KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND Invests in MaRI Corporation, Developer of Contactless Sleep Improvement Devices

●Combination of low-frequency sound irradiation technology and millimeter-wave radar technology to treat sleep apnea and monitor it
●Completely contactless devices to reduce burden of wearing devices or surgery for sleep apnea
●Expanding the potential of contactless smart sensing technology beyond sleep care

TOKYO, February 3, 2022 – The KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND *, a corporate venture capital (CVC) took a stake in MaRI Co.,Ltd. (MaRI) on January 14 2022. MaRI is a startup that develops solutions in the area of sleep health with advanced and completely contactless devices.
*: A joint CVC between Kirin Holdings Company, Ltd. and Global Brain Corporation. Details below.

About MaRI

MaRI is a start-up that develops devices for sleep apnea patients that can detect and treat the condition completely contactless. A start-up launched from Kyoto University, its concept is based on an idea generated in Stanford University's Biodesign Program - which develops products that meet the needs of the medical field - to achieve a completely contactless (non-invasive) treatment for sleep disorders. The sleep monitoring device - which can acquire vital data in a contactless and highly accurate manner - is expected to have commercial applications in a variety of situations other than the treatment of sleep disorders. By combining MaRI's technological capabilities with the Kirin Group's knowledge, the Kirin Group will explore the possibility of using the device not only in the sleep field but also in a wide range of other health science applications.

Reducing the Burden on Sleep Apnea Patients

Conventional treatment methods for sleep apnea syndrome include having to wear a special device and/or surgery, but these methods impose a heavy burden on patients, making the implementation and continuation of treatment a challenge.

MaRI’s device reduces this burden on patients by detecting and treating their sleep patterns in a completely contactless, non-invasive manner.

The device uses millimeter-wave radar, which uses high-frequency radio waves to measure the distance, angle, and speed of objects, and can acquire vital data such as heart and respiration rate with high accuracy from minute displacements on the body surface. In addition to the sleep field, the technology is expected to be applied to monitoring in hospitals, among other applications.

Purpose of Establishing the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND

Through the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND, Kirin Holdings intends to invest in startups around the globe that have innovative technologies and business models for resolving health issues, and to leverage their advanced health science technologies and solutions for improving customer experience. By combining the Kirin Group’s wealth of assets and competence in health science with innovations and technologies that startups will bring to partnerships, Kirin Holdings will be better able to bolster its existing Food & Beverages domain as well as step up efforts to launch new businesses in its Health Science domain.

Supplementary Information

(1)About the KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND

Fund name	KIRIN HEALTH INNOVATION FUND (registered as KIRIN and GB Investment Limited Partnership)
Primary sector for investment	Startups around the globe operating in the health science domain
Established	March 2020
AUM	5 billion yen
Investment period	10 years
General partner	Global Brain Corporation

(2)About Global Brain

Company name	Global Brain Corporation
Head office	10-11 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
President	Yasuhiko Yurimoto
Established	January 1998
Primary business	Venture capital business
URL	https://globalbrains.com/en

(3)About MaRI

Name	MaRI Co., Ltd.
Location	Kyoto, Japan
Representative	Hirofumi Taki, Ph.D.
Founded	November 2017
URL	https://marisleep.com/ (English)

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.

* Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.

GALLERY