Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Launches "Amino Vital® ONE" Jelly Drink, Its First Fan Community Co-Created Product, on April 1st ~Over 100 Prototypes, A Product Filled with the Voices and Passion of 1,400 People~

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (President: Shigeo Nakamura, Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) announced that it will launch "Amino Vital® ONE" jelly drink, a new product containing 10,000mg of amino acids, the largest amount in the brand's history, from "Amino Vital®" which supports amino acid supplementation based on sports nutrition science. It will be available nationwide at sports retailers and EC channels from Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

This product was born through a joint development project with over 1,400 athletes belonging to the company's fan community "Amino Vital® Athlete Club." Promoting fan marketing in recent years, this is the company's first foray into a co-creation product built from scratch with members of a fan community, marking over 100 years of the company's history.

Furthermore, prior to the launch, a new product unveiling event "THE NEXT" for fans was held on Tuesday, March 31, at TRUNK HOTEL ONDEN (Shibuya).

## Development Background: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.'s First Product Development Through "Fan Community Co-creation"

In addition to its long-cultivated marketing style, including product development and advertising production based on unique strategies, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has recently been aiming for "fan marketing," which directly connects with customers and co-creates value. A symbolic product of this approach is the "Amino Vital® ONE" jelly drink, newly launched by "Amino Vital®," which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

The development of this product began with interviews and dialogues with members of the "Amino Vital®" brand's fan community, "Amino Vital® Athlete Club." The club was established in 2024 and has over 1,400 members who primarily enjoy sports, especially triathlon. Athletes with Olympic experience and top-level competitors participate as community ambassadors, engaging in daily training sessions and seminars, making it the company's most active and highly engaged community.

The community members expressed three needs that triathletes prioritize during exercise: "sustainable energy source," "electrolyte replenishment," and "recovery support." Furthermore, it became clear that being refreshing and easy to drink and consume during intense exercise, as well as having an appealing design, were also crucial elements.

To meet these needs, this product was born through thorough dialogue, including interviews and surveys with members, flavor voting and tasting sessions to pursue the ideal taste, participation in development meetings, and soliciting opinions on package design.

This year, with many international sports competitions being held, can be called a "Sports Golden Year," and there is an increasing number of sports players who are seriously dedicated to their hobby of sports with the same enthusiasm as their work and family. "A