SBI Group Holds 'SBI 5-ALA' New Brand Strategy Briefing; Announces Growth Strategy to Expand 5-ALA Market to 20 Billion Yen with Kirin Group and Kyowa Hakko Bio as Development Partners

SBI ALApromo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director: Yasushi Takezaki; hereinafter 'SBI ALApromo'), a consolidated subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc. that manufactures and sells health foods and cosmetics, and provides OEM and raw material supply using 5-aminolevulinic acid phosphate (hereinafter '5-ALA'), held a business strategy briefing centered on the new ingredient brand 'SBI 5-ALA'.

With the progress of a super-aging society, there is a growing demand for people to remain healthy and active regardless of age. A survey conducted by the company revealed that while anxiety about aging is increasing, there is a lack of information and knowledge about countermeasures, a situation described as 'aging anxiety lost.' Against this backdrop, the SBI Group positions 5-ALA as a core ingredient in the anti-aging field and aims to realize its vision of an 'evolving ageless society' by accelerating anti-aging research and social implementation.

Furthermore, as a foundation to support this strategy, the company has entered into a business partnership (collaboration and manufacturing consignment) with Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; President & Representative Director: Hiroshi Nagano; hereinafter 'Kyowa Hakko Bio'), a pioneer in amino acid fermentation technology, to jointly develop a new, domestically-produced, high-purity 5-ALA raw material. Going forward, SBI ALApromo will entrust the manufacturing of the new 5-ALA to Kyowa Hakko Bio, and through this raw material, establish quality reliability and lead the healthy and sustainable growth of the 5-ALA market.

(Reference release: https://www.sbigroup.co.jp/news/2026/0204_16086.html)

In addition, the company has established the 'General Incorporated Association 5-ALA Promotion Association (hereinafter '5-ALA Promotion Association')' to promote the expansion of a safe and reliable 5-ALA market and will promote the construction of an ecosystem connecting research, development, distribution, and consumers. This aims to expand the current market of approximately 6 billion yen (Note 2) to 20 billion yen (Note 2) in three years, accelerate the social implementation of 5-ALA, and lead to the realization of a society where everyone can thrive beyond age, i.e., an 'evolving ageless society.'

SBI 5-ALA brand logo and tagline

SBI Group Representative Kitao spoke about the social vision of achieving an 'evolving ageless society' through 5-ALA, stating emphatically, 'We will contribute to extending the period of active social life through 5-ALA.'

At the briefing, presentations were given by each speaker. SBI Holdings, Inc. Representative Director, Chairman and President Yoshitaka Kitao spoke about the SBI Group's approximately 20-year journey in the 5-ALA business and its vision for realizing an 'evolving ageless society.'

Kitao pointed out that in the era of 100-year lives, investment in health assets, like financial assets, is a crucial factor determining the sustainability of society as a whole. He explained that the SBI Group, under the philosophy of 'for society and for people,' positions the bio-healthcare field as a core industry for the 21st century and has nurtured the business with a long-term perspective. At the core of this is the natural amino acid '5-ALA,' which plays a fundamental role in mitochondrial energy metabolism. The SBI Group recognized its potential early in 2008 and has developed businesses domestically and internationally, from R&D to product development, now building a global foundation supplying products to over 49 countries.

Furthermore, he indicated that the business partnership (collaboration and manufacturing consignment) with Kyowa Hakko Bio of the Kirin Group has established a system for the stable supply of high-quality 5-ALA raw materials, creating a vertically integrated structure from upstream to downstream in the 5-ALA business, which will be developed as a next-generation social infrastructure. Kitao expressed his determination, stating, 'Through 5-ALA, we aim to contribute to extending the period of active social life and realize an 'evolving ageless society' where everyone can thrive beyond age.'

Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman and President, SBI Holdings, Inc.

SBI ALApromo President Takezaki explained the three pillars of the 'SBI 5-ALA' business strategy, aiming to expand the 5-ALA market through B2B development based on the value cultivated in the traditional B2C business.

SBI ALApromo Co., Ltd. President & Representative Director Yasushi Takezaki announced the business strategy centered on the new ingredient brand 'SBI 5-ALA,' born as the culmination of the SBI Group's approximately 20 years of work.

Three pillars were announced as the business strategy to realize the 'evolving ageless society' that the SBI 5-ALA brand aims for. The first pillar, 'Becoming the Core of Anti-Aging Science,' revealed that a survey on anti-aging awareness found that 70.4% of consumers are 'aging anxiety lost,' meaning they are highly anxious about aging but unsure about countermeasures, highlighting a situation where 'science is advancing, but social implementation is lagging.' In this context, Takezaki indicated a policy to establish 5-ALA as the 'ultimate anti-aging ingredient.' He stated that the era is shifting from viewing aging as an 'age' to a 'condition,' and announced participation in the 'Epigenetic Clock Co-Creation Project (Note 3),' which utilizes the biological age assessment method known as the epigenetic clock, to promote the visualization of anti-aging value based on evidence.

The second pillar, 'Leading Market Soundness with High-Quality Raw Materials,' explained that as the 5-ALA market expands and quality standards become more sophisticated, the company will supply high-purity (over 99.9%, Note 4), domestically-produced, high-quality raw materials through the business partnership (collaboration and manufacturing consignment) with Kyowa Hakko Bio of the Kirin Group, leading the healthy growth of the market as a brand chosen for reliability. He stated that the addition of 'high-quality raw materials' to the SBI Group's long-standing advanced research and product development track record has established the foundation for SBI 5-ALA as a premium brand combining innovation and trust.

The third pillar, 'Building a B2B Ecosystem and Creating Markets,' announced a policy to expand business areas into raw material supply and OEM business, based on the value cultivated in the traditional B2C (consumer products) business. The company emphasized its stance on expanding the 5-ALA market through both B2C and B2B axes. Furthermore, to accelerate market expansion, the launch of the '5-ALA Promotion Association' was announced, aiming to realize a healthy longevity society through 5-ALA by collaborating with diverse stakeholders. He stated that through collaboration with research institutions, manufacturers, and distributors/retailers, the association will build an ecosystem for expanding 5-ALA adoption, encompassing product and application development, provision to consumers, and the circulation of evidence.

Takezaki expressed his determination as a leading company driving market expansion, stating, 'By promoting these three pillars, we will grow the 5-ALA market to 20 billion yen (Note 2) in three years and lead to the realization of an evolving ageless society.'

Yasushi Takezaki, President & Representative Director, SBI ALApromo Co., Ltd.

Feelings and expectations for '5-ALA' from the perspective of the Kirin Group and Kyowa Hakko Bio. Realizing the ideal society together with SBI through the development of high-quality 5-ALA raw materials with over 99.9% purity (Note 4).