few ye a rs, sa l es be gan growin g at a rate of abo ut 10% annually, and our online shop gradually gained a stronger presence. Around 2010, sales from our online shop reached a scale comparable to our physical stores, and we began to feel that customers who normally shopped at depar tment stores were gradually starting to use our online shop as well. However, our previous website had been built by an outside production company, so we were unable to make changes on the back end ourselves, which made updates and improvements difficult. To solve this issue, we introduced E-Store ShopServe. S i n c e we d o n ot h a ve m a ny s ta ff w i th specialized knowledge of online shops, we placed importance on having a solid G ov e r n an c e We, GINZA WEST, are a confectionery store that has valued careful craftsmanship and a sincere approach to our work for nearly 80 years. In fact, we began working on internet sales relatively early within the confectionery industry. It all began in the late 1990s, when Windows 95 became a social phenomenon and the internet started to spread, and our current president wondered whether we could deliver our products to customers in other par ts of Japan as well. At a time when few companies had yet to embrace i n te r n e t-b a s e d s a l e s , we to o k o n t h e challenge early, driven by a desire to reach customers far away. At first, this was not an online shop like the ones we have today. Mr. Ikuhiro Hatakeyama S u s t ain abilit y Growing Customer Connections Online, Without Compromising on In-Store Hospitality EC Order Manager Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Continuing Since the Early Days of the Internet: A Long-Established Confectionery Store’s Challenge
“Payment to the People, Power to the People.” Our goal is to leverage internet technology to enhance accessibility to payment and financial services, which many people need but have not yet been able to benefit from, thereby empowering individuals and small teams, and realizing a society where everyone can thrive. Since our inception, we have believed more than anyone else that “when the Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Basic Sustainability Policy internet empowers individuals and small teams, the world becomes a much better place.” This belief has guided our product planning and development and will continue to do so. We aim to realize this mission as soon as possible, acting as a responsible platform provider of open payment and financial services and promoting ESG initiatives throughout the group to achieve a sustainable society. In March 2022, the BASE Group established a Sustainability Committee to discuss, The department in charge of sustainability-related matters identifies the risks and coordinate, and monitor significant sustainability-related matters, including our opportunities associated with each materiality issue, and formulates KGIs, priority basic policy, materiality, and related initiatives. The committee also reviews and measures, and KPIs tailored to the characteristics of the BASE Group’s businesses. considers important issues to be presented to management meetings. Matters that The progress of these activities and measures is evaluated, monitored, and have passed through the Sustainability Committee and have been deliberated and deliberated, together with the progress of indicators and targets, at the quarterly decided upon by management meetings are regularly reported to the Board of meetings of the Sustainability Committee, based on the annual plan formulated by Directors along with progress status updates. the ESG Promotion Office. These results are reported at management meetings and The response policies and measures agreed upon at management meetings are to the Board of Directors, thereby strengthening the oversight and supervisory s p e a rh e a d e d by th e CEO, wh o c h a i rs th e S u s ta i n a b i l it y Co m m it te e, a n d function over sustainability-related risks and ensuring their effectiveness. In implemented by each department within the company. addition, important business and environmental risks and social issues reported Go v er n a n c e Risks Associated with Sustainability S u s t ain abilit y Governance a n d d i s c u s s e d a t th e S u s ta i n a b i l it y C o m m it te e a re a l so i nte g ra te d i nto company-wide risk management in collaboration with the Risk Management and Compliance Committee. Fa cts & Da ta 29
BASE Group considers human capital to be the most crucial management resource for Under a corporate culture that respects diversity, we achieving sustainable growth and enhancing business value. To that end, we believe it is essential aim to create systems and workplace environments to support employees in taking ownership of their work and careers and in continuously that allow each individual’s personality and abilities challenging themselves, as this is key to their development. to be fully realized. This involves promoting work-life Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Human Resource Development Policy <Certifications Obtained> balance and cultivating a DE&I environment to enhance employee engagement. Individual Themes DE&I Under our mission, “Payment to the People, Power to the People,” the BASE Group aims to invest in strengthening our strategic execution capabilities and enhancing our sustainable realize a society that empowers all individuals and small teams, including social minorities, organizational capabilities. At the individual, or “point,” level, we support employees in developing and we position the promotion of DE&I at the core of our management. As an organization their expertise through clearly defined role-specific skills and tailor-made career support delivered that embodies this mission, we maintain a system in which members with diverse through “Talent Development Meetings.” At the same time, from an organization-wide, or “plane,” backgrounds, regardless of gender, age, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual perspective, we focus on developing management-level talent and advancing organizational orientation, or disability, can fully demonstrate their abilities. In particular, to support the development within each business unit. Through these measures, we aim to foster an environment advancement of women, who face structural challenges in society, we comprehensively in which every employee continues to take on challenges with a sense of ownership, thereby implement strategic recruitment communications, leadership coaching to develop the next enhancing the competitiveness of our products and businesses over the medium to long term. generation of talent, retention support tailored to each life stage, and the creation of a Go v er n a n c e The BASE Group positions human capital as a critical management resource and continues to S u s t ain abilit y Human Resource Development psychologically safe environment. We believe that continuing to meet long-tail market needs Work-Life Balance In order to provide a hybrid working model for our employees, we continue to operate a flex-time system and a work-from-home scheme. Also, we have achieved a 100% usage rate of five or more days of paid leave and an average monthly overtime of less than 10 hours. We also regularly introduce and test-run support programs tailored to each employee’s life for men, and a return-to-work rate of 100% for both men and women. in the BASE Group’s sustainable growth. We have set the following goals to be achieved by 2030: Ratio of female officers: Ratio of female managers: 30 % or more 30 % or more Going forward, we will provide a framework that enables our diverse employees to work productively, and will ensure an environment where all talent can thrive. 30 Fa cts & Da ta stage. In FY2025, we achieved a childcare leave utilization rate of 100% for women and 69.2% by leveraging the perspectives of our diverse employees will be a key competitive advantage
