CARADA Medica Inc. (hereinafter, “CARADA Medica”), Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”), and MTI Ltd. (hereinafter, “MTI”) have long been working towards the improvement of working women’s health issues. To continue to further this aim, these companies have founded LIFEM Inc. (hereinafter, “LIFEM”), which will be launched on July 1, 2022 to become a leading company aiming to build a society in which everyone can work comfortably.

■Background
Based on a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry*1 survey, 94% of working women who have menstruation-related symptoms and 95% of working women who are aware of menopausal symptoms feel that these symptoms affect their work performance. In addition, the frequency of using infertility treatments is on the rise; for instance, about 1 in 14 newborn babies were born through assisted reproductive technology in 2018.
Meanwhile, the rate of taking low-dose birth control pills, a treatment for menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), is low in Japan, and reluctance to get gynecological examinations is still high. Currently, there is a widespread recognition that the various effects of women’s health issues, such as abandonment of career due to menopausal symptoms and difficulty in balancing fertility treatment with work, should be addressed and resolved by society.
CARADA Medica, Marubeni, and MTI formed a business alliance in July 2021 to develop and provide a Femtech*2 service for companies to support the improvement of health issues for working women. This service, which supports companies to take initiatives to improve women’s health issues, was selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to receive the Femtech Support Service Demonstration Project Cost Subsidy*3 in FY2021. In March 2022, the service was officially named “LunaLuna Office.”
By utilizing the knowledge and know-how of each company’s Femtech and strengthening cooperation among the founding companies, LIFEM will promote the construction of a system that supports the improvement of working women’s health issues and become a leading company that attains a society where everyone can work comfortably.

■Our Thoughts on the Company Name
“LIFEM” is a combination of the words “Life” and “Female,” reflecting our aim to create a society where women can thrive at work in all stages of life.
By creating such a society, we can provide a comfortable working environment not only for working women but also for all employees who work together. As a result, we also want to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE & I)*4 and contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of Japanese companies.

■Future Outlook
In addition to providing services related to improving the health issues of working women, we aim to improve societal literacy of women’s health issues by sharing data on the current work conditions of women with health issues and the results of “LunaLuna Office” effectiveness verification in workplaces where the service was introduced.
We will also develop and provide a variety of solutions and services to broadly support the improvement of health issues and promotion of understanding of each life stage of women.
Through LIFEM, CARADA Medica, Marubeni, and MTI will continue to spread awareness that health issues for working women are also management issues for companies and taking steps to change Japanese society into one that is kind and attentive to individuals’ health conditions and personal circumstances.

■LIFEM Company Profile
Trade name:	LIFEM Inc.
Scheduled establishment date:	July 1, 2022
Capital:	200 million yen
Location:	3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director:	Seitaro Sugawara

References:
*1. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Survey Report: Survey on the Effects and Issues of Changes in Working and Living Styles on the Future Japanese Economy Report (in Japanese)
Link to Report:https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/economy/jinzai/R2fy_femtech.pdf (Pages 4 and 5)
*2. Femtech: A coined word that combines “female” and “technology,” where technology is used to solve women’s health problems.
*3. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry support service: Femtech Demonstration Project Cost Subsidy Demonstration Company webpage (in Japanese)
Link: https://www.femtech-projects.jp
*4. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE & I): A concept that adds “equity” to “D & I,” which represents the “diversity” and “inclusiveness” of human resources.

■“LunaLuna Office”
“LunaLuna Office” is a digital healthcare service which utilizes “LunaLuna Online" to provide comprehensive support for women, from improving women’s health issues to verifying their effects. We support working women in various life stages, from menstrual and PMS symptoms to seminars on pregnancy, infertility, and menopausal symptoms, and offer consultations with obstetricians and gynecologists.
Click here for more details (in Japanese).

■Company Overviews
CARADA Medica
Company name	CARADA Medica Inc.
Representative	Seitaro Sugawara, Representative Director
Headquarters location	3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tokyo Opera City Tower 35F
Website	https://caradamedica.co.jp/
Business areas	Telemedicine system for obstetrics and gynecology “Luna-Luna telemedicine system” We are developing and operating “CARADA telemedicine system,” a system that can provide both online medication guidance, and “CARADA Health Counseling,” a health Q&A site that allows you to consult specialists to discuss your physical and mental health problems.
MTI
Company name	MTI Ltd.
Representative	Toshihiro Maeta, President and Chief Executive Officer
Headquarters location	3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tokyo Opera City Tower 35F
Website	https://www.mti.co.jp/eng/
Business areas	With our abundant achievements and know-how, we provide services that can enrich and make everyday life more convenient by utilizing ICT such as "music.jp" and "Luna Luna," "Healthcare," "Fintech," "Music/E-Books," and "Life Information." In 2012, we established the Healthcare Divison to support the health of a wide range of generations so that more people can have healthy and prosperous lives.

Contact Information
Marubeni Corp.　 Media Relations Sec.
Tel.: 03-3282-4020
E-mail: tokb192@marubeni.com