Mentel Selected as Co-creation Partner in Energy Sector for Hitachi and Hitachi Building Systems' Startup Collaboration Program

Mentel Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tomoki Inoue; hereinafter "Mentel") has been selected as a co-creation partner in the energy sector for the building systems startup collaboration program promoted by Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd. Following a recruitment and selection process in February 2026, Mentel was chosen alongside Futsuper Co., Ltd., which was selected for the AI sector.

### Background of Co-creation In recent years, the environment surrounding buildings has faced complex and sophisticated challenges, including decarbonization, severe labor shortages, and the need to improve tenant well-being. To address these issues, Hitachi and Hitachi Building Systems are promoting value creation through open innovation, centered on their next-generation solution suite, "HMAX for Buildings: BuilMirai," which combines Hitachi's domain knowledge and advanced AI with extensive data from their installed product base (digitalized assets). This program aims to rapidly implement valuable applications in society by connecting diverse building data and the real-world challenges and verification fields of real estate developers with the technology and speed of startups.

### Mentel's Role Mentel's strengths include advanced domain knowledge in architectural equipment and energy sectors, as well as facility control optimization technology utilizing AI-driven environmental and energy forecasting. In this collaboration, Mentel aims to expand the added value of BuilMirai's energy management domain through the optimization of air conditioning and heat source control, energy-saving operation support for existing buildings, and advanced utilization of facility data. This will contribute to strengthening the values provided by BuilMirai, such as "optimal facility and energy operation," "reduction of environmental impact," and "improvement of well-being."