We are aiming to enhance our corporate value by focusing on Corporate Funding Business, a core of our business, and at the same time expanding the scale of Asset Management and Crowdfunding Businesses.

I think one of our strengths is that we have many professionals who have extensive practical experience in areas such as real estate, IT, and back-office. Having such specialists in each area, we can make decisions quickly, and when we discuss matters across the areas, we can have deeper discussions and communicate very smoothly because we share knowledge from our own areas of expertise.

I am impressed by working with these professional members because they are detail oriented, they have a persistence for breakthrough, and they have ability to catch business opportunities. I think we are fortunate to work in an environment where our members with different expertise can motivate each other.

I am glad to see junior members are also working very hard.
We have started hiring junior members since around 2022, and I am very grateful that more and more highly motivated and talented people are joining our company.

I think another unique feature of our company is that we have a lot of members who have joined our company through employee referrals. 
I am glad to know this because it proves that people do trust our company and our members.

Speaking of our services, one of our strengths is that we continue offering “OwnersBook,” a crowdfunding service specializing in real estate.

Since we handle money, we do not want to end up like "Ryuto Dabi,” – a strong beginning and weak ending- but rather, we want to increase our presence as time goes by and become a trusted player in the market. With this single-minded desire, we have been expanding our market while focusing on detailed explanations about our business to both borrowers and investors.
There is a saying that “Continuity is the father of success,” and it is exactly through our continuity that we have been able to gain trust, grow our business, and see a new world.

We have clear eyes on IT, and I think this is what makes us unique.
IT is advancing rapidly, so there are fads that come and go. Our group is interested in new technologies and does research on them, but we are still carefully examining from various perspectives whether or not to enter into such fields.

Perhaps, we should show what we are doing within the company so that people can understand about us more clearly.
I personally do not think new technologies are an absolute requirement for creating a new market. Instead, there is a world that can be created by combining existing services with IT that has already been used on a daily basis.
Crowdfunding investment services are like this.

Crowdfunding for investment can only exist in an era where IT has advanced and we are always connected to the Internet. In the past, when people were required to put their seal every time they signed a contract, no one would have ever thought of a service that is available for a large unspecified number of people.
We believe that by breaking down the components of technology and putting them together, we can create a new world.

I wanted to democratize real estate investment.
The stock market is open to people in general. So, a variety of individual investors are now able to play as active a role as institutional investors in their own style. I would say that public equity market has been democratized. On the other hand, in the real estate investment market, there is still a huge wall between the domain for institutional investors and the domain for individual investors, and now individual investors are hardly allowed to enter the institutional investor's domain.

If individual investors can take part in the real estate investment market the same way as institutional investors, it will diversify their options for asset management, and furthermore, it will have a positive impact on the stabilization of the real estate industry.
We do believe that crowdfunding has the potential to change the infrastructure.

The reason we can conduct strict screening process of projects and continue to provide them to individual investors is that we have a lot of experienced members in various fields. When we operate “OwnersBook,” I believe it is an advantage that we can leverage knowledge, experience, and networks of our members, who have extensive careers in the real estate finance industry, such as real estate investment funds, real estate brokerage firms, appraisal firms, and banks.

Our IT members show outstanding performance, too. I think because our company is publicly listed, we are now able to run our business with an even higher level of awareness of the internal structure and compliance systems.

Another key factor is that we have successfully integrated our talents from both real estate and IT.

Real estate and IT use different terminology, but we are working together toward the same goal - Growing "OwnersBook".

In order for “OwnersBook” to continue to be a good partner with investors, we need to upgrade the “OwnersBook” platform to be more comfortable and secure, along with originating projects that themselves are of high quality.
To enhance the CX (Value of Customer Experience) of “OwnersBook,” we have in-house engineers and have established a system that allows us to systematically and quickly operate the site design, which is the interface to the site, system architecture, operation, maintenance, and so on.

Also, I think the entire company's will to grow crowdfunding sustains the development of the business.
It would be difficult to continue the crowdfunding service if we just wanted to stand out, make short-term profits, or get involved only with institutional investors of the same kind.
We want to update the real estate industry through the development of crowdfunding. We want to create a better future where more people are excited to participate in the real estate investment domain that has been specialized for institutional investors.
... then, we need the guts to deal with crowdfunding sincerely. It requires more steady efforts than we expected at the beginning of our business, but as a leading real estate crowdfunding company, we continue to take on challenges every single day, telling ourselves “With utmost care, we should grow this service that has tremendous potential.”

When we look at the sales of “OwnersBook,” it is small, but it does have a great influence on society and business.
From a social perspective, “OwnersBook” contributes to the stabilization of the market and the diversification of asset management options for individuals. Also, from a business perspective, it will help realize financing that does not rely on banks and gain recognition.

