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2014.08.27

Mung bean cultivation social business joint venture in Bangladesh
Notice regarding acquisition of shares, etc.

Euglena Co., Ltd.

 Euglena Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, President: Mitsuru Izumo) acquired shares of Grameen Yukiguni Maitake Ltd. (hereinafter, "GYM") in Bangladesh on August 27, 2014. We are pleased to inform you that we have signed the "Share Transfer Agreement" to be acquired on October 1, 2014.

 GYM is a joint venture established in Bangladesh by Grameen Krishi Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "Grameen Krishi Foundation") of the Grameen Group led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus (2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner), Yukuni Maitake Co., Ltd., and Kyushu University. As a social business aimed at improving income and living in rural areas suffering from poverty, we are working on the mung bean cultivation "Mung bean Project", which is the raw material for sprouts. GYM's efforts are also the world's first social business in the agricultural field, and have been highly evaluated both in Japan and overseas.

 We opened the Dhaka office on October 1, 2013, and started the "Euglena GENKI Program" on April 1, 2014, which distributes cookies containing euglena to children in Bangladesh free of charge. The program is a non-profit business run with funding from the Company and its sponsors, and has the same values as GYM's social business in that it contributes to the social significance of solving nutritional problems for children in Bangladesh.・ I have a sense of mission. Through the acquisition of shares, etc., we will promote further contributions to the development of Bangladesh and aim to raise awareness of Euglena in anticipation of future business development in Bangladesh. In accordance with the purpose of establishing GYM's company, in principle, all profits earned locally by GYM will be applied to local social business.
 In Japan, we anticipate profits from selling mung beans imported from GYM to bean sprout makers in Japan, and we plan to grow into our profitable business in the future.

 The details are as follows.

About the business outline of Grameen Yukiguni Maitake Ltd. (GYM)

■ Outline of future Mung bean project
■ Outline of future Mung bean project

 

Source: Refer to the chart on the Yunus Center homepage (http://www.muhammadyunus.org/index.php/japanese/1260-grameen-yukiguni-maitake)

■ Benefits of Mungbean Project for Bangladesh
 In Bangladesh, although the majority of the population is farmers, there is a lot of poverty in rural villages and farmers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to create jobs and provide nutritious food in rural areas. Through this project, GYM will create jobs for the poor in rural areas by cultivating mung beans, and will contribute to improving nutrition in rural areas by selling highly nutritious green beans locally at low prices. In addition, by introducing Japanese agricultural technology and high-tech system, we will support farmers to acquire cultivation techniques and improve yield, quality and income per unit.

■ Benefits of Mungbean Project for Japan
 In Japan, almost 100% of the mung beans that are the raw material for bean sprouts consumed domestically depend on imports from overseas. In addition, about 90% of this is from China (and about 10% is imported from Myanmar), and the recent rise in global food prices has caused a significant increase in the price of mung beans as well as other grains. By importing mung beans cultivated in Bangladesh by GYM into Japan, Japanese bean sprouts manufacturers will secure a source of mung beans other than China, avoid risks to future bean sprouts production, and respond to market price fluctuations. It will be possible.

■ Benefits of Mungbean Project to our company
 In Japan, we anticipate profits from selling mung beans imported from GYM to bean sprouts makers in Japan, and in light of the potential demand for cheap mung beans other than China in Japan, we will continue to do so in the future. Our policy is to grow into a profitable business. On the other hand, in Bangladesh, we aim to realize our corporate philosophy of "Health for people and the earth" by newly incorporating it into a social business that has the same values and sense of mission as our company, and at the same time, with the Grameen Group. By strengthening the relationship and raising the local name, it will be possible to lay the groundwork for the future development of the Euglena food business in the local area.

 

Acquisition of shares of Grameen Yukiguni Maitake Ltd. (GYM)

■ Overview of GYM

(1) Name Grameen Yukiguni Maitake Ltd.
(2) Location Grameen Bank Complex, Level-13, Mirpur-2, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh
(3) Title and name of the representative Chairman: Professor Muhammad Yunus
(4) Business content Cultivation, sale and export of mung beans in Bangladesh, etc.
(5) Capital 7 million Bangladesh Taka (BDT)
(6) Date of establishment July 11, 2011
(7) Major shareholders and holding ratio Grameen Krishi Foundation: 50.51% common stock
Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd .: common stock 49.49%, preferred stock 100%
(8) Relationship between listed company and the company concerned Capital ties None
Human relations None
Business relationship None
(9) Financial status of the company
(End of December 2013)
Net assets: 12,597,000 BDT
Total assets: 109,263 thousand BDT

■ Acquisition partner of shares, etc.
 Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd.

■ Outline of shares to be acquired and acquisition price
 (1) All GYM shares owned by Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd. (common shares equivalent to 49.49% of voting rights and non-voting preferred shares), (2) All GYM shares owned by Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd. Receivables (the right to claim the refund of the advance payment for the purchase of mung beans, which is offset against the price when the mung beans are imported), and (3) Bean sprouts-related trademarks owned by Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd .: A total of approximately 23 million yen

■ Expected acquisition date of shares, etc.
 After completing the necessary procedures, the acquisition is scheduled to be completed on October 1, 2014.

■ Future outlook
 Since October 1, 2014 is the planned acquisition date for shares, etc., there will be no impact on the consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending September 2014.
 The consolidated earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending September 2015 is planned at the time of the announcement of the financial results for the fiscal year ending September 2014.

<About Euglena Co., Ltd.>
 Sales: 2,091 million yen (consolidated, FY09 / 13)
 Number of employees: 81 (consolidated, as of August 1, 2014)
 Business: In 2005, we succeeded in developing the Euglena Utilizing that Euglena, functionality
      In addition to developing and selling foods and cosmetics, we are conducting research for water purification and biofuel production. Listed on TSE Mothers in December 2012.

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-Contact for inquiries from the press-
Euglena Co., Ltd. Public Relations and IR Division

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