[QFF] Quantum Flowers & Foods Wins Pitch Contest at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 "INVESTOR NIGHT"

Quantum Flowers & Foods Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Representative Director CEO: Hakuo Kikuchi; hereinafter "QFF") exhibited at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia's largest innovation conference, from Monday, April 27 to Wednesday (public holiday), April 29, 2026. We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, April 28, during the conference, CEO & CTO Kikuchi participated in the pitch contest at the official side event "INVESTOR NIGHT" and won the competition. Kikuchi, the developer of QFF's unique technology "Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®," which enables non-GMO high-speed breeding, presented the technology and received high praise from the judges. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who showed interest in our technology at the booth and pitch venue, and to all who supported us. QFF won the pitch contest at the official side event "INVESTOR NIGHT." ◆ About SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 and INVESTOR NIGHT SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 is Asia's largest global innovation conference hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Held at Tokyo Big Sight from Monday, April 27 to Wednesday (public holiday), April 29, 2026, it brought together domestic and international startups, investors, large corporations, universities/research institutions, and government agencies to co-create technologies and businesses for a sustainable urban and industrial future. QFF also exhibited this year, following its participation last year. "INVESTOR NIGHT" was a networking event for global investors held as an official side event of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026. Key players in the global startup ecosystem, including international venture capitalists, CVCs, institutional investors, domestic and international startups, large corporations, and government officials, gathered to connect promising Japanese and Asian startups with global investors. QFF participated in the pitch contest held during INVESTOR NIGHT, showcasing the technical features of its non-GMO high-speed breeding technology "Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®" and its potential applications in the agriculture, food, and bio sectors. This award served as an important opportunity to communicate QFF's technology and business potential to the domestic and international startup and investor ecosystem. Developer Kikuchi explained the advantages of Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding® and presented a vision for business growth strategy and social implementation. ◆ Background and Significance of the Award QFF is a deep tech company that provides plant and microorganism breeding services, centered on "Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®," a non-GMO high-speed breeding technology that induces random mutations with accelerator-derived neutron beams to create useful traits in a short period. Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding® is a technology that enables the exploration of useful traits that are difficult to obtain with conventional breeding and improvement methods by inducing diverse mutations in plants and microorganisms. It is expected to have wide-ranging applications, including climate change adaptation for crops, improvement of useful microorganisms in the food and fermentation sectors, and productivity enhancement in bio-manufacturing. In this pitch contest, QFF's technological superiority and business development potential were highly evaluated, leading to this victory. Mechanism of non-GMO high-speed breeding technology, Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding® *Plants create new strains in approximately 1-3 years, about half the conventional time, and microorganisms in about 2 months, about one-sixth the conventional time. Reference: Speedy Breeding in 5 minutes. ◆ Future Outlook Building on this award, QFF will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society in the agriculture, food, and bio sectors through its non-GMO technology-based breeding and improvement services. Furthermore, QFF will strengthen collaborations with domestic and international operating companies, research institutions, local governments, and the startup ecosystem to accelerate the social implementation of Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®. ◆ Comment from Hakuo Kikuchi, Representative Director CEO & CTO of QFF I am deeply honored to have won the pitch contest at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 official side event "INVESTOR NIGHT." QFF's Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding® technology unlocks the inherent potential of plants and microorganisms, contributing to the creation of new value in the agriculture, food, and bio sectors. Taking this award as an opportunity, we will strive to make this new technology known to more people and deliver it to the forefront of various developments, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society and global environment. Hakuo Kikuchi, Representative Director CEO, QFF Quantum Flowers & Foods Co., Ltd. CMO (Marketing & Sales Manager): Naito E-mail: shunsu