News

JIC Venture Growth Investments (VGI) has made an additional investment in NearMe Inc. (NearMe) through its JIC Venture Growth Fund 1.

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NearMe aims to address inefficiencies in mobility and create a society where as many people as possible can move freely and continue living in the communities of their choice. To this end, the company provides a platform that matches regional assets with people’s needs, with the aim of contributing to regional revitalization. Currently, NearMe provides door-to-door mobility services utilizing existing taxis, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and other transportation resources through AI-powered shared rides. Starting with its Airport Shuttle service, the company has expanded its business to address a wide range of mobility challenges, including regional transportation and secondary transportation for tourism.

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The significance of this investment lies in contributing to improved productivity among transportation operators and the development of sustainable regional mobility by making effective use of existing transportation resources and improving the transportation efficiency of limited vehicles and drivers through NearMe. This marks VGI’s third investment in NearMe. Since VGI’s initial investment, NearMe has steadily increased the use of its Airport Shuttle service while expanding its business into regional transportation and other areas through collaboration with local governments and transportation operators. The company has also made progress in improving the profitability of its business.

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Through this additional investment, VGI will support NearMe in applying the technologies and expertise it has developed through its Airport Shuttle service to a broader range of mobility scenarios, including regional transportation and tourism, and in building sustainable regional transportation models. We expect NearMe to further contribute to addressing the mobility challenges facing Japanese society by advancing the deployment of its vision for a “fourth public transportation system” alongside trains, buses, and taxis.

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^{The information contained in this notice is current at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.}