Motonishi Etsuko Yokose Shuhei Hayashida Business Planning, BASE Kako Matsumoto Tesong Kim this, BASE began offering Easy Overseas Selling hurdle. If we had pursued this within the existing as a standard feature in 2026, a function that BASE business alone, it might have taken around allows anyone to easily sell products overseas. five years, but want.jp joining the Group Through this feature, the complex and suddenly made it much more realistic. specialized tasks unique to cross-border Kim (want.jp): e-commerce are handled collectively through We had our own challenges too. operational collaboration with want.jp, want.jp has strengths in logistics networks and allowing shops to easily achieve cross-border operations that can deliver anywhere in the e-commerce simply by shipping products the world, but expanding the number of suppliers, same way they would for domestic delivery. In meaning the number of shops, required addition, AI automatically calculates shipping individual sales efforts, and we were feeling costs and determines shipping eligibility based the limits of that approach. BASE, on the other on product information, providing a smooth hand, already has a foundation as a sales purchasing experience for overseas customers. platform used by many shops. Shops using Behind this initiative lay a great deal of trial BASE want to sell overseas, and want.jp has and error, as the team worked to bring the the system in place to make that happen. We product to life while overcoming differences in had a sense that we could each fill in the organization, culture, and business stage. As pieces the other was missing. an example of business synergy created by Yokose (BASE): combining the strengths of both companies, The philosophy behind BASE’s product design is we spoke with the project team taking on the to absorb complex tasks within the system so challenge of delivering new value. that shop owners can focus on making products Group Business Synergy that Moved the Vision Forward and building their brand. For cross-border e-commerce as well, we aimed to design a product that would let shops naturally sell Hayashida (BASE): overseas without even having to think about it. Since its launch, BASE has built an environment Motonishi (want.jp): where anyone can easily create an online shop, From the perspective of overseas purchasers too, expanding the possibilities for individuals and there are truly many cases in cross-border small teams to engage in economic activity. As e-commerce where people “want to buy but can’t,” an extension of that, we had long held a vision due to reasons such as unclear shipping costs or of creating an environment where people could payments not going through. I believe there is engage in economic activity regardless of great value in eliminating that kind of stress country. In fact, we had received requests from and providing a smooth purchasing experience shop owners who wanted to sell their products that is just as good as buying domestically. 31 Fa cts & Da ta Business Lead, BASE Representative Director and CEO, want.jp clearance, payments, and logistics, was a major Go v er n a n c e PdM, want.jp PdM, BASE Development, want.jp Business Planning / CS, want.jp across the entire value chain, including customs want.jp, joined the BASE Group. Building on S u s t ain abilit y “BASE” × “want.jp” Business Synergy Project Cross-Border E-commerce Made Easy for Everyone the cross-border e-commerce business Bu s in es s & S t r at egy BASE Group to overseas customers as well, but the complexity Over view Member Interview In August 2024, want.jp Inc., which operates
the goal, rather than sticking to how noticed was a difference in language and each of us had always done things, ended up assumptions. Even with terms like “sales” or complementing each other in a good way, “GMV,” the definitions and scope of aggregation and that made a big difference. We placed importance on understanding how the whole team involved while understanding were subtly different between the two companies. Yokose (BASE): things actually worked on the ground for that value became a driving force that At first, discussions sometimes moved forward Rather than forcing ourselves to close the gaps, overseas shipping, such as by visiting pushed the project forward. without anyone noticing that difference. we focused on thoroughly putting into words what want.jp’s warehouse. Getting to know the Sato (want.jp): was different, and how, and aligning our shared actual site helped us see the assumptions and There were also differences in our development understanding. By capturing the differences in a constraints behind each other’s work, and I processes and how we made decisions. Each structured way like this, I think we were able to felt that our discussions became much more Co-Creating a Form of Cross-Border E-Commerce Only We Could Achieve organization had its own optimized workflow, gradually build common criteria for detailed and precise from that point on. Sato (want.jp): and figuring out how to reconcile those different decision-making. Matsumoto (BASE): In this project, we needed to design not just In providing this feature, I was mainly the systems but also the warehouse shipping responsible for designing communications operations, as a single unified product. It wasn’t with shops using BASE. In conversations with simply a matter of connecting the BASE and the want.jp team, I made a point of sharing want.jp systems, we also had to control the j u s t h o w m u c h s h o p ow n e rs va lue th e load on the ground while monitoring order worldview of their brand and how they deliver volume and shipping status. In addition, it to customers. On the other hand, we did not this was a project on a scale that no single have enough information about overseas PdM could fully grasp on their own, where even purchasers, so it was very valuable to learn small differences in specifications could have from the want.jp team in that area and to a significant impact, so we placed strong recognize each other’s strengths. emphasis on sharing information closely Kim (want.jp): among everyone involved. As the person responsible for want.jp, I was Kitamura (want.jp): strongly focused on sharing the significance of In development, deciding how far to build things this project with the entire team. It is such an out was a key point. Because the premises of exciting initiative, in the sense that shop cross-border e-commerce are so complex, owners using BASE would be able to easily trying to cover everything would take too much deliver their products to the world, with an time, while at the same time, the product is experience almost identical to selling to meaningless if it doesn’t meet a minimum bar. domestic customers as before. I think having Balancing these two, we frequently discussed as formats was something we struggled with Hayashida (BASE): Deeper Discussions Through Mutual Understanding I think the background to this was not simply a Yokose (BASE): at first. 32 Fa cts & Da ta able to decide each time which approach is Go v er n a n c e an understanding of these differences, being After the project kickoff, communication across at what stage, was also different. Building on S u s t ain abilit y Kim (want.jp): approach to deciding which risks to take, and Bu s in es s & S t r at egy difference in organizational culture, but a difference in business stage and roles. Our Over view Overseas Sales, Made Easy for Your Brand Differences in Organizational Culture Faced in the Early Stages of the Project
order to release the product. There also ended finally go out into the world. From here, we up being far more that needed to be addressed will continue updating it further to deliver an than we had originally expected. Rather than even better experience to more people. implementing everything at once, we Kobayashi (BASE): proceeded by reshuffling our priorities. At each One memorable moment was when the first step, we checked the situation and adjusted order came in, and the project team gathered our approach accordingly. Through that to celebrate with a Mexican-style piñata (a accumulation, we worked to achieve both paper container filled with candy and other quality and speed. treats). After that first order, everyone’s focus Motonishi (want.jp): naturally shifted to how we could improve On the CS side as well, we started with a from here, and I really felt that the project had provisional setup and improved it step by step, moved into its next phase. picking up inquiries and operational issues that Sato (want.jp): world is coming where Japanese products are important to design with that change in mind arose in the field one by one. Since we were in It made a huge difference that the members naturally proposed to, and purchased by, from the start. a position close to both shop owners’ and of BASE and want.jp were able to face this overseas customers through AI, as a matter of Hayashida (BASE): purchasers’ voices, we were always conscious project with the same level of energy. course. Even amid such changes, we want to Starting with this Easy Overseas Selling initiative, of how to connect that feedback to the next Depending on the circumstances, it could create an environment where shops using I believe opportunities to create new value by