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April 18, 2023

Tokyo (April 18, 2023) – Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced that Konica Minolta Marketing Services, Japan, Inc. (Konica Minolta Marketing Services), a consolidated subsidiary, has concluded a merger contract with GOURICA MARKETING, Inc. (GOURICA MARKETING).
As a result of this merger, Konica Minolta's shareholding in Konica Minolta Marketing Services is expected to be 10.5%, which will make Konica Minolta Marketing Services no longer be consolidated.

Background of the Merger

Konica Minolta is promoting the "selection and concentration" of businesses in order to transform its business portfolio by 2025. As part of this strategy, Konica Minolta considered reorganization of Konica Minolta Marketing Services, the Tokyo-based subsidiary in the marketing services field, and determined that the value of this business could be maximized and that Konica Minolta's asset-efficiency could be improved by drawing in third-party capital and external knowledge in addition to the experience and know-how that Konica Minolta has cultivated.

Konica Minolta Marketing Services

Konica Minolta Marketing Services provides services that optimize the marketing ROI of major Japanese companies by achieving DX (digital transformation) with its own ecosystem in order to cope with the high-cost advertising and promotional material management.

Specifically, Konica Minolta Marketing Services is focusing on the four services of Magonote, Go Insight, Go Works and Go Analytics. By visualizing the sales promotion activities of client companies that tend to become black boxes, Konica Minolta Marketing Services constructs and operates efficient and effective sales promotion processes.

Scheme of the Merger

GOURICA MARKETING is a special purpose company established by Kensuke Okamoto, a former CEO of Konica Minolta Marketing Services, to build a new management structure that will enable Konica Minolta Marketing Services to grow and expand its business.

GOURICA MARKETING plans to receive an investment of approximately 600 million yen from a fund run by Femto Partners Inc., which has a strong track record in start-ups in the IT field. Konica Minolta Marketing Services aims to grow its business under a new management structure by merging with GOURICA MARKETING.

Overview of the New Company after Merger

Company name	GOURICA MARKETING, Inc.
Head office	TQ Kayabacho, 1-7-9 Nihonbashikakigaracho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative	Kensuke Okamoto, CEO
Capital	900 million yen (including capital reserve)
Business overview	Marketing support services based on data science

Overview of the Merger (as of April 18, 2023)

1. Overview of surviving company

Company name	Konica Minolta Marketing Services, Inc.
Head office	JP Tower, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative	Hidenori Toyoda, CEO
Date of establishment	January 9, 2015
Business overview	Marketing support services based on data science

2. Overview of absorbed company

Company name	GOURICA MARKETING, Inc.
Head office	Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo
Representative	Kensuke Okamoto, CEO
Date of establishment	March 24, 2023

3. Schedule

Date of Merger Agreement Conclusion	April 18, 2023
Effective Date of Merger	Jun 1, 2023