Orange Inc. Strengthens Management System to Accelerate Global Expansion; Susumu Tsukamoto, who led overseas business at KADOKAWA and others, and Shota Isoda of Globis Capital Partners Appointed as Directors

Orange Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shigehiro Ugaki; hereinafter "Orange") is pleased to announce that, to strengthen its management system for accelerating global expansion, Susumu Tsukamoto, who has led overseas business at KADOKAWA and other companies, has been appointed as a Director, and Shota Isoda, Principal at Globis Capital Partners, has been appointed as an Outside Director, effective July 1, 2026.

Through these appointments, we will further strengthen our corporate governance, promote sustainable corporate value enhancement, and build a global management system.

Background and Objectives of Appointments

With the mission of "Creating a world where everyone enjoys manga," Orange has been challenging itself to expand manga globally since its founding. We have established a localization system that combines our unique technology with a professional translation and typesetting team, and we operate the manga app "emaqi," which boasts one of the largest selections of English-language manga, in North America. Our business is currently entering a full-scale expansion phase.

Mr. Susumu Tsukamoto, the newly appointed Director, has extensive knowledge and achievements as a leading figure in delivering Japanese manga and content to the world, including many years of leading overseas business at KADOKAWA and other companies. He has served as an advisor to our company since its early stages and has accompanied our business growth.

Furthermore, Mr. Shota Isoda, the newly appointed Outside Director, has experience in statutory audits and IPO preparation support at Azusa Audit Corporation. As a Principal at Globis Capital Partners, he has been deeply involved in supporting the multifaceted growth of numerous startups from their founding to rapid growth phases, as well as in investment and development. He has also supported our company's business challenges since its early stages.

By welcoming both individuals, who have a deep understanding of our business and high expertise in their respective fields, to our management team, we will strengthen our governance and supervisory functions associated with overseas expansion and rapid startup growth. This will further improve the quality and speed of our business decision-making in the global market.

Orange will continue to accelerate business growth, deliver Japanese manga to the world, and contribute to building a healthy ecosystem where profits are appropriately returned to creators. We aim to contribute to building the foundation for the future development of the Japanese manga industry while striving for sustainable corporate value enhancement.

Profile and Comments of New Director Susumu Tsukamoto

Susumu Tsukamoto

Joined To-han Corporation in 1980. Worked in magazine procurement for 10 years and overseas business for 8 years, serving as General Manager of Taiwan To-han for four and a half years. Joined Kadokawa Shoten (now KADOKAWA) in 1998. After establishing and serving as General Manager of Taiwan Kadokawa, he was involved in setting up bases in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Thailand, Malaysia, and North America. Appointed Director and Head of Overseas Business at KADOKAWA in 2012. Participated in the establishment of Japan Manga Alliance in 2015 and was appointed as a director. Served as Senior Managing Executive Officer at KADOKAWA from 2017 and as an advisor from 2019. Joined Mediabridge in 2020 as an Executive Officer in charge of international business. Appointed advisor to Orange in June 2024.

[Comment on Appointment]

I strongly resonate with Orange's mission of "Creating a world where everyone enjoys manga," and during my time as an advisor, I have become convinced of the potential of its unique translation workflow, which fuses the power of professionals and technology, and the global expansion of "emaqi." At Orange, each member deeply respects the works and their creators, and continues to approach their work with sincerity and earnestness to correctly deliver the original charm of the works to the world.

I feel a renewed sense of responsibility as I take on the role of Director and become deeply involved in management. I will dedicate all the knowledge I have cultivated through overseas expansion of manga and building alliances with industry stakeholders to Orange's growth. The joy of encountering wonderful Japanese manga, which fans around the world have been waiting for, in their native language without any time lag. To make such a future a reality as quickly as possible, I will vigorously drive this grand challenge forward with the team.

Profile and Comments of New Outside Director Shota Isoda

Shota Isoda

Engaged in statutory audit services for various industries including manufacturing, information and telecommunications, retail, entertainment, and energy, as well as IPO preparation support at Azusa Audit Corporation, a member firm of KPMG. Joined Globis Capital Partners in June 2020. Graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University.

[Comment on Appointment]

I have had a connection with Orange since its conceptualization stage and have supported its growth through investment. I am deeply honored to witness the process of its grand mission of global manga expansion being accepted and gaining resonance among publishers, industry stakeholders, many colleagues, and supporters.

Orange is now at a crucial juncture, aiming for further leaps forward by leveraging the foundation it has built to achieve its mission. As the social responsibility of business increases, I am committed to contributing with an even greater sense of responsibility than before as an Outside Director to enhance the quality and speed of decision-making and transparent governance. I will support this challenge from a closer position, aiming for a future where fans worldwide can enjoy Japanese manga.

Comment from CEO Shigehiro Ugaki

Orange is currently in a critical phase of further accelerating the global expansion of manga. At this timing, I feel greatly encouraged that Mr. Tsukamoto, who has a track record as a leading figure in delivering Japanese manga to the world for many years, and Mr. Isoda, who possesses high expertise in supporting startup growth and governance, will be joining our management team.

By incorporating the extensive knowledge of both individuals, we will further accelerate business growth by improving the quality and speed of management decisions. We will also further advance the creation of an environment where readers worldwide can enjoy officially translated Japanese manga in their native languages.

About Orange Inc.

Orange is a startup with the mission "Creating a world where everyone enjoys manga." We aim to realize a society where people worldwide can enjoy manga through our proprietary platform "emaqi," utilizing unique generative AI to translate manga into multiple languages on a large scale. We believe that accelerating the overseas distribution of officially translated versions will deter piracy and lead to profit returns for creators.

Company Overview

Company Name: Orange Inc.

Representative: Shigehiro Ugaki, Representative Director and CEO

Location: 1-14-14 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 35 Kowa Bldg.

Established: April 2021

Capital: 1.72 billion yen (including capital reserve)

URL: https://orange.inc/ja