Dream Arts Announces Capital and Business Alliance with Kuku

Dream Arts Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takaki Yamamoto; hereinafter "Dream Arts") announces that it has entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with Kuku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yusuke Irie; hereinafter "Kuku") and acquired shares in the company. The alliance aims to enhance support systems for the adoption and stabilization of SmartDB(R) (SmartDB), Dream Arts’ no-code development platform for large enterprises.

This partnership is a strategic initiative to realize EC2 (External Capability & Capacity), one of the key success factors in Dream Arts’ mid-term management plan. The two companies will jointly build a system to cultivate and provide DX talent specialized in SmartDB(R). From the start of the alliance, they aim to train approximately 100 individuals to obtain the SmartDB Certified Specialist (SCS) certification (※1) cumulatively over three years, supporting client companies in expanding departmental usage, achieving sustained adoption, and driving continuous business improvement.

※1 SmartDB Certified Specialist (SCS): https://hibiki.dreamarts.co.jp/smartdb/scs/

Overview of the Business Alliance

Growth Driver: SmartDB(R) is a no-code development platform designed for large enterprises. Expanding its use across departments and ensuring sustained adoption post-implementation are critical to business growth. This alliance will expand the crucial post-adoption support capacity by leveraging external capabilities.

Initiative: Through the capital and business alliance with Kuku, the companies will jointly cultivate and provide DX talent specialized in SmartDB(R). The goal is to train approximately 100 individuals to obtain the SmartDB(R) certification (SCS) within three years of the alliance launch.

Connection to Business Growth: Through hands-on support by certified professionals, the alliance will drive expansion of user departments, promote sustained usage, create upsell opportunities, and strengthen the foundation for ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) growth. By leveraging external capabilities, this scalable support model enhances growth while minimizing fixed cost increases, ensuring profitability.

Positioning of Share Acquisition: The share acquisition involves taking a minority stake through Kuku’s third-party allotment, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of the business alliance, align mutual interests, and ensure stable progress in talent development, service creation, and joint proposals.

Background of the Business Alliance

Dream Arts operates under the mission of “contributing to the development of people, organizations, and society filled with the joy of co-creation,” providing the enterprise no-code development platform SmartDB(R). SmartDB(R) enables business departments to create and improve their own business applications. Its value is maximized when it is widely adopted and deeply embedded in daily operations after implementation. For Dream Arts’ enterprise-focused business, post-adoption expansion is the key to growth.

However, a shortage of on-site talent to support adoption and stabilization can constrain this growth. In its mid-term management plan, Dream Arts has identified five key success factors (CSFs), one of which—EC2 (External Capability & Capacity)—is a strategic concept to overcome this constraint by leveraging external capabilities and capacity. This alliance is a concrete step toward realizing EC2.

Kuku has a proven track record in cultivating DX talent and providing hands-on support services tailored to specific tools, such as “Excel Joshi (Excel Women).” This aligns closely with Dream Arts’ goal of supporting SmartDB(R) adoption. The two companies will combine Kuku’s expertise in talent development and on-site support with Dream Arts’ product and operational know-how to jointly build a system for cultivating and providing SmartDB(R)-specialized DX talent.

Details of the Business Alliance

(1) Significance of the Alliance: Expanding Support Capacity for SmartDB(R) Adoption and Stabilization

This alliance is a strategic move to realize the EC2 CSF in Dream Arts’ mid-term plan. It enables the expansion of on-site support capacity for SmartDB(R) adoption and stabilization without relying solely on internal hiring, by leveraging external business resources. This will allow the companies to flexibly provide post-implementation support—such as departmental expansion and operational stabilization—to large enterprises that have already adopted or are considering SmartDB(R).

(Significance of Share Acquisition)

Building a system for cultivating and providing SmartDB(R)-specialized talent requires long-term joint investment in training development, continuous talent cultivation, service design, and joint proposals. The share acquisition aims to align both companies’ interests and establish a stable foundation for the long-term advancement of talent development, service innovation, and joint initiatives. This is not merely a relationship strengthening measure but a strategic investment to co-create Dream Arts’ growth foundation. The share acquisition is conducted through Kuku’s third-party allotment, acquiring a minority stake to enhance the effectiveness of the business alliance. It does not aim to obtain control over Kuku. Currently, Kuku is not expected to become a consolidated subsidiary or an equity-method affiliate of Dream Arts. The number of shares acquired and the acquisition amount are undisclosed due to the counterparty’s request and confidentiality obligations, but the financial impact on Dream Arts is minimal.

(2) Key Initiatives

The two companies will advance the following initiatives as an integrated cycle: cultivating talent, establishing services, ensuring quality, delivering value on-site, and feeding insights back into future improvements.

Cultivation of SmartDB(R)-Specialized Talent

The companies will continuously train DX professionals capable of leading SmartDB(R) implementation, operation, and customer success. They will develop structured training programs covering practical skills such as product understanding, business process analysis, application development, workflow design, and operational support, thereby deepening the talent pool. This marks the starting point for realizing EC2 through external business resources.

Establishment of a SmartDB(R)-Focused DX Talent Service (Provisional Service Name: SmartDB Joshi (SmartDB Women))

The trained professionals will be systematized into a dedicated support service for SmartDB(R) adoption (provisional name: SmartDB Joshi). By incorporating Kuku’s expertise in service delivery—such as from its “Excel Joshi” program—the companies will develop a scalable, reproducible service model that does not rely on ad-hoc, case-by-case responses. This will serve as the foundation for scaling support while controlling fixed costs.

Training 100 SCS-Certified Professionals Within Three Years

To ensure quality accompanies scale, the companies aim to train approximately 100 SmartDB(R) Certified Specialist (SCS) holders within three years of the alliance launch. By standardizing support quality through a common certification benchmark, they will ensure consistently high service levels regardless of the individual provider. This pool of around 100 certified professionals will serve as the core supply force for adoption and stabilization support.