For the "OwnersBook" operation, we also make use of the real estate market information and the Group’s knowledge that we obtain from our daily activities in Corporate Funding and Asset Management Businesses.

As crowdfunding services have spread, the real estate investment market for small-lot products that require only a small amount of money and little effort to manage after investment has grown rapidly. I believe this trend will continue and the market will grow in the future.

I think security tokens (ST) will become more attractive in the future as the surrounding conditions improve. ST itself is a blockchain technology, and the key is what kind of mechanism can be applied on top of that technology.
Game-changing requires evolutions in both hardware and software. If technology is the hardware, then the software includes improvements in the surroundings such as regulations and systems, and good CX that many people will feel comfortable using.
The ST is still in the middle of development, and there are not many advantages to using it now, but as the systems surrounding the ST become more sophisticated and user-friendly, and as legal currency is replaced by the central bank's digital currency, we believe that the ST will become attractive enough to be introduced to individuals.

「開物成務 (KaibutsuSeimu)」

I would say “KaibutsuSeimu."
It means to bring out the full potential of everything so that it can fulfill its original role. It is my motto, too. 

Since our founding in 2012, I have been striving to create a company in which every member can fully demonstrate his or her own strengths. Particularly, with the launch of “OwnersBook,” we have been able to attract IT specialists to join our company. This has further strengthened our awareness of our “Mochi wa Mochiya” approach (“Better leave it to a specialist”). So, while we integrate real estate, finance, and IT together, we leave the hands-on work and how to proceed to those who are most knowledgeable in the area.

To leave the work to an expert in each area, the company also needs to create an environment in which our members can achieve results efficiently. By eliminating obstacles (e.g., internal politics, etc.) that would hinder the members from demonstrating their genuine abilities, the company encourages their spontaneous proposals, challenges, and efforts that lead to their personal growth.

I am delighted that as a result of such communication within the company, many of our members are enjoying working while making the most of their strengths.

「切磋琢磨 (SessaTakuma)」

I would choose "SessaTakuma.”
I think these words express what our company is like: “To further refine our learning and our human values. To encourage and compete with each other, and to grow together."

There is a limit to the amount of work one person can do. Especially for the Sales Department, we work with many people including various external partners and colleagues, assistants, and back-office staff who all support us.
Our sales team works toward the company's goal, not an individualistic goal, so all members are fully aware of and focused on achieving the company's entire objective.

We do not place value on individualistic achievement, but rather on teamwork so that our members work enthusiastically toward the company’s goal, collaborating and giving good influence on each other.
 

「質実剛健（ShitsujitsuGoken）」 

My words would be “ShitsujitsuGoken.” 
These words mean "simple and sturdy." It is one of the educational philosophies at my alma mater, and I keep it as my motto.

Like these words, I feel that most of our members are sincere and diligent. I feel that as the members, who have their own principles, continue to take responsibility for their own work, both individual members and the company itself continue to grow. As for IR and PR, we try to communicate with our stakeholders honestly about our group, in accordance with the fair disclosure rules.

I also believe that our corporate culture that respects each member's character serves as a foundation that encourages a personal fulfillment of each member and leads to solid actions with substance.

「雲外蒼天（UngaiSoten）」

I would like to say "UngaiSoten".

It means that if you work hard and overcome any ordeal, you can expect a pleasant blue sky.

When I first heard from Iwano-san that he wanted to create a service that would serve as a bridge between individual investors and real estate investment that has been specialized for institutional investors, it was not hard to imagine that there would be many obstacles to overcome, especially in the real estate investment industry, a market that has been highly specialized for institutional investors. In fact, we have gone through a series of challenges day by day because the real estate industry is huge in terms of market size, has many stakeholders, and has been highly complex and advanced. But, since we have overcome these challenges one by one with great care, the industry has changed to the point that many real estate companies are offering similar services like us. I know that we are still in the middle of a challenge, but I do feel that we have come so far. Of course, it is still challenging to persuade and promote new ideas and ways of doing business while respecting the traditional ideas and manners of those who have long been involved in the real estate industry. However, while doing so, I believe that we can open up a new market.

People say that where there is a will, there is a way, and I think this is true as long as the direction is right.

If you can go back, go ahead and take on the challenge, and even if you can't go back, ask yourself, “Can I truly contribute to the growth of the market and grow together with our company? Can we see blue skies as a result of our efforts? If the answer is “Yes,” then our company would say, "Even if it takes a long time, let's take good care of it and make it grow bigger!” So, I think it is easier for us to take on challenges to see the blue sky ahead of us.