STANDAGE Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akinori Adachi; hereinafter referred to as STANDAGE) and Kepple Africa Ventures Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takahiro Kanzaki; hereinafter referred to as Kepple Africa Ventures) have entered into a capital alliance.

STANDAGE provides a comprehensive trade platform service called "Shake Hands Contract" (hereinafter referred to as SHC), which can handle all trade operations from matching sellers and buyers to payment, financing, and cargo delivery.
We have a local subsidiary in Nigeria and can help match Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises with local African companies, which has been a high hurdle for them, as well as providing support for various trade procedures, including translation services. This makes it possible to enter into transactions that were previously difficult, and expands trade opportunities.

Kepple Africa Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Kenya and Nigeria that invests in African startups with the mission of "creating new industries from Africa." Currently, the firm has invested in 50 companies in seven African countries. The firm also supports collaboration between investee companies and Japanese companies, aiming to create new industries in healthcare, fintech, agriculture, logistics, and more.

Through this capital alliance, we aim to further popularize SHC services in Africa by leveraging Kepple Africa Ventures' extensive network of local companies in Africa.
In addition, by having Kepple Africa Ventures' investee companies utilize SHC, the two companies aim to jointly create new business in the areas of trade and logistics between African and Japanese companies.

Comment from the CEO
[STANDAGE Co., Ltd. President and CEO: Akinori Adachi]

When I met with Kepple Africa Ventures, I felt that they were like-minded people who recognized the potential of the African market. Furthermore, the members are all professionals based in the African market, and I felt a connection with them as pioneers who make direct investments in African startups. I was convinced that we could grow together. We are pleased to be the first Japanese company to partner with them in capital, and we hope to use this partnership as an accelerator to create a business that will change the world, originating from Japan and Africa.

[Kepple Africa Ventures General Partner: Satoshi Shinada]

The moment I met the members of STANDAGE for the first time in June 2019, I was struck by their vitality and drive. I had an intuition that together with these people, I could travel around the country and create a new system for Japanese companies to enter the chaotic and huge growing market of Africa.
Since then, through repeated discussions in Nigeria and Tokyo, STANDAGE's efforts have accelerated and our investment portfolio has expanded. With this capital alliance as an opportunity, we would like to make even greater strides as a consortium of Japanese companies representing Africa.

About Kepple Africa Ventures
Founded in October 2018. Based in Kenya and Nigeria, the company works in collaboration with Kepple Inc., which supports startups and investors.
A venture capital firm whose mission is to "create new industries in Africa" is to invest in African startups and support companies looking for partners and investment opportunities in Africa.
Official website:https://kepple-africa-ventures.com/
Kepple Corporation official website:https://www.kepple.co.jp/

If you are an interested company, please feel free to contact us.

[Contact Information]
Shiba NA Building 4F, 3-6-10 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0014
STANDAGE Co., Ltd.
President and CEO: Akinori Adachi
Executive Vice President/COO: Kenta Omori
Press Contact Email: info@standage.org