taliki Fund Invests in ForestFolks, a Forest Asset Management Company, in Seed Round, Aiming for "Regions Where People Can Live with Peace of Mind for 1000 Years to Come"

taliki Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; Representative Director: Taka Nakamura; hereinafter "the Company"), operating the taliki Fund No. 2 (hereinafter "the Fund"), has executed an investment through a third-party allotment of shares in the seed round for ForestFolks Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture; Representative Director: Takashi Sakurai; hereinafter "ForestFolks"), which develops forest asset management businesses.

This Fund will dedicate its efforts to the business growth of ForestFolks and contribute to solving Japan's forest issues and building a sustainable value cycle.

■ Background of the Investment

Currently, while public funds are increasingly invested in Japanese forests, neglected forests that are not properly managed remain a significant challenge.

ForestFolks develops a forest asset management business that transforms forests into "sustainable assets" by combining the technology and wisdom accumulated in the field of forestry with the power of technology.

The company aims to build a new value cycle that benefits diverse stakeholders involved in forests. The Fund strongly empathizes with this vision and social significance and decided to invest to become a part of the company challenging issues that have been considered difficult to solve within existing frameworks.

■ ForestFolks' Initiatives

ForestFolks is promoting the establishment of a mechanism to visualize and manage the asset value of forests based on data through the development of its next-generation forest management system "Forester Earth."

This system digitizes the knowledge of experienced professionals in the field and combines it with highly accurate data to comprehensively manage forest management and asset value (such as carbon credits), thereby enabling the creation of new value from forests that have been difficult to monetize and have been neglected.

Furthermore, through collaboration with local governments and regional companies, the company aims to establish a community-based forest utilization model and expand it nationwide.

Scene of replanting in neglected and overgrown forests

■ Future Outlook

With this fundraising, ForestFolks will strengthen the following initiatives and plans to expand its business in multiple regions and launch the beta version of its system by the end of fiscal year 2026.

・Strengthening the development of the next-generation forest management system "Forester Earth"
・Establishing business models through collaboration with local governments, etc.
・Strengthening recruitment of specialized personnel

This aims to realize a model that transforms neglected forests from "liabilities" into "sustainable revenue sources."

【About Co-creation Partners】

Taking this fundraising as an opportunity, ForestFolks will strengthen collaboration with the following sectors. We are looking for partners to transform forest assets from "sleeping assets" into "value-generating assets."

Target Partners

(Value provided by ForestFolks and forms of co-creation)

Financial institutions and investors

Support for the formation of new financial products such as forest REITs and forest funds based on the visualization and evaluation of forest data.

Local core companies (civil engineering and construction companies, etc.)

Creation of collaborative businesses with companies interested in entering the forest management industry. Visualization of flood control and disaster prevention effects through forest maintenance. Establishment of a system to protect regional infrastructure by designing everything from forest maintenance to flood control works in an integrated manner.

Local governments and forest public corporations

Overall design of "town revitalization" beyond the existing framework of forestry (landscape, trekking, wildlife damage countermeasures, etc.) and automation of carbon credit creation.

Operating companies (brand companies)

Improving the asset value of idle forests owned. Development of forest utilization services linked to brand strategy and conversion to ESG evaluation.

Forest owners and investors

Improving the asset value of assets as a consignee of owned forest assets.

【Recruiting Now】

ForestFolks is currently recruiting colleagues who will change the future of local communities and the Earth together.

We are looking for "co-creators (core members)" who deeply empathize with our vision of "Connecting wonderful nature to the future - Sustainable forest management for 1000 years to come" and who can challenge this difficult, gritty, yet immensely potential industrial transformation with overwhelming passion.

◆ For recruitment positions and details, please visit the recruitment page on the official ForestFolks website.

https://www.forestfolks.jp/recruit

■ Comments from Each Company

Takashi Sakurai, Representative Director, ForestFolks Co., Ltd.

Forestry has wonderful on-site technologies accumulated over generations by our predecessors. We do not deny them; rather, we want to maximize their value with the power of technology and spread it globally.

While there are challenges in the current structure surrounding forests and forestry, we do not want to destroy it. Instead, by presenting new options, we want to work hand-in-hand with everyone involved in forests. So that children 1000 years from now can say, 'This forest is...