TOPICS

Startup
【Series】JIC VGI investee
startup’s DE&I
Vol.3 KOMPEITO Inc.
JIC Group has been actively promoting DE&I with the belief that DE&I helps us utilize diverse points of view, trigger innovation, and strengthen competitiveness. To promote DE&I in the Japanese fund sector and startup ecosystem, JIC officially announced its position on DE&I in July 2023, and since then has been implementing a variety of initiatives, including the introduction in December 2024 of a DE&I Promotion Policy describing why JIC Group promotes DE&I and its DE&I Goals. This series features JIC VGI portfolio companies that demonstrate the practical application of DE&I principles through: advanced initiatives that empower diverse talents regardless of gender, nationality, or disability; support employees seeking to balance work and childcare; or promote unique careers or ways of working. Interviews also include comments from JIC VGI venture capitalists.

Rikako Yoshioka
COO, KOMPEITO Inc.
Rikako joined Re.Ra.Ku (now Medirom) after graduating from university. Working in PR under the slogan “Earnings PR,” she became the youngest manager at the time. After working in PR at a telecommunications company, she joined KOMPEITO in 2017. Following positions in sales, marketing, and PR, she was appointed CMO in 2018 and made a director in 2020. She has held her current position since 2023.
Reo Oyama
Public Relations and Branding Group, PR Team, KOMPEITO Inc.
Born August 11, 1994 in Okinawa Prefecture. He has been playing para-badminton since 2021.Major Achievements
2023 HULIC DAIHATSU Para Badminton International 2023 Singles (WH1) Best 16, Doubles (WH1-WH2) Best 16
2024: 9th DAIHATSU Japan Para-Badminton Championships: Singles (WH1) Runner-up, Doubles (WH1-WH2) Runner-up

Mayumi Beppu
Venture Capitalist, JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd.
After graduating from university, Mayumi joined the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), where she was in charge of research on trade and investment policies and emissions trading. She worked at The Climate Investment Funds, which is affiliated with the World Bank, before joining INCJ in 2014, and is currently involved in investment in areas with significant social issues, such as healthcare, climate tech, and education. She joined VGI in August 2020.Offering support for working parents and athletes
KOMPEITO’s mission is contributing to improving ways of working and health-oriented management. This heart-to-heart talk with COO Rikako Yoshioka is about unique initiatives for maximizing employee performance. Also participating in the discussion is Mr. Reo Oyama, who works at the company and is also para-badminton player.
Please describe KOMPEITO’s business.
Yoshioka COO Our primary business is a welfare service called “OFFICE DE YASAI.” We offer healthy foods such as salads, deli, and fruit for refrigerators that are placed in offices. Customer employees can buy healthy food at a reasonable price, such as 100 yen. Companies, hotels, clinics…a variety of industries are using the service. We hope that we can contribute to improving ways of working and health-oriented management by making it easier for employees to access healthy food.
Beppu, venture capitalist, JIC VGI I evaluated the company’s business plans and conducted strict due diligence (analyzing the business, corporate value, risks, etc.) in order to make an investment decision as a capitalist. But I was also moved by Watanabe CEO’s pride in KOMPEITO’s products.

“OFFICE DE YASAI” helps a variety of people feel lively and work actively. Are there any specific initiatives to encourage the success of diverse employees?
Yoshioka By making it easier to take advantage of HR programs such as work from home, flextime, and reduced hours, we are trying to improve our workplace, so employees from any location and any lifestyle can feel comfortable.
Beppu You hired a lot of employees since our initial investment (Series C).
Yoshioka We hired more women, and in the process some issues came into focus. One of our new initiatives is securing 100 percent salary for employees working reduced hours following childbirth and coming back to the office for more than six months until the next evaluation. During this period, their lives are unstable but household expenses are increasing. Watanabe CEO came up with the idea of securing 100 percent salary to support them as they learn how to balance work and childcare.
Is there any difference between reduced hour work and full time work in terms of evaluation criteria?
Yoshioka There is no difference in the evaluation criteria. It depends on the work being assigned, but we basically evaluate our employees on their output, not on the length of their workday.
Could you talk about your support for athletes?
Yoshioka Some KOMPEITO employees are professional athletes. We count their athletic activities as work, setting a limit for work hours. They can also take special leave when they have games or participate in camps. We began hiring athletes out of a desire to support them as they pursue their dreams, but their strengths – such as persistence – work very well at office, too.
As female executive, what do you think of the fact that the ratio of female executives is still very low in Japan?
Yoshioka Fundamentally, I think that we should evaluate people on the basis of their skills and not their gender. But women still tend to be affected by life-stage changes, and we need to do more to change the current situation, which sees companies hesitate to appoint women to executive positions and women hesitate to take those positions. For example, some measures might be required to address the fact that executives are not entitled to childcare leave benefits. KOMPEITO’s motto is “Let’s build our own system when existing systems are not enough.” I hope to use my experience to make this motto reality.
This may be about stereotypes—the belief that executives are typically older than women who are pregnant or raising children.
Yoshioka I think other things are related to these stereotypes. Outsourcing of housework and childcare is still rare in Japan. If the commitment to women’s empowerment is serious, then this kind of culture needs to change.
■Interview with Reo Oyama, para-badminton athlete working at KOMPEITO
How did you join the company?
Oyama I had the opportunity to join KOMPEITO through Athnavi* employment support.
How do you balance work and athletic activities, such as participating in camps or traveling to competitions?
Oyama I rarely go to the office. I communicate with the company through online meetings. I know that in some other companies athletes do not go to the office, so I would like to continue being involved in the company in this way.
What do you think needs to be done to realize a society and companies where diverse people can feel empowered?
Oyama I became disabled in 2019. I am not sure if this expression is appropriate, but I suddenly found myself unable to do what I used to do, and often felt the difficulties of daily life. Barrier-free initiatives are being promoted in society, but people like me who are wheelchair users or physically disabled still face a lot of challenges. On the other hand, I think that both minorities and majorities are too sensitive about being hyper-aware of minorities who are actively taking part in society. I believe that looking past the differences between abled and disabled by being kind to each other and being inclusive is important for each of us.
*Athnavi is employment support system that matches companies and first-rate athletes.