Mitsubishi Corporation

Press Room

July 1, 2022
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation LT, Inc.
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
Prologis
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
Gaussy Inc.

Seven-Member Partnership Commits to Warehouse DX Initiative
– New Cross-Industry Initiative to Address Challenges in Fulfillment –

We are pleased to announce that a partnership of seven entities has today agreed to undertake a joint initiative to promote digital transformations (DX) in Japan’s warehousing industry. The partnership members are Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Mitsubishi Corporation LT, Inc. (MCLOGI), UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC), Prologis, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.,* Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., and Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
 
Today MC also transferred its own warehouse DX operations to its newly established subsidiary Gaussy Inc. (Gaussy), in which each of the partnership’s other six members has acquired a capital interest. The businesses to be undertaken by Gaussy include provision of the warehouse robot subscription service “Roboware,” which was launched by MC in 2020, and the warehouse sharing service “WareX.” The new subsidiary’s aim will be to develop platforms to connect warehouse users and providers in ways that will improve logistics and fulfillment processes across different industries.    
 
*Mitsui Fudosan’s investment comes via its own venture capital fund, 31 Ventures Global Innovation Fund II.
 
Challenges in the Warehousing Industry
 
Supply chains connecting producers and consumers are made possible through effective combinations of storage- and transportation-based logistics capabilities. Japan’s domestic warehousing market is central to those supply chains and worth approximately seven trillion yen; various negative pressures including labor shortages, dependencies on specific individuals for certain jobs and lease agreements have resulted in inflexible inventory capacities, which has in turn contributed to wasteful, inconsistent and burdensome fulfillment practices throughout numerous industries. Other countries, such as the US and China, are facing similar challenges, which has prompted innovators to develop new business models such as self-driving warehouse robots and schemes that allow users to share vacant warehouse spaces.
 
Gaussy’s Warehouse DX Services
 
Considering that the “Roboware” subscription service allows anyone, regardless of their background or skills, to use robots to easily manage their warehouse facilities, it presents a viable solution to the labor-shortage and overreliance problems mentioned above. “WareX” is a similarly straightforward system that anyone can use to share available warehouse space, thus addressing the problems of limited or excess capacities.
 
Gaussy will offer customers both of these services, the former (Roboware) of which employs five types of warehouse robots and has already been rolled out in 14 facilities across Japan, and the latter (WareX) of which has more than 1,000 facilities registered on its nationwide system. Large, medium and small enterprises alike have all been taking advantage of “WareX,” as it provides them with an efficient way to lease vacant warehouse spaces on a pay-as-you-go basis.
 
Driven by its vision to create new opportunities in logistics, Gaussy is committed to developing flexible mechanisms that will adapt to evolving warehousing needs and cargo volumes. All of its partners look forward to offering fulfillment customers with new and unprecedented options for their businesses.
 
Our Partnership
 
Today, coinciding with MC’s transfer of its warehouse DX operations to Gaussy, each of the six other members in our partnership acquired a capital interest in the new company, five through third-party share allotments (UTokyo IPC, Prologis, Mitsui Fudosan, Mitsubishi HC Capital, and Mitsubishi Estate) and one (MCLOGI) through a transfer of Gaussy shares owned by MC. Through this cross-industrial and cross-business partnership between industry and academia, each of our seven entities shall endeavor to create its own solutions to the problems impacting the warehousing sector by bringing to the table its unique assets, including digital technologies, know-how and networks in logistics properties, financial expertise and so on.
 
Partner Comments
 
 [UTokyo IPC]
Logistics continues to have an increased impact on business and society, while the logistics industry continues to face various issues, e.g., a surge of just-in-time transport and the labor shortage, to name a few. We are delighted and honored to take part in the cross-sector partnership under which Gaussy, the leading partner with visions and expertise, will address these issues. We look forward to working together for Gaussy’s success as well as the acceleration of social transformation through collaboration between multiple stakeholders, including academia.
 
 [Prologis]
As the global leader in logistics real estate, Prologis develops, owns and manages nearly 4,700 logistics facilities in 19 countries around the world. In light of the increasing challenges that our customers are facing, Prologis endeavors to provide solutions beyond the logistics real estate. Through this partnership, we strive to provide further efficiencies by taking advantage of unused warehouse space in addition to providing labor solutions. Moreover, we hope to leverage our global scale to support Gaussy’s future global expansion.  
 
 [Mitsui Fudosan]
Under its Mitsui Fudosan Logistics Park (MFLP) brand, Mitsui Fudosan has been engaged in the logistics property business for roughly a decade since its launch in 2012. This partnership will enable us to promote logistics-oriented DX in ways that should help the industry adapt to an evolving society. As a partner to all of our tenants, we look forward to taking on new roles in value creation that connects goods, labor and services in our properties.
 
