Schole Inc. Strengthens Management System and Secures Funding to Expand Next-Generation Leader Development Business

Schole Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Sho Sudou; hereinafter "Schole"), whose mission is to "Unleash the potential of people and organizations through the power of theory and technology," is engaged in human resource development and organizational development support, centered on a business management simulation (BMG) supervised by Waseda Business School (WBS). We are pleased to announce that we have strengthened our management system and secured funding to further expand our business.

01. Strengthening of Management System

To expand the adoption of the Business Management Game (BMG) and further improve product quality, we have strengthened our management system in both sales/business development and product development.

Jun-ya Yasuhiko Appointed as Executive Officer

I have been appointed as an Executive Officer of Schole Inc. I decided to join because I want to engage more closely with the growth of business and people.

Through the launch and growth of various businesses, I have witnessed firsthand how technology can profoundly change the way people and organizations operate. "How to develop next-generation leaders" is a deep-rooted management challenge common to all companies, regardless of industry or size.

I am convinced that Schole is a unique company that can directly address this challenge with both theory and technology. We will move Schole's business forward together with our partners to contribute to the growth of as many companies and business professionals as possible.

[Career Summary]

Joined LINE Corporation as a new graduate, where I drove the customer success team for "LINE Official Account" and the launch of self-serve features for "LINE Ads." From 2023, I oversaw product management and business planning for "LINE Ads" as a department manager.

After serving as Product Lead for "LINE Ads" at LINE Yahoo Corporation, I joined Schole Inc. as an Executive Officer in 2026, overseeing sales, business development, and partner alliances.

Shizutaka Takayama Appointed as Lead Engineer

I have been involved in product development since Schole's founding and have now been appointed Lead Engineer.

Schole's product aims to create "moments of transformation for people" through the power of technology. Participants change their perspective and actions through serious discussions and by confronting the results of their decisions. We have been building the technological foundation to support this experience since our inception.

In the coming era, technology, including AI, will greatly expand the possibilities of human resource development. We will create products that support the growth of as many people as possible through the power of theory and technology.

[Career Summary]

After leading platform construction projects with major infrastructure companies as a developer at Fourdigit Inc., I joined Schole Inc. during its founding period. I have led product development, including BMG, and promoted the advancement of learning experiences utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI.

02. Funding Secured

To expand our human resource development business, develop new learning experiences for the AI era, and strengthen our management system, we have secured funding with Seibu Shinkin Capital Co., Ltd. as the lead investor.

Furthermore, we have also received investment from Hibishin Capital Co., Ltd., with a view to expanding BMG management training in the Kyushu region and contributing to the development of management personnel and next-generation leaders in regional companies.

[Investors]

・Seibu Shinkin Capital Co., Ltd.

・Hibishin Capital Co., Ltd. ・Multiple Individual Investors (University Professors, CEOs of Listed Companies, etc.)

Key Investor

Daisuke Usami, Representative Director and President, Seibu Shinkin Capital Co., Ltd.

Schole's management simulation "BMG" provides practical learning that cannot be obtained through lectures alone. It has the potential to exert a broad influence beyond individual company growth, reaching employees, customers, and the local community through its decision-making processes, thus possessing "leveraged social impact." We highly value its excellent concept and Mr. Sudou's outstanding vision, which led us to invest.

This investment is the first project under Seibu Shinkin Capital's "Social Impact Fund" and represents an important starting point for demonstrating a concrete form of "balancing social issue resolution with corporate growth."

As part of the Seibu Shinkin Bank Group, we will continue to work with Schole to maximize the creation of sustainable value in the local community.

Individual Investor Hiroaki Sugita

Professor, Waseda Business School

Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group

[Career Summary]

Graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology / Completed Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University (MBA)

After JTB, joined Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Served as Representative for Japan at BCG, and is currently Senior Advisor at the firm and Professor at Waseda Business School. Serves as an outside director for Unicharm, Calbee, ExaWizards, Luup, and NOT A HOTEL, and as an advisor for SkyDrive, Asuene, Farmnote, Iris, Acompany, LocationMind, Resilia, and DataLabs. Also active as a director of the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives).

Author of "Startup Techniques," "10-Year Transformation Scenarios," "Professional Management Staff," "Recruit's Amazing Creative Power," "BCG Style Strategic Sales," and others.

03. Future Outlook

Comment from Sho Sudou, Representative Director, Schole Inc.

It has been five years since our founding in 2021, and our business has grown to the point where over 50 companies have adopted our Business Management Game (BMG). This growth is thanks to the HR and organizational leaders who are committed to human resource development and organizational development, our partner companies, and above all, the participants who genuinely challenge themselves to experience simulated management.

We are extremely pleased that such encouraging individuals have joined us as colleagues, enabling us to move closer to our mission of "unleashing the potential of people and organizations" and to achieve the dual goals of "solving social issues" and "business growth."

Moving forward, with the support of our new partners, we will further enhance the quality of our training programs and products, including BMG, and contribute to the growth of more companies and business professionals.

In the coming era, AI will significantly change how people work and how organizations are structured. Therefore, the importance of the ability to think independently, make decisions, and create value by engaging others in uncertain situations will only continue to grow.

Schole will challenge new approaches to human resource development that foster and visualize individual practical skills through experiential learning that leverages the power of theory and technology, leading to the growth of people and organizations.

About the Business Management Game (BMG)

The BMG (Business Management Game) is a business management simulation supervised by Waseda Business School (WBS). Participants become the managers of a virtual company, make decisions on management strategy, marketing, finance, investment, and personnel allocation as a team, and reflect on business results based on those outcomes.

In an era of increasing business automation by AI, the importance of the ability to make independent judgments in uncertain situations is growing, and BMG provides an experiential learning opportunity to practically train this ability.

As a program for learning the overall picture of business management experientially, it is adopted by major companies for next-generation leader development, management training, new employee training, and cross-border learning programs.

▼Service Site▼

https://www.schole-corp.com/service/bmg

▼Service Introduction Video▼

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7qZiE_Tyrk

04. Schole Inc. Company Overview

Company Name: Schole Inc.

Location: 1-22-3 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Sho Sudou, Representative Director

Established: August 2, 2021

Business Activities: Development and provision of solutions related to human resources and organizations

URL: https://www.schole-corp.com/

Contact: https://www.schole-corp.com/contact