improvement. easily have become just one of many projects, BASE can naturally ride that wave. We also combining the Group’s unique strengths across Kobayashi (BASE): with everyone’s involvement gradually want to keep refining the feature so that it organizations and products will continue to In a field like cross-border e-commerce thinning out, but instead everyone shared the truly lives up to the name “Easy.” increase going forward. I want to share the optimized for individuals and small teams, same stance of making absolutely sure this Kitamura (want.jp): knowledge we gained from this project where no one yet has the right answer, we feature reached shop owners, and I think that Building on what we’ve learned here, I think it’s internally, as a reproducible model case for needed to make progress by understanding is what supported the project. important to apply this kind of collaboration cross-Group initiatives. Joining the BASE Group to other products offered by companies makes it possible to clearly generate business across the Group as well. Even features that synergies, and to reproduce that success. I want look similar on the surface can require very to continue building up that kind of proof, as an the same numbers and share the same sense Kobayashi (BASE): different development work depending on the organization, even further going forward. of the challenges was precisely the strength of We want to create a state where using BASE target users and the assumptions behind the Kim (want.jp): this team. makes overseas sales feel like a natural, service, so building up a broader range of This initiative was a fairly clear example of everyday choice. Even with limited resources, configuration options is both an important synergy connecting demand and supply that we want shop owners to be able to focus on point and something I look forward to. As we already existed. That is exactly why, from here making products and building their brand, accumulate more experience, that will also on, I think it’s important to make this mechanism the most of BASE and want.jp’s respective The Change Brought by the First Order, and the Team Strength that Supported the Project help us update our products for the better. even more natural and more widely usable. I our mission. Going forward, I also expect that the want to make it an everyday reality that Right after the release, everyone on the Matsumoto (BASE): involvement of AI agents will change the cross-border e-commerce is an environment project watched the screen together. There As AI continues to evolve and transforms the shopping experience and the underlying where people around the world can exchange was a real sense of emotion, seeing something shopping experience even further, I believe a mechanisms themselves, and I think it will be value with one another. 33 Fa cts & Da ta while BASE takes on the complex parts. That is Matsumoto (BASE): Go v er n a n c e strengths. I believe that being able to look at The Future Direction Easy Overseas Selling Is Aiming For S u s t ain abilit y everything about each other in order to make Bu s in es s & S t r at egy a team what standards needed to be met in
I distributed including native app development, driving tasks that had previously depended solely on me long-term projects, and assigning team members. across the team. Identifying tasks that only I Because PAY ID Dept. operates as a small team, understood and introducing a rotation system, we have a culture of consulting with one another along with improving documentation, allowed the across roles and functions as we work toward our team to keep running smoothly even in my goals. Engineers are also often deeply involved absence, which was a significant achievement. from the requirements-definition and planning This had a positive effect not only during my leave stages of initiatives. but also on the quality of our work after I returned. I have taken childcare leave twice so far. The first In addition, since my spouse and I are both working, time was when my first child was born, when I took and I value her career as well, we talked things about two months of leave in 2020. I began through carefully as a family about how to support considering childcare leave relatively early on, once each other, and decided on the length of maternity we learned my spouse was pregnant, and and childcare leave for each of us. Even so, I feel discussed it with my manager at the time. I was a that taking childcare leave brought positive tech lead then, and the team was small, but my changes both at home and within the team. manager told me, “It’s not a problem,” and In terms of company systems, BASE’s hybrid work adjusting my workload went smoothly. There were arrangements, flextime system, and babysitter no restrictions on how long I could take, either, so subsidy program (childcare allowance) have been after talking it over with my partner, we decided I a real help in maintaining a healthy work-life would take just under two months, wanting to get balance. I’m also grateful that there are systems in through the most challenging period together. place to make the process go smoothly, such as a The second time was in 2025, when my second Maternity and Childcare Leave Handbook for those child was born. By then, I had taken on a manager taking such leave, and forms that consolidate all role within PAY ID Dept. Since I had felt that just the necessary paperwork. In addition, since under two months was nowhere near enough when meeting minutes and team information are shared I took leave for my first child, my partner and I online through Slack and Notion, it’s easy to catch talked it over and decided I would take four months up on the status of projects even after returning, this time. I informed my manager and team which makes it a low-anxiety environment. members about this second leave about six months Based on my own experience, I believe that before the expected due date and began creating an environment where members at adjusting my workload accordingly. As a team, we various life stages, regardless of gender or thought carefully about how to build an position, can continue working without undue organizational setup where things would run strain leads to greater organizational flexibility smoothly even with the manager away for an and sustainable growth. 34 Fa cts & Da ta Tatsuya Kitagawa BASE who had taken childcare leave. Go v er n a n c e Engineering Division, PAY ID Department, BASE, Inc. Division Manager that there were already several male managers at (hereafter, “PAY ID Dept.”), where I am broadly S u s t ain abilit y What Two Rounds of Childcare Leave Taught Me About Building an Organization Resilient to Change Engineering Division within the PAY ID Department Bu s in es s & S t r at egy PAY ID Department Engineering Division extended period. It also made a big difference Over view Member Interview I currently serve as Division Manager of the
Education Group, High School Education Division, Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education Supervisor, Mr. Kenichi Chiba As part of our materiality theme of “realizing diverse ways of living, unbound by life stage, social environment, location, or time,” our Group has been working since 2022 to support early e-commerce education, in partnership with local governments a n d m u n icip a l ities . We offe r a n o n l i n e s h o p creation experien ce program usin g BASE to teachers and public high school students in partner prefectures and municipalities. Bu s in es s & S t r at egy An Online Shop Creation Experience Program that Leverages Regional Resources and Characteristics to Build a Sustainable Local Community *The titles and job responsibilities listed are as of the time of the interview. Realizing that Local Products Can Be Delivered Beyond the Local Area What stands out most to me is that students were able to gain a sense of local products and activities, which they had previously sold only to people within the community, expanding beyond the local area through a screen. I believe that realizing the possibility of communicating local products outward, rather than only handling them within the community, became an opportunity for them to broaden their perspective. In the same program for teachers, we also heard positive feedback that “regardless of the subject area, how to communicate what one has learned to society can be a shared theme.” The program is currently introduced mainly in commercial departments, but I myself believe that the abilities cultivated through this program are not limited to any particular subject. It is important to connect