 [Mitsubishi HC Capital]
Mitsubishi HC Capital has been working on solving issues surrounding the logistics sector such as the workforce shortage, and growing environmental impact, with our partners, to create sustainable societies and improve people’s quality of life. Mitsubishi HC Capital intends to leverage this partnership to offer Gaussy a set of diverse functions built up through many years of experience, which include both financing and ownership and management of asset. By doing so, we aim to be a valued partner in the new company’s aim to meet customer needs with efficient and user-friendly services.   
 
 [Mitsubishi Estate]
Mitsubishi Estate has been working on its own brand of logistics facilities developments called Logicross, which services customers across a wide array of businesses. We are keen to partake in this partnership, not only to construct the facilities, but also to enhance our services’ customer-satisfaction rates and work in step with the other members to help identify new logistics solutions.
 
 [MCLOGI]
As a logistics-solutions provider, MCLOGI’s business is to optimize its customers’ storage-and-distribution operations. This partnership allows us to extend the full breadth of our logistics know-how and planning-and-design functions to Gaussy, which should raise its corporate value and help to develop the solutions needed to enrich society and stimulate economic growth.  
 
 [MC]
Here at MC, we are proud to have forged value chains in many different industries. In recent years, we have also been pursuing DX projects designed to help address challenges in warehousing, as that sector will be key to enhancing the sustainability of those value chains. Societal challenges cannot be met by one entity acting alone, but the partnership we have entered into today will make those solutions possible and help us to co-create expansive value. This value will also have the potential to boost Gaussy’s corporate value, and ultimately help to realize a more affluent and prosperous society. 
 
Company Information
Mitsubishi Corporation
Headquarters
3-1, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
President and CEO Katsuya Nakanishi
Date of Establishment
July 1954
Website
Inquiries
Press Release Team,
Corporate Communications Dept.
TEL:+81-3-3210-2171/FAX:+81-3-5252-7705               
 
Mitsubishi Corporation LT, Inc.
Headquarters
10-1, Yurakucho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
CEO & President Kosuke Iwai
Date of Establishment
April 1954
Website
Inquiries
General Affairs Dept. TEL:+81-3-6267-2500                    
 
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
Headquarters
3-1, Hongo 7-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Representative
President and CEO Katsuhiko Oizumi
Date of Establishment
January 2016
Website
Inquiries
info2@utokyo-ipc.co.jp                                                        
 
Prologis
Headquarters
7-3, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
Japan Chairman & CEO Miki Yamada
Date of Establishment
March 1999
Website
Inquiries
Investor & Public Relations TEL:+81-3-6860-9107           
 
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Headquarters
1-1, Nihombashi Muromachi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative
President and Chief Executive Officer
Masanobu Komoda
Date of Establishment
July 1941
Website
Inquiries
Corporate Communications Department
TEL:+81-3-3246-3155                                                       
 
Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.
Headquarters
5-1, Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
Representative Director, President & CEO
Takahiro Yanai
Date of Establishment
April 1971
Website
Inquiries
Corporate Communications Department
TEL:+81-3-6865-3002                                                       
 
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
Headquarters
1-1, Otemachi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
President & Chief Executive Officer
Junichi Yoshida
Date of Establishment
May 1937
Website
Inquiries
Corporate Communications Department
TEL:+81-3-3287-5200                                                       
 
Gaussy Inc.
Headquarters
6-1, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative
CEO Ryotaro Nakamura
Date of Establishment
January 2022
Website
Inquiries
Corporate Communications:pr@gaussy.com                    
 
 

 
Materiality
 
Based on the Three Corporate Principles, which serve as MC’s core philosophy, MC has continued to grow together with society by contributing to the sustainable development of society through its business activities while pursuing value creation. MC’s revised “Materiality” was announced in Midterm Corporate Strategy 2024 as a set of crucial societal issues that MC will prioritize through its business activities, towards the strategy’s goal of continuous creation of MC Shared Value (MCSV). Guided by this Materiality, MC will continue to strengthen its efforts towards sustainable corporate growth. Out of the six material issues relating to “Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society and Striving to Enrich Society Both Materially and Spiritually”, this project’s activities particularly support “Contributing to Decarbonized Societies” and “Utilizing Innovation to Address Societal Needs”.

Inquiry Recipient

Mitsubishi Corporation
Telephone:+81-3-3210-2171 / Facsimile:+81-3-5252-7705
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