PNB-INSPiRE Ethical Fund 1 Investment Business Limited Liability Partnership (“PIEF”) acquired the stock of Dari K Co., Ltd. (“Dari K,” Headquarters: Shichiku Nishitakanawa-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto, CEO: Keiichi Yoshino) through third-party allocation.

Dari K is a company with a vision of “Changing the world through Cacao” and has successfully vertically integrated the supply chain of the chocolate industry. Dari K is dedicated to collaboration with cacao farmers in Polewali province on Sulawesi island, Indonesia and offering them motivation to improve their quality of life.

Dari K offers consumers new experiences in taste; “Fresh cacao” (products using cacao within the harvest year) which is perceived as challenging, vintage-based diversity (cacao’s age), and Terroir (soil) specific flavor, while contributing support for SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals – a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015) though the selling their products.

Indonesian cacao farmers have made grate efforts to reduce agricultural chemicals, improve the soil quality, and cultivate crops, however their efforts have yet to pay off due to cacao product pricing determined in the trading markets of New York and London. Keiichi Yoshino, the founder and CEO of Dari K, tried to break the status quo and through his activities since the establishment of Dari K on March 11, 2011, major changes for Indonesian cacao farmers have been seen.

Dari K has been awarded the Bronze Tablet by Salon du Chocolat in Paris every fall for its chocolate using Indonesian cacao as an ingredient. From this success, the final product made from the Indonesian cacao have become more highly valued, enabling the farmers to increase their income.

This funding will enable Dari K to accelerate its world-leading programs at key locations of the cacao/chocolate supply chain. Dari K will achieve its goal of “Changing the world through Cacao” in a dedicated and widely encompassing manner.

PIEF will provide Dari K with its accumulated knowledge and network, and fully support further growth.

About Dari K Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: 72-2, Shichiku Nishitakanawa-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
President & CEO: Keiichi Yoshino
Foundation: 11-March-2011
Capital: 10 million JPY (before invested)
URL：http://www.dari-k.com/

Contact

Toshiki Shimizu
PNB Inspire Partners Corporation
+81.3.6892.1133