knowledge across subjects, including what students learn in Japanese, mathematics, English, and other subjects, and to be able to communicate it through digital tools. I think digital technology needs to be understood not simply as a tool for looking things up, but as a means of putting what one has learned into practice and expressing it. The Education that Students Living 20 or 30 Years from Now Need “Today” Encouraging people to settle in or return to the region (so-called “U-turn migration”) is extremely important for the prefecture’s future, but it is not a simple issue. I think it is also important for young people to go out to various places and gain a wide range of experiences while they are young. With that in mind, I would be glad if, when they eventually come back to the region, they recall their high school experience and think, “This time, I’ll be the one to share the value of this community.” As someone involved in education, I believe we must keep asking what kind of learning is truly necessary, not merely as an extension of the present, but for students who will go on to live 20 or 30 years into the future. It is important to watch which direction the world is heading and, for whatever we judge to be necessary, to take action toward making it a reality. I see early e-commerce education and DX education as one part of that. Not limited to any specialized subject, students should be able to put what they have learned into practice and communicate their own ideas to society. Through that experience, I want to help students develop the ability to thrive both in the society of the future and in their local community. 35 Fa cts & Da ta There is Value in the Experience of Creating Something Yourself and Sharing It in Your Own Words Ogawara Industrial High School, but we have observed a certain shift in students’ mindset. Go v er n a n c e In Miyagi Prefecture, as population decline and a shortage of successors for local industries become growing challenges, considering what kind of education to provide for future generations has become an important topic. In particular, developing human resources who can keep pace with the advance of digital transformation (DX), including AI, ICT, and data utilization, is essential to supporting the local community going forward, and it is necessary to nurture the ability to use digital technology with a strong sense of ethics and to respond to an advanced digital society. Within that context, we have been thinking about what high school education can do to develop people who can build a sustainable local community by making use of regional resources and characteristics. With that concern in mind, the early e-commerce education proposed to us by BASE felt like it could become one concrete measure toward that goal. Students already have everyday opportunities to encounter e-commerce itself, through B-to-C services, etc. However, they have not yet had the experience of actually creating something themselves and communicating their own thoughts and ideas. In that sense, the process of using BASE to build an online shop with their own hands, and to showcase and communicate the appeal of local products, carries great significance. We thought that this kind of D-to-C experience could help develop the ability to convey the appeal of the local area in their own words. When we actually tried it, the students threw themselves into it with more enthusiasm than we had expected. I think many students had a vague image that words like “commerce” or “business” meant starting a company and doing a lot of preparation. However, once they realized they could build an online shop and communicate their ideas by adding their own creative touches, such as how they present and describe products, the psychological barrier seemed to come down. We also heard positive comments from students, such as “I’d like to try running my own online shop someday” and “Maybe I can share things from my local area.” Within the prefecture, this has so far been implemented at two schools, Miyagi Tome General Industrial High School and Miyagi S u s t ain abilit y We Want to Nurture Future Generations Who Can Build a Sustainable Local Community
“Payment to the People, Power to the People,” the BASE Group is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities and role as a platform provider of open payment and financial services for society. Aiming for the realization of a sustainable society, we hereby declare the following basic policy and our commitment to reducing our various environmental impacts through our business activities. 1. Commitment to Environmental Conservation The BASE Group positions the reduction of environmental impact as one of our key management priorities, and we contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through continuous improvement. 2. Climate Change 3. Biodiversity We c o m p l y with e nv i ro n m e nta l l aws, re g u l ati o n s, a n d i nte rn a l company rules, and take voluntary and proactive action with due consideration for international guidelines and societal expectations. 5. Promotion of Education and Awareness Activities for BASE Group Employees The BASE Group communicates this policy to all Group employees and conducts education and awareness activities to help each employee understand the importance of environmental issues and to enable environmentally conscious behavior and product development. We h a ve b e e n a c ti ve l y a d d res s i n g climate change across the Group as one of our material issues, and in March 2023, we declared our support for the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). We disclose climate-related information in line with the TCFD-recommended disclosure items: “Governance,” “Risk Management,” “Strategy,” and “Metrics S u s t ain abilit y The BASE Group believes that addressing climate change is extremely important for the sustainable development of society and economic activity, and we are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 4. Compliance with Laws and Regulations Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Information Disclosure Based on TCFD Recommendations Basic Environmental Policy and Targets.” The BASE Group places importance on coexisting with nature and undertakes initiatives to minimize our impact on biodiversity. In March 2022, we established a Sustainability Committee to discuss, coordinate, and monitor significant sustainability-related matters, including our basic policy, materiality, and related initiatives. The committee also reviews and considers important issues to be presented to the management meeting. Matters that have passed through the Sustainability Committee and have been deliberated on and decided upon by the management meeting are regularly reported to the Board of Directors along with their progress. Response policies and measures decided at the management meeting are led by the Representative Director, Senior Executive Officer, and CEO, who chairs the Sustainability Committee, coordinated by the ESG Promotion Office, and implemented by each department within the company. The department in charge of sustainability-related matters, with the cooperation of relevant internal departments, identifies and evaluates climate change-related risks and opportunities and reports them, along with recommendations, to the Sustainability Committee, thereby promoting a company-wide response to climate change. In addition, the BASE Group’s Risk Management and Compliance Committee identifies and assesses risks that must be addressed during our business activities and deliberates on priority responses. Critical environmental risks related to climate change and social issues such as climate change discussed at the Sustainability Committee are integrated into company-wide risk management in collaboration with the Risk Management and Compliance Committee. 36 Fa cts & Da ta Risk Management Go v er n a n c e Governance
