SUMITOMO MITSUI TRUST INVESTMENT CO., LTD. (President: Norimasa Yoshida, hereinafter "the Company"), in collaboration with Aozora Corporate Investment Co., Ltd.ad_group, has invested in Beyond Next Ventures Fund No. 3 Investment Limited Partnership, managed by Beyond Next Ventures Co., Ltd., through the Japan Next Generation Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter, "the Fund").

Beyond Next Ventures Co., Ltd. operates with the mission of "Creating the Future of Society with Outstanding Challengers" and believes in the potential of innovative science and technology to enrich the world. To achieve continuous advancement in science and technology, the company supports deep tech startups, provides commercialization support for researchers aiming to translate research into business, recruits and nurtures management talent, and develops an ecosystem supporting commercialization through the establishment of shared wet labs.

Since its inception, Beyond Next Ventures has actively supported deep tech startups beyond investment alone, assisting researchers and entrepreneurs in the pre- and post-founding stages. The company's expertise in deep tech and its endeavors in new fields, along with its potential for future expansion, were highly valued, leading to this investment.

The Fund primarily invests in relatively young VC funds that target domestic startup companies, with the aim of discovering and supporting high-quality VC funds to contribute to the development of the domestic venture community.

The Company, as a limited partner in the Beyond Next Ventures Fund, will leverage the network of the Fund to foster collaboration with investee companies and further support the growth of Beyond Next Ventures.