Digital Garage and Welby Form a Capital and Business Alliance to Build a Person-Centered Health and Medical Data Platform

Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE first section: 4819; HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi; DG) and Welby, Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; CEO: Takeru Hiki; Welby) have entered into a capital and business alliance and will launch an aggregation business for health and medical care information (Personal Health Record [PHR]) possessed by individuals. The two companies will jointly develop PHR services utilizing cutting-edge IT technologies, including the blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies under R&D at DG Lab.

DG is developing next-generation technologies via DG Lab, with Blockchain, AI, VR/AR, Security, and BioHealth as its priority fields. As a leading company in PHR services, Welby plans, develops, and operates digital services to support medical treatments for patients with chronic diseases. Through this alliance, DG and Welby are working to evolve PHR services with cutting-edge technologies like blockchain and AI, with the aim of building a person-centered health and medical data platform.

As one facet of this alliance, Joi Ito (DG Board of Directors Member and Co-Founder) will serve as a Welby advisor. “Blockchain technology will help enhance security in the healthcare field that handles private health data, and I believe it is an optimum technology for managing the data accumulated in PHR. In addition, using AI to analyze extensive PHR data and outcomes in medical settings will be useful in the further development of medical care.” (Joi Ito, DG Board of Directors Member and Co-Founder)

In the past, the Biomedical Project Office and DG Lab’s BioHealth team has developed businesses related to this field. Attention is directed at the biotechnology and healthcare fields for solutions that will resolve medical care and caregiving issues in Japan, which is home to a society aging faster than other countries. Inspired by this alliance, DG will accelerate its creation of new businesses and services. It is also launching Open Network Lab BioHealth, an accelerator program to develop start-ups and promote open innovation in the biotechnology and healthcare fields, in September 2018. Through joint development with Welby, DG is also planning to build a PHR platform based on blockchain and AI technologies with a view to service provision, including preventative medicine and health points. In the future, PHR will be linked with local governments, national and health insurance, medical institutions, care business operators, pharmacies, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and health-related business operators to build a person-centered health and medical data platform. In addition to medical care and caregiving, DG will also build services and infrastructure for chronic diseases and preventative medicine with the aim of making biotechnology and healthcare-related businesses into a new mainstay businesses, starting with this capital and business alliance with Welby.

“‘Biotechnology’ and ‘Healthcare’ are vital keywords in creating new businesses leveraging blockchain and AI. As a leading Japanese company in the PHR field, Welby is already implementing usage in medical settings and initiatives with pharmaceutical companies. Based on these accomplishments, we believe Welby is a prominent partner in the healthcare field. I hope the DG Group’s biotechnology and healthcare businesses will aid in the development of medical care in Japan, Asia, and across the world.” (Kaoru Hayashi, DG Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO)

“Users are most concerned about strengthening PHR service security. By utilizing DG’s blockchain technology, I believe we can offer stronger security and promote the usage of PHR. This alliance with DG and Joi Ito’s appointment as an advisor are opportunities to further accelerate this business. I am confident that new PHR value, stemming from this initiative by two companies, will support patients with illnesses and medical treatments by health personnel.” (Takeru Hiki, Welby CEO)

【About PHR】
Short for “Personal Health Record.” A system used by individuals to collect, save, and utilize their own health information.

【About DG Lab】https://www.dglab.com/en/
An open innovation R&D organization jointly established and operated by DG, Kakaku.com, Inc. (TSE first section:2371, HQ: Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Shonosuke Hata) and Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TSE first section: 8253; HQ: Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroshi Rinno).

【About Welby, Inc.】https://welby.jp/en/
Welby is a leading company that launched its personal health record (PHR) services in 2011. It plans, develops, and operates digital services to support medical treatments for patients with various chronic diseases. Welby My Karte, one of its PHR services, is a smartphone app to help patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other lifestyle diseases manage their information including blood sugar level and blood pressure. It also jointly plans many PHR services that are operated by Welby with leading pharmaceutical companies. Welby provides PHR services in a wide range of fields including lifestyle diseases, oncology, central nervous system, autoimmune disorders, and rare diseases. Utilizing PHR service results in various disease fields as well as ID/DB infrastructure, Welby works with partner companies on consultations for creating evidence using PHR/PRO for clinical research, the development and operation of PHR/PRO collection systems, and equipment operation support. With its vision to “Empower the Patients,” Welby will keep leading Japanese PHR services for patient-focused medical care.