the BASE Group conducted a scenario analysis in light of the characteristics of our business, identifying the following risks and opportunities brought about by climate change. Classification Impact Countermeasures Increased tax burden due to the carbon tax Low • Reducing GHG emissions • Using renewable energy for electricity at the head office Carbon offsetting for electricity usage outside the head office Sharp increase in various energy prices due to rising demand for clean energy Increased SG&A expenses due to rising renewable energy prices Low • Reducing costs through research, diversification, and optimization of office electricity procurement Changes in consumer preferences leading to customer attrition due to decreased demand for services that are not environmentally friendly Revenue decrease due to reduced usage of our services Low • Promoting and disclosing information on environmentally friendly initiatives Reputation Fall in reputation of companies not disclosing ESG-related information as ESG-driven investment accelerates Stock price decline and negative impact on fundraising from financial institutions and investors due to insufficient climate change response and inadequate disclosure Low • Promoting and disclosing information on environmentally friendly initiatives • 100% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions • Proper dialogue with financial institutions and investors Acute Frequent and severe disasters such as heavy rains and floods due to abnormal weather caused by climate change Service operations suspension due to office and data center flooding, resulting in system downtime High • Formulating business continuity plans (BCP) • Relocating to offices with BCP measures • Promoting remote work • Promoting the use of robust cloud services Market S u s t ain abilit y Physical Risk Risk Introduction of carbon tax in Japan due to stricter regulations Policy and Regulations Transition Risk Assumed Scenario Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Identification of Risks Identification of Opportunities Assumed Scenario Opportunity Impact Go v er n a n c e Classification Countermeasures Introduction of carbon tax in Japan due to stricter regulations Non-taxable status due to achieving zero GHG emissions Low • Reducing GHG emissions • Using renewable energy for electricity at the head office • Carbon offsetting for electricity usage outside the head office Product and Service Changes in consumer preferences leading to increased demand for environmentally friendly companies and cloud services Enhanced corporate competitiveness and increased demand for our services due to improved brand image High • Promoting and disclosing information on environmentally friendly initiatives Resilience Demand for platform providers providing payment and financial services to establish resilient platforms and systems Increased reliability and demand for our services High • Formulating business continuity plans (BCP) • Relocating to offices with BCP measures • Promoting remote work • Promoting the use of robust cloud services 37 Fa cts & Da ta Energy Source
& S t r at egy The BASE Group calculates GHG*1 emissions as an assessment metric related to Calculating GHG Emissions to Address Climate Change and Other Environmental Issues climate change. The table on the right shows our GHG emissions for the last two years. Regarding Scope 1 and Scope 2*2 emissions, since September 2023, we have fully Category FYE Dec. 2024 FYE Dec. 2025 0 (t-CO2) 0 (t-CO2) 102 (t-CO2) *3 93 (t-CO2) *4 248 (t-CO2) 338 (t-CO2) 1 (t-CO2) 0.6 (t-CO2) 69 (t-CO2) 32 (t-CO2) 30 (t-CO2) 35 (t-CO2) 148 (t-CO2) 270 (t-CO2) transitioned to renewable energy for all electricity used at the head office. In addition, all office electricity used by want.jp Inc., a consolidated subsidiary, has been switched to renewable energy sources since 2024, as has all office electricity used by Estore Corporation (including its branch offices) since 2025. As for the electricity use at BASE-managed physical shop spaces (locations provided to BASE merchants to use as pop-up shops) at commercial facilities in Tokyo, we have implemented carbon offsetting by purchasing credits for physical shop spaces in March 2025 made it difficult to obtain accurate figures, (Direct emissions from fuel use, etc.) Scope 2*2: (Indirect emissions from purchased electricity use) Scope3: Total: (All other indirect emissions related to business activities) Category 5: Categories 5 to 9 GHG emissions were estimated at the same level as the previous year). Waste generated in operations As a result, the BASE Group has maintained net-zero GHG emissions for Scope 1 Category 6: and Scope 2 since the fiscal year ended December 2023. As for Scope 3 emissions, since the fiscal year ended December 2024, we have initiated phased disclosure of information for Category 5 (Waste generated in operations), Category 6 (Business travel), Category 7 (Employee commuting), and Category 7: Employee commuting Category 9: Downstream transportation and distribution Go v er n a n c e Category 9 (Downstream transportation and distribution). Business travel S u s t ain abilit y electricity derived from renewable energy sources (as the downsizing of the Scope 1: GHG emissions for Category 9 (Downstream transportation and distribution) are based on data provided by Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. and represent approximately 40% of the total GHG emissions from downstream transportation and distribution associated with the use of our platform, according to our internal estimates. Moving forward, we will continue to maintain net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions across our Group and, as for the Scope 3 calculations for other *1 Abbreviation for Greenhouse Gas *2 Calculated using market-based criteria *3 Calculated including electricity used by want.jp, Inc., a consolidated subsidiary *4 Calculated including electricity used by consolidated subsidiaries want.jp Inc. and Estore Corporation. categories, we will continue to explore and discuss the feasible calculation ranges 38 Fa cts & Da ta based on the characteristics of our business.
Purchaser Protection Guideline Formulation and Monitoring Disclosure of Shop Information We disclose information about the use of our platform primarily through our help pages, and revise them as needed based on customer inquiry trends. We have also developed guidelines to promote appropriate descriptions in commercial transactions and monitor compliance. When deficiencies or violations in sales conditions or product descriptions are identified, we provide proper guidance and take action to create an environment where purchasers can choose products with peace of mind. By displaying information based on the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions and enabling buyer ratings and reviews, we facilitate buyers’ access to accurate information about shops and products. Security and Fraud Countermeasures Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Merchant Management Handling Purchase Issues S u s t ain abilit y In cases of defective products or delivery delays, we promptly request the shop to respond and make improvements according to our terms of service. By taking rigorous measures to prevent recurrence and responding to buyer inquiries with care, we support safe and secure transactions. Measures Against Fraudulent Transactions We implement measures in compliance with the “Credit Card Security Guidelines” established by the Japan Consumer Credit Association. In addition to operating a dedicated department year-round, we work to prevent fraudulent use of our services through a multifaceted approach. This includes machine learning analysis using transaction data held by the BASE Group, referencing credit card companies’ databases of fraudulent shipping addresses, and introducing 3D Secure. To secure against unauthorized access, we have adopted security features such as passkey authentication. As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance user safety, we also restrict access to and functionality of accounts that have remained inactive for a specified period. Protection of Personal Information To improve trust in the online marketplace overall and promote an environment where consumers can engage in safe transactions, we work with peer companies and government authorities while actively advancing voluntary efforts. Japan Online Marketplaces Consortium (JOMC) Japan Consumer Credit Association (JCA) JOMC aims to build a safer and more secure trading environment through cooperation and information sharing on measures against malicious sellers and approaches to providing information to consumers. JCA supports the proper operation of credit transaction businesses and works to enhance consumer safety and convenience while promoting the sound growth of the credit industry. Go v er n a n c e Ensuring Account Security Participation in Industry Partnerships and Organizations 39 Fa cts & Da ta To enable individuals and small teams to operate shops securely, we offer features such as non-disclosure settings for addresses and phone numbers, as well as anonymous shipping that allows people to send products without including their personal information. Through such measures, we protect user privacy while supporting smooth transactions.
