Alpaca.Lab Inc. Changes Company Name to AIRCLE Inc.

Alpaca.Lab Inc. (Location: 1111-1 Minamiuehara, Nakagami-gun, Nakagusuku-son, Okinawa; Representative Director: Ikuma Tanahara), which operates the designated driver dispatch platform "AIRCLE," announced that it will change its company name to AIRCLE Inc. on April 2, 2026.

Background and Purpose

Since its establishment, our company has been working to solve social issues under the mission of "creating standards for problem-solving from Okinawa, a prefecture at the forefront of challenges." However, as we progressed with our business, we realized anew that the designated driver industry itself is a social issue with structural complexities. Transforming the entire industry is not merely about service improvement; it involves a difficulty equivalent to redesigning a social system.

The environment surrounding the drivers who support mobility is deeply rooted in structural distortions of "inefficiency, uncertainty, and unfairness," which are problems that cannot be resolved by individual efforts alone. The burden of these distortions is currently concentrated on the drivers who form the core of the service.

That is why we have made it our mission to confront these structural distortions head-on. To demonstrate this resolve, we decided on "selection and concentration," clarified our business focus, and changed our company name to our service name.

Refreshed Vision and Mission, and a New Promise

With the company name change, we have redefined our VISION and MISSION.

The inefficiency, uncertainty, and unfairness surrounding drivers who support mobility are social issues created by structural distortions that cannot be overcome by individual efforts.

• Enabling efficient work styles through platformization.

• Ensuring efforts are fairly evaluated and recorded as achievements.

• Allowing individuals to choose work styles that suit them, regardless of employment type.

We aim for a society where all drivers can handle their work styles and lives more freely.

We will platformize a driver-centric market where value can be continuously provided under fair compensation. Our mission is to implement infrastructure that moves people, goods, and society, responding to diverse social needs beyond just mobility and contributing to the resolution of social issues.

In designing mobility infrastructure, we hereby declare our commitment to ensuring safety and security for all drivers and customers. "Security" through transparent management decisions and revenue forecasts, and "safety" through the prevention of accidents, drunk driving, and troubles. By guaranteeing these two, we aim to create a platform where everyone can participate with peace of mind.

About AIRCLE

AIRCLE is a designated driver dispatch platform launched in August 2020 with the aim of solving issues in the designated driver industry. When users request a dispatch from their smartphone, an efficient algorithm utilizing location information matches them with the optimal designated driver service. The time required to confirm a dispatch averages 13 seconds, and the average arrival time is just 7 minutes, achieving over 80% time reduction compared to traditional phone orders.

By allowing only certified and insured operators to register, we provide safe and secure services to users. We also offer business support functions to drivers, enabling them to manage daily operations such as order reception, order processing, and driver management in one place, promoting DX in an analog and inefficient industry.

Approximately four years since its launch, the service has surpassed 200,000 cumulative downloads. It is currently deployed in 7 areas: Okinawa, Fukuoka, Wakayama, Miyazaki, Saitama, Kumamoto, and Ibaraki prefectures, and has grown into one of Japan's largest designated driver dispatch services with over 400 affiliated operators and 900 escort vehicles registered.

Future Outlook

By implementing AIRCLE as social infrastructure nationwide, we aim to realize a society where drivers can freely handle their work styles and lives. We will establish a model for solving one social issue, the designated driver industry, and apply that knowledge and mechanism to other structural social issues.

Comment from Representative Director Ikuma Tanahara

The company name change is a strategic decision to confront the "microcosm" of social issues in the designated driver industry head-on and focus on changing its structure. The name Alpaca.Lab embodied the founding spirit of "creating standards for social problem-solving from Okinawa." That spirit remains unchanged. However, as a path to realizing that dream, we have now chosen to challenge the redesign of the designated driver industry through the AIRCLE platform. We believe that building an industry where workers are rewarded, and accumulating such efforts, will eventually become a model for solving other social issues.

Summary of Changes

Company Profile

Company Name: AIRCLE Inc. (formerly Alpaca.Lab Inc.)

Location: 1111-1 Minamiuehara, Nakagami-gun, Nakagusuku-son, Okinawa

Representative: Ikuma Tanahara, Representative Director

Established: August 27, 2018

Business Activities: Development and operation of the designated driver dispatch platform "AIRCLE"

Operating Areas: Okinawa, Fukuoka, Wakayama, Miyazaki, Saitama, Kumamoto, Ibaraki prefectures (7 areas)

Corporate URL: https://corp.aircle.jp/

Service URL: https://aircle.jp/