A press release article was featured in Japan’s Nikkei Sangyo Shinbun and online on November 11, 2022.

Mitsui & Co. in collaboration with NeU will begin providing a “Brain Training” service as early as 2023 to elderly care facilities to maintain and improve cognitive function for the elderly in the United States through THINKIE (registered in Delaware, USA). In this brain training service, the user will wear an ultra-compact brain activity sensor in conjunction with a brain training game app developed by NeU, where brain activity and numeric results are displayed in real-time.
The sensor is placed on the upper-left eyebrow and held in place with a headband, and connected to a tablet via Bluetooth. For example, on the game app screen, when the user selects a specified figure from among multiple figures that are lined up, the amount of brain activity changes, and the sensor measures it. The sensor, which was developed by NeU, is about the size of a business card and the sensor measures the brain’s rate of blood flow change using weak near-infrared light. Based on when the brain was active, the user is shown numerically how much the brain was stimulated and by setting monthly targets and training every day, individuals can maintain and improve their cognitive function. In addition, a “brain age” check is measured once a month to motivate users to improve their scores and gives users an idea of their progress. The game app was created by NeU and modified to meet the standards in the U.S. through THINKIE.
NeU, with its representative CEO Kiyoshi Hasegawa, is also led by NeU’s CTO Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, who is also a Professor and Director of Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), which is known for its brain science research. Combining the knowledge brain science and and Hitachi High-Tech’s portable brain measurement technology, NeU is constantly developing and providing services such as brain activity measurement devices and applications, one of which is THINKIE with exclusive sales rights in the United States.
In the United States, the development of new technologies that contribute to promoting health and disease prevention is on the rise. According to Kota Ageiwa, President of THINKIE, “the elderly facilities in the United States are ready to accept new technology, and the elderly have a strong awareness of disease prevention. There is an environment where people will pay for using the new service.” In 2021, when a trial version was tested at a high-end facility for the elderly in the United States, many individuals responded that they wanted to use it, which led to the decision to launch this business service. Similar services using ultra-small wearable sensors are said to be rare in the United States, so the idea is to first establish a track record in the United States and expand business in multiple countries in the future. In the United States, there are many businesses that operate multiple facilities for the elderly and THINKIE intends to increase the number of contracted facilities through marketing where a usage fee of about $1,500 per month per facility is expected.

Related Information
To promote overseas business development, NeU has implemented a capital increase through third-party allotment with Mitsui Bussan Co., Ltd. as a new underwriter. NeU Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kiyoshi Hasegawa; hereinafter referred to as NeU) and underwriter Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kenichi Hori; hereinafter referred to as Mitsui) has implemented a third-party allotment of new shares where the acquired funds will be used to promote expansion in Japan as well as overseas regions where the population is aging.
The need to solve problems related to human cognition is expected to continue to grow as more regions around the world face an aging population. At NeU, our mission is to improve people’s quality of life around the world based on the knowledge of cognitive neuroscience and portable brain measurement technology. In 2019, as a core product, NeU developed an ultra-compact brain activity sensor (the XB-01) which weighs only 30 grams and launched a cognitive function training solution in Japan that visualizes brain activity in real time. Since then, NeU has successfully repeated demonstration sales to active seniors and facilities caring for the elderly in regions such as Asia with results that showed improvements even in a short period of time.
In addition to underwriting the third-party allotment of new shares to Mitsui & Co., together, NeU has signed a collaborative agreement to develop the cognitive function training solution produced by Mitsui & Co. in the United States. Similar to Japan, the baby boomer generation in the United States is approaching the late elderly stage, and although the ratio of elderly people is about half that of Japan, the actual number of elderly people exceeds that of Japan. Thus, we believe that there is sufficient marketability to promote overseas business development (*please refer to data below).
In addition, the United States leads the world in innovation in the wellness field, and developing business solutions with Mitsui & Co. will enable NeU to develop other future healthcare solutions such as brain activity and cognitive function data in healthcare industry. Mitsui & Co. has launched a new company in the United States, which is scheduled to start operations in as early 2023.
NeU will also cooperate with Mitsui & Co. to carry out local customization of solutions and create solutions that suit individuals in the United States. Furthermore, we will expand our business in the Asian region, where the aging population is progressing rapidly.

*Data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
https://www.jetro.go.jp/ext_images/_Reports/02/2018/f4a0a12773c08667/201803usrp.pdf

Company Information

NeU Co., Ltd. (https://neu-brains.co.jp)
Location: 2-2-2 Kandaji-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Kiyoshi HASEGAWA
Established: August 2017
Capital: 175,000,000 yen (as of October 1, 2022)
Capital surplus: 704,000,000 yen (as of October 1, 2022)
Business description: Industrial application of brain science that combines “cognitive brain science knowledge” and “portable brain measurement technology”; providing brain science solutions such as brain fitness (cognitive function training, stress coping), neuromarketing consulting and so forth.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (http://www.mitsui.com)
Location: 1-2-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Kenichi HORI
Established: July 1947
Capital: 342,383,728,984 yen (as of March 31, 2022)
Business: Metal resources, energy, projects, mobility, chemicals, steel products, food, distribution business, wellness business, ICT business, corporate development with sales offices and worldwide networks. Utilizing information capabilities to develop various businesses from various perspectives, such as selling a wide variety of products, logistics, finance support and building international projects.