Article: Plant-based baked confectionery company Ovgo and Ishii Foods announce capital and business alliance, and appointment of Tomoyasu Ishii, Representative Director and President of Ishii Foods, as outside director of Ovgo

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プラントベースの焼菓子を展開するovgoと石井食品の資本業務提携ならびにovgo社外取締役に、石井食品代表取締役社長執行役員石井智康氏が就任のお知らせ

PRESS RELEASE

Plant-based baked confectionery company Ovgo and Ishii Foods announce capital and business alliance, and appointment of Tomoyasu Ishii, Representative Director and President of Ishii Foods, as outside director of Ovgo

OVGO Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Risa Takagi; hereinafter "the Company") has entered into a capital and business alliance with Ishii Foods Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Tomoyasu Ishii; hereinafter "Ishii Foods") and has agreed to acquire the rights to the new company as its Representative Director and President.

We are pleased to announce that Tomoyasu Ishii, our current Chief Executive Officer, will join the company as an outside director.

Background of the capital and business alliance and Mr. Ishii's appointment as an outside director

Since its founding, ovgo Baker, an American bake shop operated by our company, has had the mission of providing future-friendly food options that are considerate of the environment, animals, and all people. We manufacture and sell baked goods, mainly cookies, that are all plant-based and use organic, naturally grown, or domestically produced ingredients whenever possible.

In order to deliver our products to more customers, strengthening our manufacturing system and improving quality control have become important issues. Therefore, we will utilize Ishii Foods' extensive knowledge and experience to improve product quality, ensure safety, and promote food traceability. In addition, we will actively promote a sustainable growth strategy with the aim of further achieving sustainability.

Furthermore, by having Mr. Ishii serve as an outside director, we aim to bring a deeper management perspective and market understanding to the company, expand our business, strengthen our management foundation, and establish a structure for future growth.

Comment from Tomoyasu Ishii , President and CEO of Ishii Foods Co., Ltd.

It is both an honor and a new challenge to be involved with ovgo, a company that aims to bring happy smiles to everyone's faces through safe and delicious cookies. I will use my experience in business creation and transformation in IT and food manufacturers to contribute to improving the company's value while sharing both the difficulties and the excitement, and I will do my best to support the company in further promoting food traceability.

Biography

In June 2006, he joined Accenture Technology Solutions (now Accentia). As a software engineer, he was involved in building core systems for large companies and supporting digital marketing. Since 2014, he has been working as a freelancer, practicing agile contract development, and developing and building teams, mainly for venture companies. In 2017, he joined Ishii Foods Co., Ltd., which was founded by his grandfather. In June 2018, he became Representative Director and President. He is currently working on food production in collaboration with farmers, with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients. He is a certified Scrum Professional.

Comment from our CEO, Takagi

We are very pleased that Tomoyasu Ishii has been appointed as an outside director of our company. Mr. Ishii has a wealth of expertise and experience in the food industry, and we are confident that his support will not only strengthen our manufacturing system and quality control, but also greatly contribute to the sustainable growth of our business. We will continue to make use of Mr. Ishii's insight and advice on management as we work toward realizing "a future that is kind to everyone."

About Ishii Foods Co., Ltd.

In 1946, the company began manufacturing tsukudani in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, and began selling vacuum-packed products and small bags of boiled beans. In 1970, the company launched the industry's first pre-cooked hamburger, "Chicken Hamburger." In 1974, the company launched the familiar "meatballs" of "Ishii's Bentokun Meatballs." In order to maximize the natural flavor of the ingredients, the company is committed to "additive-free cooking," and is pursuing cooking techniques and true deliciousness that make the most of the natural power of the ingredients, such as flavor, color, and texture.

(Company Profile)
■ Company name: Ishii Foods Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market)
■Address: 2-7-17 Honcho, Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, 273-8601
■Representative: Tomoyasu Ishii, CEO ■Established: May 1945 (Showa 20) ■Capital: 919.6 million yen

(Related Links)
■Ishii Foods Official Website: https://www.ishiifood.co.jp/
■Ishii Foods Official X: https://twitter.com/ishii_official
■Ishii Foods Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ishiifood.co.jp
■Ishii Foods Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishii_official/
■Ishii Foods Official Note: https://note.com/directishii
■Ishii Foods Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ishiifood_official
■Ishii Foods Official Additive-free Cooking Specialty Store "Ishii's Online Store": https://shop.directishii.net/

About Ovgo Inc.

ovgo Inc. is a socially conscious brand that solves environmental and social issues through food. The company name is an acronym for "organic, vegan, gluten-free as options." The company operates a vegan bake shop called "ovgo Baker" that manufactures and sells baked goods that are all plant-based, organic as much as possible, and made with domestic ingredients. The company currently operates four stores, mainly in Nihonbashi and Harajuku, Tokyo, and in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In 2022, the company became the first restaurant in Japan to receive B Corp certification.
URL: https://ovgobaker.com/

Contact for this matter
ovgo.tyo@ovgobaker.com