LayerX Enters into Sales Partnership Agreement with The Bank of Hiroshima; Launches Service Combining "<Hirogin> Smart Fine" and Bakuraku

LayerX Inc. (Representative Director and CEO: Yoshinori Fukushima, hereinafter "LayerX") announces that it has entered into a sales partnership agreement with The Bank of Hiroshima, Ltd. (President: Kazuo Kiyomune, hereinafter "The Bank of Hiroshima") and Hirogin IT Solutions Co., Ltd. (President: Tsuyoshi Yanagida, hereinafter "Hirogin IT Solutions").

Based on this agreement, a new service combining "Bakuraku Invoice Receipt" with The Bank of Hiroshima's "<Hirogin> Smart Fine" will be launched on March 31, 2026.

Background of the Collaboration Accounting operations are facing increased burdens due to the strengthening of laws and regulations that companies must comply with, such as the introduction of the invoice system and revisions to the Electronic Book Preservation Act. Furthermore, labor shortages caused by a declining population and an aging workforce make it difficult to rely on traditional analog processes. In regional areas, in particular, the lack of specialized personnel necessary for digitalization has become a challenge, hindering the progress of DX (Digital Transformation).

LayerX provides "Bakuraku Invoice Receipt," which streamlines invoice operations by receiving and digitizing all types of invoices—whether they arrive as paper via mail or as PDFs attached to emails—thereby supporting the DX of accounting departments.

Hirogin Holdings, Inc., the parent company of The Bank of Hiroshima and Hirogin IT Solutions, is committed to promoting DX for its customers and the region. Leveraging its customer base in Hiroshima Prefecture and beyond, the group aims to solve customer issues and revitalize the region by focusing on DX consulting and solution provision, in addition to its existing efforts in IT tool implementation support and system development.

Service Overview By integrating "<Hirogin> Smart Fine" (hereinafter "Smart Fine"), a proprietary service launched by The Bank of Hiroshima in June 2025 that combines "Invoice DX" and "Payment DX," with LayerX's "Bakuraku Invoice Receipt," the process from invoice receipt to payment will be fully digitized.

Using Bakuraku's advanced AI-OCR technology, information from invoices and statements is converted into data and linked to the "<Hirogin> Smart Fine" payment DX service, allowing payment operations to be completed entirely online.

This is expected to reduce manual input and verification tasks. It also contributes to reducing the practical burden of complying with regulations such as the Electronic Book Preservation Act and helps prevent input errors. Furthermore, by centrally managing the process from invoice receipt to payment in a digital format, business operations become more visible, leading to the construction of a highly transparent internal control environment.

Future Outlook By combining LayerX's cutting-edge AI implementation capabilities and expertise in the back-office domain with the Hiroshima Bank Group's deep understanding of the local community and financial know-how, we will further strengthen our support for the management challenges faced by regional companies.

Furthermore, we aim to realize "AI-BPO" in the future. AI-BPO is a new service that allows for the complete outsourcing of accounting operations. Even without the resources to implement and operate systems in-house, this service will handle a series of accounting tasks—including analog work such as opening and scanning mail, matching delivery slips with invoices, and entering accounting journal data—through a combination of AI and human labor. By providing such services through our three-way partnership, we will contribute to resolving the severe labor shortages in the region.

Online Seminar Co-hosted by The Bank of Hiroshima to be Held on April 14: "Secrets" to Building Business Flows that Support Monthly Closings and Budget-vs-Actual Management In accounting and corporate planning, the processes of monthly closing and budget-vs-actual management are essential, yet they involve vast amounts of manual and verification work, making operational efficiency a major challenge.

In this seminar, we will introduce ideal business flows for monthly closings and budget-vs-actual management, and discuss best practices on how to implement these flows based on case studies.

Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 14:00-15:00 Location: Online (Zoom) Participation Fee: Free

About <Hirogin> Smart Fine Launched in June 2025. A proprietary service combining "Invoice DX" and "Payment DX" that digitizes and streamlines the process from invoice receipt to payment, achieving significant efficiency in accounting operations. The Bank of Hiroshima provides comprehensive support from implementation to adoption.

- Invoice DX Service: A service that automatically digitizes invoice contents after receipt and seamlessly links the invoice data to the payment DX service. - Payment DX Service: A service that utilizes the invoice data digitized by the Invoice DX service to seamlessly execute payments. Payment methods can be selected from bank transfers, invoice card payments, etc. We plan to support payments via "Densai" (electronic monetary claims) in the future. By centrally managing invoice data, accounting staff no longer need to perform manual management and payment processing, which not only improves operational efficiency but also prevents missed payments. https://www.hirogin.co.jp/corporation/service/efficiency/smart-fine/

About Bakuraku Bakuraku is an AI agent service that streamlines operations such as approval requests, expense reimbursement, corporate cards, invoice receipt, invoice issuance, attendance management, and payroll calculation. It also supports invoice receipt outsourcing and application approval outsourcing. By incorporating AI agents, it automates back-office tasks and creates a new way of working where each employee can focus on core business. It supports the creation of comfortable working environments and business growth for over 15,000 companies, from SMEs to large enterprises. https://bakuraku.jp/

Company Overview: The Bank of Hiroshima, Ltd. Company Name: The Bank of Hiroshima, Ltd. Representative: Kazuo Kiyomune, President Established: May 1945 Business Content: Deposits, lending, exchange, securities investment, trust business; over-the-counter sales of public bonds (such as government bonds), investment trusts, and insurance products; financial product brokerage, corporate solution-related business such as M&A brokerage. URL: https://www.hirogin.co.jp

Company Overview: Hirogin IT Solutions Co., Ltd. Company Name: Hirogin IT Solutions Co., Ltd. Representative: Tsuyoshi Yanagida, President Established: January 2021 Business Content: Sales of IT-related hardware and software; design, development, and implementation support for systems and applications; IDC services (cloud, housing, system operation outsourcing, commissioned information processing services); introduction of security solutions and provision of training specialized in cybersecurity measures. URL: https://www.hirogin-its.co.jp

Company Overview: LayerX Inc. LayerX is an AI company with the mission of "Digitizing all economic activities." Through complex businesses such as the back-office AI agent service "Bakuraku," Fintech, and the enterprise AI platform "Ai Workforce," we solve social issues in Japan and create a future where people's creativity can be more fully unleashed through the power of AI.

Established: August 2018 Representatives: Yoshinori Fukushima (CEO) / Yuki Matsumoto (CTO) Address: 5F Ginza Shochiku Square, 1-13-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Corporate Site: https://layerx.co.jp/ Recruitment Site: https://jobs.layerx.co.jp/ Contact: https://layerx.co.jp/contact

Business Sites: - Bakuraku: https://bakuraku.jp/ - Ai Workforce: https://getaiworkforce.com - Mitsui & Co. Digital Asset Management: https://corp.mitsui-x.com/ - ALTERNA: https://alterna-z.com/

* Company names and product names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. * The information provided is current as of the date of the announcement and is subject to change without notice.