we believe that it is crucial to comply with laws and regulations, adhere to ethical standards and social norms, and We have established a human rights policy, available on our website, that We have established a whistleblowing system with reporting channels to aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable society by internal contacts, auditors, and external lawyers to detect and correct respecting human rights across all corporate activities. legal violations and other compliance issues promptly. This system is made We have also established an ethics code, which requires all officers and known to all employees to facilitate early detection and prevention of employees to fully understand and adhere to all social norms and their problems. Our whistleblowing regulations ensure a thorough investigation spirit, and to act with a social conscience. This code is included in our and appropriate action upon receiving reports and protect whistleblowers compliance training to ensure thorough understanding and adherence. from any disadvantageous treatment resulting from their reporting. コンプライアンス推進体制 Compliance Promotion System Compliance Training Based on our “Risk Management and Compliance Regulations,” we have Compliance training is conducted for all employees upon joining the established a Risk Management and Compliance Committee, chaired by company and annually thereafter. It covers general compliance, the Act on the Representative Director, to prevent risks in each department and the Protection of Personal Information, insider trading prevention, and minimize company losses. The committee conducts company-wide risk harassment prevention. The training includes company-wide topics and management, comprehensively identifying, evaluating, and implementing specific content tailored to each department’s operations to enhance countermeasures for risks in each business division. The committee meets effectiveness. In 2025, the training participation rate was 100%. Go v er n a n c e Whistleblowing System S u s t ain abilit y Human Rights Policy and Ethics Code Bu s in es s & S t r at egy act with a social conscience. To ensure thorough compliance, we have implemented the following initiatives. regularly and reports the results to the Board of Directors and the Board of Auditors as necessary. Fa cts & Da ta 40
and secure use of our services, we effectively mitigate various information security risks and strengthen our organization-wide security system. Specifically, Bu s in es s & S t r at egy we are working to build a stronger and more adaptive information security framework based on four pillars: organizational, human, technological, and physical. Governance Structure Information Security Committee We have established an Information Security Committee, chaired by an Information Security Officer and composed of information security managers from each department, to promote and oversee information security initiatives company-wide. Moreover, to implement effective security measures, we have established an Information Security Promotion Department that swiftly promotes and coordinates information security-related initiatives and plans. Board of Directors Instruction * What is a CSIRT? CSIRT stands for “Computer Security Incident Response Team,” a specialized organization within a company or organization that responds to computer security incidents. Agenda Items / Reports (Important Matters) Risk Management Committee Cooperation Sustainability Committee Information Security Committee Cooperation Committee Chair: Information Security Officer Committee Members: Information Security Managers Secretariat: Information Security Promotion Department Instruction / Consultation Response Consultation / Reports BASE - CSIRT 41 Fa cts & D at a Serving under the Information Security Officer, BASE - CSIRT is composed mainly of security personnel selected from each department across the Group and an in-house security promotion team. The team investigates and analyzes potential issues to prevent incidents from occurring within the Group, shares risk information, and carries out incident response activities. (Important Matters) G ov e r n an c e BASE - CSIRT Agenda Items / Reports Management Meeting Information Security Managers Our Group has appointed information security managers who are responsible for protecting and properly managing information assets, supporting officers and employees, and exercising comprehensive oversight of information security measures in each department. Instruction / Supervision S u s t ain abilit y Internal Audit
assets in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, relevant standards, and contracts concluded with customers, business partners, and employees. Continued Improvement We respond to evolving risks, and continuously improve information security by regularly reviewing and assessing our organizational and business risk responses. We are committed to ensuring and maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information assets handled by our Group. Management of Outsourced Service Providers BASE - CSIRT Activities BASE - CSIRT is our Group’s internal CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team). The team works in constant coordination across the Group to address issues, both in routine operations and in times of crisis. Handling of Personal Information We are committed to implementing, strengthening, and upholding privacy measures to ensure that users can enjoy our services with peace of mind. Refer to our Privacy Policy for details. https://binc.jp/privacy We have entered into NDAs with all employees. We regularly assess the security of our platforms and applications to detect potential vulnerabilities, and address any identified issues in accordance with our vulnerability management process. Physical Measures Establishment of Security Perimeters We esta b l i s h p h ys i c a l s e c u r i t y p e r i m e te r s appropriate to the information assets being handled, and monitor access accordingly. Improvement of Information Security Awareness We provide information security-related education to all officers and employees on a regular basis. Third-party Certification To enable users to use our services safely and securely, we have obtained security-related certifications from third-party organizations. BASE, Inc. has obtained SAQ-A under PCI-DSS, the global security standard for the credit industry. As PAY, Inc. and Estore Corporation hold credit card information, they manage such information in full compliance with PCI-DSS Version 4.0.1. Employees are provided with company-issued PCs equipped with the necessary security management tools, and are required to perform their duties using these PCs. 42 Fa cts & D at a Non-disclosure Agreement Vulnerability Assessment Management of Information Terminals Human-level Measures We monitor for unauthorized access and various o t h e r eve n ts , a n d p ro m p t l y res p o n d w h e n i n c i d e n ts w i t h s i g n i fi c a n t u s e r i m p a c t a re identified. G ov e r n an c e When outsourcing services to external parties, we conduct appropriate oversight at the time of selection and through regular checks afterward to ensure that the service provider maintains a security level equal to or higher than our Group’s. We also enter into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with such parties. In anticipation of potential disasters and other emergencies, we have established response procedures and frameworks to minimize the impact on our business and information security. We are committed to ensuring and enhancing security by formulating measures to prevent and prepare for various types of attacks, building robust systems, and protecting information assets against all kinds of threats. Monitoring S u s t ain abilit y Information Asset Management Response in Emergency Situations System Security Measures Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Organizational Measures
S t r at egy Upholding our mission of “Payment to the People, Power to the People,” we aim to be a company that contributes to society. To sustainably enhance corporate value under this mission, we recognize the importance of improving management soundness, efficiency, and transparency, as well as establishing an organizational structure that can respond swiftly and flexibly to changes in the business environment. Therefore, we are committed to strengthening and enriching our corporate governance system. Corporate Governance Structure Evolution of Corporate Governance Enhancement General Meeting of Shareholders Appointment / Dismissal Consultation Report Board of Directors Board of Auditors Audit Cooperation Instruction Report Appointment / Dismissal Audit Cooperation Business Execution Report CEO Cooperation Cooperation Information Security Committee Agenda Items / Reports Corporate Governance Status Instruction Agenda Items / Reports Instruction Cooperation Accounting Audit Management Meeting Instruction Each Department / Subsidiaries Advice / Guidance Consultation External Experts Report Instruction / Supervision Internal Audit Organizational form Company with a Board of Auditors Board of Directors composition Five members Outside directors Three (all are independent outside directors) Voluntary committees Nomination and Compensation Committee Accounting auditor KPMG AZSA LLC Go v er n a n c e Sustainability Committee Internal Audit Department To fur ther strengthen and enhance our corporate governance, we separated the executive and supervisory functions—thus speeding up decision-making and reinforcing the supervisory function—by introducing an executive officer system and establishing management meetings in 2021. In the same year, we also established a voluntary Nomination and Compensation Committee to enhance management objectivity and rationality. In March 2025, we appointed Ms. Naoko Suzuki as a new outside director, making outside directors the majorit y, strengthening the Board of Directors’ supervisory function. S u s t ain abilit y Risk Management and Compliance Committee Recommendation Accounting Auditor Nomination and Compensation Committee Appointment / Dismissal Appointment / Dismissal Fa cts & Da ta 44
that the number of directors shall not exceed eight. To strengthen the Board of Directors' supervisory function, the Board's membership must consist of at least one-third and a minimum of two independent outside directors. When selecting Board members, we consider the balance of knowledge, experience, abilities, and diversity, ensuring that at least one female director is appointed. Specifically, af ter deliberation of candidates by the voluntar y Nomination and Compensation Committee, we use a skill matrix to select directors. Currently, our Board comprises five directors (three males and two females): two internal and three independent outside directors, all three of whom have management experience at other companies. Composition of Compensation Compensation for our directors is linked to shareholder interests to effectively function as a n i n c e n ti ve to s u s ta i n a b l y e n h a n c e c o r p o ra te va l u e . W h e n d e te r m i n i n g t h e compensation of individual directors, our basic policy is to ensure an appropriate level that reflects their respective responsibilities. Specifically, the compensation for executive directors consists of a basic salary and stock compensation as fixed compensation. S i m i l a rl y, o uts i d e d i re c to r s re s p o n s i b l e fo r s u p e r v i so r y f u n c ti o n s re c e i ve fixe d compensation, including basic salary and stock compensation. This policy is deliberated by the Nomination and Compensation Committee, a consultative body of the Board of Directors comprised of a majority of outside directors and is decided by the Board of Directors. S u s t ain abilit y Process for Selecting Director Candidates Approach to Compensation Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Approach to the Composition of the Board of Directors Decision Process When nominating director candidates, we aim to select individuals possessing extensive business knowledge and experience who can significantly contribute to the company’s business and enhance its corporate value by fulfilling their duties as directors. The voluntary Nomination and Compensation Committee develops candidate proposals based on these criteria. The Board of Directors then discusses and approves these proposals before they are presented at the General Meeting of Shareholders for election. 45 Fa cts & Da ta We evaluate the Board of Directors' effectiveness at least once a year with the aim of identifying issues related to the Board, implementing countermeasures and improvements, and thereby improving the Board's functionality, governance levels, and corporate value. In FY2025, continuing from the previous year, we confirmed that the effectiveness of the Board and other bodies was maintained. Go v er n a n c e Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors Regarding individual compensation amounts, CEO Yuta Tsuruoka is delegated by the Board of Directors to determine the specific contents. The delegation’s scope includes deciding the basic salary amounts for each director, considering their responsibilities, contributions, and execution of duties, as well as the company’s performance and economic conditions. The delegation is based on the judgment that the CEO is best suited to evaluate each director, considering the company’s performance and other factors. To ensure the appropriate exercise of this authority by the CEO, the Nomination and Compensation Committee reviews a draft proposal from the Board of Directors and provides recommendations, which the CEO must follow in making decisions. Additionally, the Board of Directors decides the allocation of stock compensation to individual directors based on the Nomination and Compensation Committee’s recommendations. The Nomination and Compensation Committee comprises three directors appointed by the Board, with a majority being outside directors.
