- Expanding Sales and Overseas Business through New Investors and Improving Consulting Business - Studist Corporation, a growing Japan-based SaaS provider of Teachme Biz, a platform for creating and sharing standard operating procedure (SOP) manuals, and Hansoku Cloud, a sales promotion PDCA management platform, announced on April 19 that it has raised a total of 1.85 billion yen through a third-party allocation of new shares. In addition to existing investors DNX Ventures, Nippon Venture Capital Co., Ltd., and Salesforce Ventures, this round also includes three new investors: 31VENTURES -- Global Brain -- Growth I Project, a JPY 30 billion venture investment project jointly managed by Mitsui Fudosan and Global Brain, Pavilion Capital Pte. Ltd., a private equity fund under the Singapore government-owned investment company Temasek, and Hakuhodo DY Ventures Ltd. The two main purposes of this round of fundraising are to expand sales of Teachme Biz and Hansoku Cloud through Mitsui Fudosan and Hakuhodo DY group companies, and to accelerate business development in Southeast Asia through Pavilion Capital. Studist plans to use the funds primarily to improve the functionality of Teachme Biz and Hansoku Cloud and to hire and provide additional training for sales staff. In addition, Studist will expand and improve its consulting business in May 2021 and seek to recruit additional human resources for it. Alliances with the new investors will provide significant support for the expansion of Studist's business, including the following key opportunities. 31VENTURES -- Global Brain -- Growth I Project 31VENTURES is a venture co-creation project operated by Global Brain Corporation and Mitsui Fudosan, which operates commercial facilities such as the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport complexes and MITSUI OUTLET PARKs. Through this alliance, Studist expects to expand its reach in retail, a major target industry for Teachme Biz. Teachme Biz is already being used by Mitsui Fudosan group company Mitsui Designtec Co., Ltd., and introducing it at additional group companies will contribute to the promotion of digital transformation at the group. Pavilion Capital Pte. Ltd. Studist has been operating in Thailand since February 2018. It has been steadily expanding business there, achieving 70% growth in FY2020 despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, it began operating in Malaysia as well, with an eye to further expansion in Southeast Asia. Investment from a private equity fund, Pavilion Capital, is expected to provide support for Studist's ongoing regional expansion. Hakuhodo DY Ventures Ltd. The Hakuhodo DY Group provides integrated marketing solutions that include not only advertising but also in-store sales promotions and other measures that require intra-company information transmission. Studist's sales promotion PDCA management platform Hansoku Cloud and visualization manual Teachme Biz are therefore well-matched to the Hakuhodo DY Group's business, and the collaboration is expected to contribute to the growth of both companies. Additionally, the scheduled expansion of the consulting business in May 2021 will enable Studist to conduct pre-introduction trials, verify the effectiveness of Teachme Biz, organize post-introduction operations, assist in the transfer of existing procedures, and provide support in promoting the use of its services. With this more hands-on approach to implementation, it will be able to provide the best possible solutions for its customers. For comments from officers of the companies involved, please visit: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202104143649-O1-Kq2UrbGy.pdf With the springboard provided by this new funding, Studist plans to expand its sales of Teachme Biz and Hansoku Cloud to accelerate overseas business, especially in Southeast Asia, as well as to expand the consulting business. Studist aims to achieve 300 million yen in overseas sales in the fiscal year ending February 28, 2025, including sales at Studist (Thailand) Co., Ltd. About Studist Established in Tokyo on March 19, 2010, Studist is the growing SaaS provider of Teachme Biz, a visual standard operating procedure (SOP) management platform, and Hansoku Cloud, a sales promotion PDCA management platform. With amassed capital of 2.5 billion yen, Studist is pursuing a mission of "making communication easier" by seeking to eliminate data loss or delay in information delivery for enterprises and to create an intellectually vibrant society filled with the joy of knowing, thinking, and creating. Corporate website: https://studist.jp/ Teachme Biz website: https://teachme-biz.com/en/ Hansoku Cloud website: https://biz.hansoku-cloud.jp/ Source: Studist Corporation