P.25 Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets Strategy

25 Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets Strategy Our intellectual property and intangible assets supporting corporate value are the data on shareholders and investors, analytical know-how, and information management infrastructure accumulated over more than 20 years in the IR/SR field. We utilize these intellectual assets to support the realization of an optimal shareholder structure and enhance corporate value, while creating new value to promote capital market DX. Approach to Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets We define intellectual property as patents and other intellectual and intangible assets, including shareholder and investor data, know-how, and experience accumulated through business activities. Through the "Premium Yutai Club," we analyze shareholder composition and investor dynamics to support optimal shareholder structures based on each company's capital policy. We use these insights and data to enhance value for our client companies. Moreover, institutional investor and individual shareholder information are vital management resources supporting our business. In addition to obtaining PrivacyMark and ISO27001 (ISMS) certifications, we continuously strengthen information security from system and human management perspectives. We position the protection of information assets and customer trust as key management priorities. Intellectual Assets for Corporate Value Creation Our intellectual assets, which support our corporate value, consist of three elements: "data assets," "analytical know-how," and "information management infrastructure." "IR-navi" holds a database of approximately 4,000 domestic and 100,000 overseas institutional investors, centrally managing investor profiles, holdings, and meeting histories. Additionally, the "Premium Yutai Club" accumulates data on over 1 million individual shareholders and their behaviors, which we use for shareholder composition analysis, engagement improvement, and the sophistication of capital policies. We also achieve high reliability by combining patented technologies such as voting rights exercise systems and individual shareholder management systems, blockchain-based anti-tampering technology, and advanced information security systems. These intellectual assets generate competitive advantages that are difficult for other companies to imitate, form high barriers to entry, and support the sustainable enhancement of our corporate value. Current Issues (As-is) A challenge is that our specialized expertise in the IR and SR fields, which is the source of our value creation, relies heavily on human capital, making operations person-dependent and labor-intensive. We face the risk that securing and developing talented personnel could constrain business expansion. The key to sustainable growth lies in how we convert our vast accumulated know-how into organizational "intellectual assets" and increase productivity. Medium- to Long-term Goals (To-be) We will leverage AI technology to formalize (intellectualize) the advanced know-how of our specialists into systems such as "IR-navi" and "IR-port," aiming to transition to a scalable SaaS model. By moving away from a labor-intensive structure and shifting personnel to higher-level intellectual property creation tasks, we will improve productivity and build a robust revenue base. Initiatives for Innovation Creation We have launched IR-port, a new platform that uses our long-accumulated expertise and information assets in the IR/SR field through AI. It structures corporate disclosure information and streamlines processes from generating value creation stories to producing web content and various reports, while supporting more sophisticated stakeholder dialogue. By linking IR-port with institutional investor information accumulated in IR-navi and shareholder analysis expertise developed through Premium Yutai Club, we aim to evolve it into a next-generation IR platform integrating disclosure, dissemination, and dialogue. By combining AI with the expertise of our professionals, we will improve client productivity and corporate value while continuing to create innovations that lead the digital transformation of capital market communication.