Officer, CEO Star ted the “BASE” project, an online shop opening service, while attending u n i ve r s i t y. F o u n d e d t h e c o m p a ny i n December 2012 at age 22 and became Representative Director. H a v i n g l e d t h e c o m p a n y a s R e p r e s e n ta t i v e D i r e c to r s i n c e e s ta b l i s h i n g i t i n D e c e m b e r 2 01 2 a n d p o s s e s s i n g ex te n s i ve knowledge of the e-commerce and payment industries, he is deemed suitable for continuing to make critical management decisions and supervise business execution. Ken Harada Director and Senior Executive Officer, CFO Joined the company in June 2015 after working at MIXI, Inc., FreakOut, Inc. (now F r e a k O u t H o l d i n g s , I n c . ), a n d o t h e r companies. Appointed Director in February 2016. Since joining the company, he has driven its growth by consistently overseeing the corporate department, and with his extensive experience and deep insight in financial strategy plus his familiarity with the company as CFO, he is deemed suitable for continuing to make critical management decisions and super vise business execution. Masayuki Shimura Outside Director Held positions as Executive Officer at Mitsui Bank, Ltd. (now Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) and Representative D i r e c to r S e n i o r E xe c u t i v e O ffi c e r a t Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd. Appointed Outside Director in August 2019. With his experience as a director at payment-related companies and deep knowledge of the finance and payment industries, he is deemed suitable for continuing to make critical management decisions and supervise business execution. Misa Matsuzaki Outside Director Founded Agasta Co., Ltd. , and led the company to be listed on the TSE Mothers (now TSE Growth). Appointed Outside Director in March 2022. With her experience as Representative Director or Director of multiple companies, including the companies she founded, she is deemed suitable for continuing to make critical management decisions and supervise business execution. Naoko Suzuki Outside Director Worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, BP J a p a n Co., Ltd ., a n d Re n ova, I n c . a s E x e c u t i v e O ffi c e r a n d C H R O , a n d MedPeer, Inc. as Executive Officer and o t h e r p o s i t i o n s . A p p o i n te d O u t s i d e Director in March 2025. With her experience in corporate management as a Representative Director, HR organizational development as an Executive Officer and CHRO, and her extensive knowledge gained from working in various roles at companies with different organizational cultures, including Japanese companies, foreign companies, startups, and large corporations, she is deemed suitable to make critical management decisions and supervise business execution. 46 Fa cts & Da ta Reason for Appointment Go v er n a n c e Career S u s t ain abilit y Position Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Name
Executive Officer, CFO • Masayuki Shimura Outside Director Misa Matsuzaki Outside Director Naoko Suzuki Outside Director • HR & ESG & Sustainability Organizational Development • • • Industry Knowledge • • (E-commerce, Payment, Finance) International Experience • • • • • • • • • • Investment & M&A • • • • • Technology Go v er n a n c e Representative Director and Senior Executive Officer, CEO Legal, Compliance, Risk Management S u s t ain abilit y Yuta Tsuruoka Name Finance & Accounting Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Position Management Experience Fa cts & Da ta 47
and Compliance Committee identifies and assesses Recognizing the potential for physical, economic, or credit-related losses or risks that must be addressed in our business activities and deliberates on priority disadvantages that could seriously affect our Group’s management, we identify risks responses. The Risk Management and Compliance Committee is chaired by the across the entire company. After evaluating the impact and likelihood of the risks Representative Director, Senior Executive Officer and CEO, and comprises members identified, we manage and monitor our risk management structure and response selected by the chair. It meets quarterly, and risks recognized as particularly significant policies. Taking into account changes in our business environment, we work to avoid the are regularly reported to the Board of Directors. occurrence of risks or to implement improvement measures if they occur. Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Risk Management Structure S u s t ain abilit y PDCA Cycle for Risk Control 4 Action 1 Plan Improving Response Plans Organizing the Company-wide Risk Register - Led by risk owners - Action Plan 3 Check Implementing Response Plans Check Do - Led by risk owners • Based on the company-wide risk register, risk owners implement response measures such as risk mitigation, avoidance, and transfer 48 Fa cts & Da ta • Confirming whether each owner is properly implementing responses based on the risk response plan • Checking for the occurrence of incidents • Regular reporting to the Board of Directors • Identifying risks across our Group • Risk assessment (impact x likelihood) • Determining response plans and risk owners 2 Do Risk Monitoring - Led by the committee and secretariat - - Led by the secretariat and risk owners Go v er n a n c e • Reviewing the impact and likelihood of risks, and correcting risk assessments following committee meetings
Stagnant e-commerce and online payment service market growth caused by changes in consumer activity due to economic reopening and soaring prices • Business stagnation due to the introduction of regulations related to payments and the internet • Agile review of business plans • Investment in new technologies • Information gathering and lobbying • Liberating payments and finance through technology Competition • Intensifying competition by existing and new entrants in the independent e-commerce and online payment service markets • Maintaining a position as a predominantly chosen service • Strengthening marketing and feature development • Liberating payments and finance through technology Service Integrity • Our Group being held liable, as the provider of a trading platform, for actions of service users that threaten the integrity of the service • Refunds and damage claims due to fraudulent transactions • Establishing a specialized department to analyze transaction data possessed by the company using machine learning to detect and prevent inappropriate actions and fraudulent transactions • Ensuring a safe, secure, and healthy trading environment Human Resources • Business stagnation due to failure to hire and retain top talent as competition for talent intensifies • Strengthening recruitment • Human resource development and support for autonomous career building • Creating a company environment where everyone’s abilities can be maximized • Recruitment, development, and promotion of talent • Achieving DE&I • Providing a safe and secure work environment Compliance • Trust erosion, business activity restrictions, increased related costs, and damage to corporate value due to compliance violations or infringement of third-party intellectual property rights • Conducting compliance training to raise awareness of legal compliance • Establishing an intellectual property strategy, acquiring intellectual property, and conducting training • Corporate ethics and compliance Information