Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-icap No.2 Fund"), with Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation ("Kyoto iCAP") (Head Office: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Kimi Kusumi) as unlimited liability partner, has made an additional investment in Kyoto University startup Mari Inc. ("Mari") (Head office: Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Hirofumi Taki), a start-up company originating from Kyoto University.

Outline of this investment
Mari is a startup that promotes the commercialization of a medical device that treats sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in a completely non-contact manner based on technology developed with Professor Takuya Sakamoto of Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering and Professor Toyohiro Hirai of Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Respiratory Medicine.

SAS is a sleep disorder that causes apnea and hypopnea during sleep. In addition to causing economic losses due to daytime sleepiness and falling asleep, SAS can lead to serious cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and coronary artery disease if left untreated, and it is estimated that there are more than 400 million patients worldwide, mainly in developed countries. Currently, the main treatment for SAS is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, but the rate of continuation of treatment is only about 50% due to the lack of subjective symptoms, and as a result, treatment of SAS and prevention of progression to more serious diseases are not sufficient, resulting in economic losses.

Mari, together with Prof. Sakamoto and Prof. Hirai, has been promoting the development of SAS treatment devices based on completely non-contact biometric monitoring technology.

Kyoto iCAP, in collaboration with MedVenture Partners and three other companies, invested an additional 100 million yen out of a total of approximately 340 million yen in a third-party allotment of new shares, in recognition of the fact that the medical devices developed by Mari are expected to bring good news to SAS patients and to be an example of medical-industrial collaboration from Kyoto University, which is expected to become even more active in the future. The company has made an additional investment of ¥100 million out of a total of approximately ¥340 million in third-party allotment.

Outline of Mari Corporation
Established November 2017
Business Development of equipment for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea syndrome
Head office Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Hirofumi Taki, Representative Director
HP: https://marisleep.co.jp/

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.(Kyoto-iCAP)About
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyoto University, KYOTO-iCAP provides investment and other business support to companies that utilize research results generated by Kyoto University and other national universities. We currently operate the Innovation Kyoto 2016 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-iCAP 1 Fund") (established in January 2016) with a total value of 16 billion yen and the KYOTO-iCAP 2 Fund (established in January 2021) with a total value of 18 billion yen. The KYOTO-iCAP No. 1 Fund has a maturity of up to 20 years, and the KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund has a maturity of up to 17 years, making it possible to provide long-term support for the practical application of research results from Kyoto University, which has strengths in basic research. The KYOTO-iCAP 2 Fund has a maximum maturity of 17 years. In addition, KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund will invest a portion of the funds in ventures originating from national universities other than Kyoto University.

Contact information for inquiries
Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317, Japan
Osami Kono, Senior Officer, Business Development Department
TEL: 075-753-7588 FAX: 075-753-7592
E-mail: info@kyoto-unicap.co.jp