T-NEXT Signs Basic Agreement with New York-based KHL1 Holding to Expand Japanese Food Content in the US East Coast

T-NEXT Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Group CEO: Noriaki Takahashi; hereinafter "T-NEXT") is pleased to announce that it has signed a basic agreement with KHL1 Holding Company, Inc. (Location: New York, USA; Representative: KwangHo Lee; hereinafter "KHL1"), which operates numerous premium Japanese restaurants primarily in New York, to expand top-tier Japanese food content in the US East Coast, including New York.

■ Background and Objectives
T-NEXT is a food content platformer with the vision of "making the world happy through food" and the mission of contributing to humanity through food content. Since its founding, the company has acquired global licenses for various top-tier Japanese brands such as ramen, sweets, yakitori, wagyu, and curry, achieving brand penetration and value enhancement in local markets through partnerships with leading companies worldwide. T-NEXT positions "food content" as its core business and, as a platformer connecting food values globally, expects to partner with hundreds of companies worldwide in the future.

Meanwhile, KHL1 is a restaurant group that operates numerous premium Japanese restaurants in the US, centered in New York. The company has established a high reputation and brand power by employing renowned Japanese chefs who have earned Michelin stars and developing high-end Japanese restaurants with unique concepts. The company also operates authentic Japanese and sushi restaurants in popular areas of central Manhattan, establishing a solid position as a premium Japanese food brand in the US market.

Furthermore, KwangHo Lee, the representative of KHL1, is gaining global attention in the US food tech sector and has been appointed as a co-representative of a company that is achieving rapid growth through aggressive M&A activities backed by massive fundraising. KHL1 plans to further expand its business by leveraging its business foundation and network.

Through this basic agreement, both companies will combine T-NEXT's licensing and product development capabilities for Japanese brands with KHL1's premium restaurant management expertise, brand building power, local network, and business foundation in the US market to maximize the value of top Japanese content and promote sustainable business expansion in the US East Coast area.

■ Future Outlook
With this basic agreement, both companies will jointly promote the expansion of top Japanese content in the US East Coast. KHL1 will accelerate brand development in the target area by utilizing its premium restaurant management expertise, local marketing power, brand building capabilities, and extensive network cultivated in New York. On the other hand, T-NEXT will strongly support the value enhancement and market penetration of each brand by leveraging its long-cultivated brand strategy, product development expertise, and operational construction capabilities. By fusing their respective management resources and knowledge, both companies aim to create new market value for top Japanese content in the US East Coast area.

At T-NEXT, we make "food content platform business" our core business, and by expanding our operations globally, we aim to achieve an IPO on the US NASDAQ market, reach a corporate value exceeding 100 billion USD (approximately 15 trillion JPY), and contribute to the happiness of all humanity.