Our Billion Ventures Fuels Growth in Japan's Workforce Upskilling through Lightworks Delisting

TOKYO, Japan – June 17, 2025 – Our Billion Ventures (OBV) has successfully concluded a strategic tender offer to delist Lightworks Corp. (TSE: 4267), a leading name in corporate learning solutions in Japan. This move, executed alongside The Longreach Group, a prominent private equity firm focusing on Japan, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of corporate training in the region.

The tender offer reflects a robust commitment to the future of Lightworks, with a purchase price of JPY 2,179 per common share, representing a significant premium of 68.91% over the average price from the preceding three months. This transaction underscores the confidence in the business model and growth potential of Lightworks, setting a new standard for corporate learning solutions in Japan.

OBV's role in this transaction was pivotal. By identifying unrealized growth potential within Lightworks, OBV provided robust strategic guidance that helped in structuring the deal, securing aligned capital partnerships, and charting pathways for future value creation. This highlights OBV's commitment to empowering Japanese founders, identifying businesses with substantial growth potential often overlooked in public markets.

Jonathan Hiroshi Rossi, an entrepreneur and co-founder of OBV, shared insights into the company’s mission: “Our mission is straightforward – to empower Japanese founders to realize the maximum potential of their businesses. The Lightworks transaction demonstrates how we generate substantial, lasting value by combining strategic vision, operational expertise, and aligned capital solutions.” Rossi emphasized the crucial intersection of digital and human capital transformation during this era, noting how Lightworks is excellently positioned to advance Japan's workforce development.

Meanwhile, Mr. Natsuo Eguchi, the CEO of Lightworks and a founder himself, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the transaction. “This unlocks tremendous value and opportunity for the Lightworks platform, a company I founded over 20 years ago. With OBV’s exceptional strategic clarity and operational insight, we’re poised for the next stage of growth.” His leadership and vision remain vital for Lightworks as they navigate the continually evolving landscape of corporate training solutions.

Keitaro “KT” Tsuda, a Partner at The Longreach Group, acknowledged the enduring market leadership of Lightworks in Japan’s corporate learning domain. He expressed gratitude towards OBV for their strategic guidance in bringing this significant opportunity to fruition. “We look forward to supporting Lightworks in its next stage of growth under the outstanding leadership of CEO Natsuo Eguchi,” Tsuda added.

This strategic delisting moves Lightworks closer to accomplishing its mission of innovative, value-added solutions in corporate training, contributing positively to the Japanese workforce's ongoing upskilling and reskilling in response to the rapidly changing digital landscape.

To learn more about the ramifications of this strategic move, refer to the press releases from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, The Longreach Group, and Lightworks that officially announce the transaction.

About Our Billion Ventures

Our Billion Ventures (OBV) is an advisory firm and independent sponsor dedicated to empowering founders within Japanese enterprises. With a focus on transformational growth opportunities, OBV integrates operational expertise, flexible capital solutions, and an entrepreneurial philosophy. By aligning capital, vision, and execution capabilities, OBV enables founders to create globally impactful businesses, particularly within sectors like corporate training, cybersecurity, B2B SaaS, and tech-enabled services. Visit OBV’s website or contact co-founder Jonathan Hiroshi Rossi for more information.

About Lightworks

Lightworks specializes in providing cloud-based Learning Management Systems (LMS), e-learning content, and Human Capital Management (HCM) systems tailored for Japanese enterprises, primarily serving blue-chip clients. Amid a growing focus on digital transformation and labor reskilling, Lightworks is uniquely positioned to address the escalating demand for advanced human resource strategies that combat labor shortages in Japan.

About The Longreach Group

The Longreach Group is an independent private equity firm focusing on Japan-related control buyouts across various sectors. With around $2.7 billion in committed capital, the firm has a proven track record of creating value within portfolio companies and successfully completing realizations. Longreach harnesses its deep market insights to identify lucrative investment opportunities within Japan and Asia.