Security and Information Systems • Legal liabilities and loss of the BASE Group's credibility due to the leakage of personal information • Inability to provide stable services due to large-scale system problems • Discussing and implementing security measures through the Information Security Committee • Raising awareness among officers and employees through information security training • Managing personal information in compliance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information • Strengthening server facilities and establishing appropriate internal systems • Information security and privacy protection • Ensuring a safe, secure, and healthy trading environment AI • The risk that, if our Group is slow to build an appropriate technology foundation and implement it in our products in response to the rapid evolution of AI technologies including generative AI, our competitive advantage relative to other companies could decline, stagnating business growth • The risk that unexpected malfunctions, information leaks, infringement of third-party rights, or other issues arising in AI-enabled feature development or business processes could lead to a decline in our Group’s credibility or claims for damages • Actively developing and offering new AI-driven value in our products, such as automating and streamlining shop owners’ operations and providing data analysis and recommendation features • Promoting AI-assisted coding support and business process automation in internal operations and development processes to improve development speed and maximize operational efficiency • Formulating internal guidelines on the use of new technologies and AI, and conducting ongoing monitoring • Liberating payments and finance through technology • Information security and privacy protection • Corporate ethics and compliance 49 Fa cts & Da ta Materiality Go v er n a n c e Response S u s t ain abilit y Risk Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Categories
large-scale disasters as a grave risk to business continuity. To ensure In addition, we formulate an annual BCP activity plan through the department prompt recovery while securing the safety of our employees and their families and overseeing BCP, and conduct regular safety confirmation and firefighting drills during minimizing the impact on business activities as our top priority tasks, we identify normal operations in anticipation of potential emergencies. Through such drills, we potential risks in advance and take various measures to prevent and mitigate them. In confirm that departmental role assignments and communication systems function June 2023, the BASE Group formulated Business Continuity Plan (BCP) regulations, correctly and smoothly in emergency situations, and implement revisions as necessary. established a crisis management structure led by the Representative Director, Senior The results of these initiatives are reported at the quarterly meeting of the Risk Executive Officer and CEO as the officer responsible for crisis management, introduced Management and Compliance Committee, which establishes mechanisms to discuss a safety confirmation system, and created various manuals (including a Disaster necessary response policies and monitor the status of those responses. Prevention and Preparedness Manual and a Critical Business Recovery Plan). Through Going forward, we will continue to implement a PDCA cycle based on the BCP regulations these efforts, we now have the capability to implement swift initial response in and will reinforce risk management. S u s t ain abilit y As a platform provider of payment and financial services, our Group views the Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Initiatives emergency situations and secure the continuity, early recovery, and normalization of [Crisis Management Structure] [Crisis Response Team] Go v er n a n c e Business Operations (Core Operations) Crisis Response Headquarters Crisis Response Secretariat Internal Support Activities 50 Fa cts & Da ta External Support Activities
Category / Item GHG emissions Scope1 t-CO2 0 Scope2 t-CO2 93 -Category 5 -Category 6 FY2025 Basic employee data Global warming prevention Scope3 Unit Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Environment t-CO2 t-CO2 t-CO2 338 Total employees Number of employees Men Persons 52 % 16.1 Average age Years old 3 5. 4 Average tenure Years 32 -Category 9 t-CO2 270 173 43.1 Total managers 35 228 % Percentage of women t-CO2 Persons Women 0.6 -Category 7 401 Number of managers Men 62 10 Women Percentage of women S u s t ain abilit y 4 Employment and DE&I 42 Mid-career hires Persons 17 Percentage of women % 59 . 5 Average annual salary Thousand yen 7 ,4 4 7 % 6 8. 7 Employment rate of persons with disabilities % 3.2 % 1 5. 0 Number of hires Governance Category / Item Unit FY2025 Board of Directors composition Internal directors (of which female) 2(0) Turnover rate Outside directors (of which female) 3(2) Work-life balance Board of Auditors composition Outside auditors (of which female) Executive officers composition Senior executive officers (of which female) Executive officers (of which female) Nomination and compensation committee composition (of which outside members) Persons Number of employees taking childcare leave (cumulative) 4(0) Men 8(0) Persons Gender pay gap 3(1) Childcare 3(2) Women Rate of male employees taking childcare leave Return rate after childcare leave Number of annual paid leave days taken Annual paid leave utilization rate 18 Persons 9 9 % 69.2 1 00 Days 11 % 77.6 *The employment rate of persons with disabilities represents figures for BASE, the parent company. 53 Fa cts & Da ta Paid leave 25 Women Go v er n a n c e Officers Wages Men
Basic Stock Information BASE, Inc. 44 77 Stock exchange listing Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market Total number of authorized shares 376,440,000 shares Head office Representative Director and Senior Executive Officer CEO Yuta Tsuruoka 37F Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower, 3-2-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Established December 11, 2012 Total number of issued shares 117,847,657 shares Business Web service planning, development, and operation Number of shareholders 29,742 8,847 million yen Number of shares per trading unit 1 00 shares Representative Capital Fiscal year end December 31 Record date December 31 Number of employees 401 (consolidated) Shareholder registry administrator Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation Affiliated Companies PAY, Inc., want.jp, Inc., Estore Corporation Shareholder Name Shareholder Composition Shareholding Ratio (%) Yuta Tsuruoka 16.16 Tachibana Securities Co., Ltd. 14.40 Hiroyuki Maki 6.63 MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC CLIENTS FULLY PAID SEG ACCOUNT 2.35 Strategic partners Yasuyoshi Yanagisawa 2.30 2.1 ％ Total number of issued shares Custody Bank of Japan, Ltd. (Trust Account) 2.22 Treasury shares 117,847,657 CyberAgent, Inc. 1.95 2.3% shares Ueda Yagi Tanshi Co., Ltd. 1.56 THE BANK OF NEW YORK 133612 1.54 Individual investors SBI SECURITIES Co., Ltd. 1.29 45.2 ％ Foreign institutional investors Management team 17.9 ％ 9.4 ％ Japanese institutional investors Go v er n a n c e 23.0 ％ 50.46 As of December 31, 2025 54 Fa cts & Da ta Total S u s t ain abilit y Major Shareholders (Top 10) Bu s in es s & S t r at egy Securities Code
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