SUMITOMO MITSUI TRUST INVESTMENT CO., LTD. (President: Norimasa Yoshida), in collaboration with Aozora Corporate Investment Co., Ltd.ad_group , has invested in ALPHA-1 Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter “ALPHA-1”), managed by alpha, Inc. through the Japan Next Generation Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter, "the Fund").

Alpha, Inc. is a venture capital firm with a team of members who have extensive experience in start-up investment. The firm's primary objective is to develop innovative solutions that align with societal changes by investing in early-stage companies, with a particular emphasis on start-ups that leverage Japan's unique strengths in areas such as anime and manufacturing, as well as those addressing Japan-specific challenges such as an ageing population and labor shortage.

The Fund has decided to invest in ALPHA-1 with the expectation that it will promote the growth of numerous start-ups by leveraging the network of each member and providing support to investees based on their past investment experience, thereby becoming a leading player in the venture capital industry in the future.

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.