June 12, 2023 Sojitz Corporation ("Sojitz") signed a memorandum of understanding with HIROTSU Bioscience Inc.("HIROTSU"), a developer and provider of N-NOSE®, a primary cancer screening test is a revolutionary offering for early cancer detection, the WHO Foundation (“WHO Foundation”), OurCrowd, a venture capital firm and the Global Health Equity Fund ("GHEF"), a fund that invests in innovative new medical technologies to tackle health inequity to jointly conduct strategic alliances and feasibility studies for the deployment of N-NOSE® in low and middle-income countries and regions.

HIROTSU has developed and is offering N-NOSE®, a primary cancer screening test that utilizes the highly accurate detection of cancer-specific odors in human urine by nematodes with an excellent sense of smell. N-NOSE® is a simple, inexpensive, highly accurate, and comprehensive systemic cancer screening test that can be used to detect early-stage cancer simply by submitting urine. After the official development in January 2020, over 400,000 people have received a screening and also over 1,500 corporations offering this screening  (At the time of May 2023）. Sojitz and HIROTSU concluded a capital and business alliance agreement in February 2022 and have been promoting the international development of N-NOSE® under a mutual cooperation.

WHO Foundation was created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO to marshal new resources from philanthropists, foundations, businesses, and individuals to support its mission: promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.

OurCrowd is a venture capital firm founded in Israel in 2013 with over 290 billion yen (2.1 biilion USD) in capital and has invested in about 400- companies and 43 funds. Under the collaboration with WHO Foundation, OurCrowd will provide GHEFs portfolio companies with opportunities to work with the government agencies, R&D, manufacturing, and supplier companies, and international organizations in low and middle-income countries to promote the growth of the GHEFs portfolio companies.

GHEF is a unique financial-first impact venture capital investment fund, focusing on breakthrough technology solutions that can impact healthcare globally. It will fuel innovation and increase investment in the health sector, with the shared goals of delivering competitive returns to investors and ensuring equitable access to medical care. Launched by OurCrowd and WHO Foundation, GHEF aims for impact on health equity. GHEF is led by OurCrowd General Partner and GHEF Managing Partner, Dr. Morris Laster, GHEF Partner Itsik Francis, with the support of WHO Foundation CEO, Anil Soni and Chief Impact Investment Officer (”CIIO”）,Geetha Tharmaratnam.

WHO Foundation and OurCrowd share the aim of acting as standard bearers within the investment and global health communities, demonstrating the   intended impact, with both goals benefiting from partnership across the private and public sectors.

【Presentation of the memorandum】
From left : Sojitz/Masayoshi Hirose, General Manager of Healthcare department; Morris Laster OurCrowd General Partner & GHEF Managing Partner;  HIROTSU/Takaaki Hirotsu, President & CEO; WHO Foundation/Anil Soni, CEO and Geetha Tharmaratnam, CIIO

In April 2017, Sojitz consolidated its internal efforts in the healthcare field and strengthened its structure for initiatives in this field by establishing a new specialized unit and is expanding its hospital PPP(*) and clinic chain businesses, etc., mainly in Turkey and the Asia and Pacific regions.

Sojitz, through its strategic alliance with HIROTSU, WHO Foundation, OurCrowd and GHEF will contribute to the realization of a healthy and prosperous society by leveraging the technologies, networks, and assets possessed by each company to quickly realize the international deployment of N-NOSE®.

（※）PPP : Public Private Partnership

【Related Information】
■ About "N-NOSE®"
A primary screening test for cancer that utilizes the highly accurate detection of cancer-specific odors in human urine by the nematode C. elegans, which has an excellent sense of smell. By simply submitting urine, the test is simple, inexpensive, highly accurate, and comprehensive throughout the body, and can detect early-stage cancers. The test has been tested for 15 types of cancer: stomach cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, uterus, pancreas cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, esophagus cancer, ovary cancer, bile duct cancer, gall bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and oral cavity/pharynx cancer.

Company Overview - HIROTSU

Company Name	HIROTSU Bioscience Inc.
Established	August 2016
Located	New Otani Garden Court, 4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative	Takaaki Hirotsu, Representative Director
Main Business	Research, development, and marketing of cancer tests using nematode and nematode olfactory sensors
Website	https://hbio.jp/en/

Foundation Overview - WHO Foundation

Foundation Name名	WHO Foundation
Established	2021
Located	Geneva Switzerland
Representative	Mr. Anil Soni, Chief Executive Officer
Main Business	A non – profit  organization established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Provides funding and brokers  partnership through its networks to address global health challenges and help WHO achieve  its mission for a world where all people attain the highest possible level of health.
Website	https://who.foundation/

Company Overview - OurCrowd

Company Name	OurCrowd
Established	2013
Located	Jerusalem, Israel
Representative	Mr. Jonathan Medved, Chief Executive Officer
Main Business	Venture capital, asset management
Website	https://www.ourcrowd.com/

【Related Releases】
Release dated March 11, 2022　HIROTSU BIO SCIENCE and Sojitz Form Capital and Business Tie-up

【Inquiries about this topics】
Sojitz Corporation Public Relations Department　+81－3－6871－3404