Aeronext, Seino Holdings and ACSL signed capital and business alliance ～Three companies announce collaboration on stable supply of aircraft to create an economically rational drone logistics market～

Aeronext Inc. (Headquarters / Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Keisuke Toji, hereafter Aeronext), Seino Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters / Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, President and Chief Operating Officer: Yoshitaka Taguchi, hereafter Seino HD) and Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd. (Edogawa Ward, Tokyo; Satoshi Washiya, President and COO, hereafter ACSL) signed capital and business alliances in drone logistic services through the Logistics Innovation Fund Investment Limited Partnership, a sector-focused fund anchored by Seino HD, and ACSL 1 Limited Partnership, an ACSL’s Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm.
The three companies will begin to collaborate on nurturing the drone logistics market through verifying economic feasibility, providing optimally priced aircraft, and establishing stable supply system for the aircraft.

Aeronext is particularly focused on the logistics sector, aiming to build a social infrastructure in the sky that utilizes unique technologies that can enhance the reliability of an aircraft and ensure safety and security essential for social implementation. In January 2021, Aeronext established NEXT DELIVERY Inc. as a strategic subsidiary whose main business is drone delivery services. In the same month, Aeronext also announced the embarking on a business alliance with Seino HD for the commercialization of new smart logistics, and are currently working together to solve existing logistics issues and promote new smart logistics through development of a new smart logistics mechanism incorporating drone delivery, SkyHub®*1, and demonstration and implementation of a service model in Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Aeronext focus on research and development of airframes dedicated to logistics, with Aeronext’s proprietary airframe structural design technology 4D GRAVITY®*2 as its core. In August 2020, Aeronext and ACSL announced the conclusion of a joint development agreement for industrial drones equipped with 4D GRAVITY®︎ and a license agreement for 4D GRAVITY®︎ patents related to manufacturing and sales of the developed aircraft. In March 2021, the latest prototype, which was the outcome of the joint development effort, was announced in anticipation of the Level 4 deregulation in 2022.

The three companies share common vision, and bring together Aeronext’s capability to develop comprehensive drone logistic services including aircraft based on its proprietary technology and intellectual property, Seino HD’s track record and network in trunk line and last mile logistics, and ACSL’s extensive experience in BVLOS over unmanned areas (Level 3) and implementing secure and safe drones. The three companies will begin to collaborate on nurturing the drone logistics market through verifying economic feasibility, providing optimally priced aircraft, and establishing stable supply system for the aircraft.

【News Release Inquiries】
Seino Holdings Co., Ltd. Open Innovation Planning Division Sugai
Tel: 03-3851-2625
Aeronext Inc. PR Ito
Tel: 03-6455-0626 Email: info@aeronext.com
Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd. (ACSL) PR Hiroshima
Tel: 03-6661-3870 Email: sales@acsl.co.jp

*1 SkyHub®︎
SkyHub®︎ is a new smart logistics system that connects existing logistics and drone logistics, and delivers goods anytime, anywhere by connecting ground and air infrastructure. It is characterized by its open platform and standardized structure, which incorporates drone delivery and realizes joint delivery. The introduction of SkyHub®︎ will contribute to the resolution of social issues in the region, such as population decline, labor shortage due to low birthrate and aging society, transportation problems in specific depopulated areas, medical problems, disaster countermeasures, and countermeasures against logistics weaknesses, etc., from the aspect of logistics reform, and will also raise the satisfaction level of residents and communities by improving the convenience and quality of life of residents.

*2 4D GRAVITY®︎
4D GRAVITY®︎ is a structural design technology developed by Aeronext that improves the basic performance of industrial drones, such as stability, efficiency, and maneuverability, by optimizing the aircraft’s center of gravity and equalizing the number of motor rotations regardless of posture, condition, or movement during flight. Aeronext has patented this technology and is managing it in its 4D GRAVITY®︎ patent portfolio. The improved basic performance of 4D GRAVITY®︎ will expand the possibility of using industrial drones in new markets and applications.

*3　 Aerial Industrial Revolution Level 4
The “Non-visual flight in manned areas without assistance” phase, planned for 2022, as per the public council’s “Roadmap 2020 for the Industrial Revolution in the Sky”

【Aeronext Inc.】
Aeronext, an IP driven R & D technology startup for next-generation drones, is a company that designs the sky through technology in order to create a world where the sky becomes a social infrastructure, is economized, and solves social issues through drones. The core technology is 4D GRAVITY®︎, a unique structural design technology that improves basic drone performance such as stability, efficiency, and mobility of industrial drones by optimizing the center of gravity of the aircraft. In order implement this 4D GRAVITY®︎ as standard equipment on industrial drones, we have constructed a strong patent portfolio and are promoting a partnership based platform business for the 4D GRAVITY®︎ license globally.
*For more information, please see https://Aeronext.co.com/company/

【Seino Holdings Co., Ltd 】
Seino HD is the value-creating comprehensive logistics company. With our core behavior,　“Opening up a beyond real future”, we are aiming to improve the efficiency of Japan for the prosperity of our customers and realize providing value beyond time and space. By holding hands both inside and outside the industry in an open-neutral relationship, we are creating “Open Public Platform (OPP)” that provides better and optimal services to customers and easy for customers and other companies in the same industry to use. In the last one mile area, we are actively promoting and expanding the construction of OPP that solves social issues such as measures for food desert and measures for lower income families, while responding to changes in lifestyle and structure.
*For more information, please see https://www.seino.co.jp/seino/shd/overall-condition/

【Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd.】
ACSL develops, manufacture, and commercialize industrial drones in order to realize labor-saving and unmanned operations in the industrial field. The core technology is in its proprietary autonomous control technology and industrial drones equipped with image processing and AI edge computing technology. Drones are already used in various fields such as infrastructure inspection, postal and logistics, and disaster prevention.
*For more information, please see https://www.acsl.co.jp/en/company

*Aeronext, the Aeronext Logo, 4D GRAVITY® are registered marks of Aeronext Inc.
*All other marks belong to their respective owners.