DIC Enters into a Partnership with Switzerland-Based Emerald to Accelerate Business Creation in the Physical AI Domain — The Company has also established a $62 million investment portfolio and will
launch full-scale startup investment through a new European base —

Tokyo, Japan—DIC Corporation announced today that it has established a $62 million investment portfolio to accelerate the creation of new businesses in the Physical AI* Domain, which includes core components such as sensors, wearables, robotics and automation. Additionally, the Company has entered into a strategic partnership with Emerald Technology Ventures, a Switzerland-based global venture capital firm, to strengthen its global investment activities. DIC will begin full-scale investments in startups and collaborations by leveraging Emerald’s comprehensive investment support capabilities and deep domain expertise.

* Physical AI is a branch of AI that uses sensors to perceive, understand and interact with the physical world, allowing robots and machines to make decisions and act autonomously.

Establishment of a Swiss subsidiary
To further advance these initiatives, DIC plans to establish a startup investment management subsidiary in Zurich, Switzerland, in the spring of 2026. Switzerland is widely recognized as one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs, with a well-developed ecosystem that brings together startups and investors specializing in deep tech fields such as AI, robotics and advanced materials. This environment offers significant advantages for companies to explore cutting-edge technologies and to promote collaboration with external partners in the physical AI domain. Emerald, also headquartered in Zurich, is a global venture capital firm with an extensive network and a high level of expertise, particularly in Europe and North America. By establishing a presence in the same city, DIC will be positioned to act more swiftly and to collaborate more closely with Emerald to identify investment candidates, gather local market intelligence and launch collaborative initiatives with other firms.

Physical AI: A priority domain that will underpin future growth
Physical AI is a highly promising market that straddles multiple industries, involving systems that perceive human movements, behaviors and environments, and that respond to or are controlled by robotics and algorithms. Key related technologies, including those for wearables, smart sensing, soft robotics and automation solutions, contribute to improvements in productivity and quality of life, and offer excellent synergies with DIC’s long-standing materials science technologies. With the aim of driving such value creation, the Company has adopted a new business creation mechanism dubbed “Direct to Society,” whereby it seeks to create new businesses by envisaging future needs, proposing solutions and value directly to society, and achieving commercialization through practical implementation. Collaboration with startups in the physical AI domain aligns strongly with this Direct to Society approach and will represent a key element of the Company’s drive to accelerate the creation of new value.

The new strategic partnership with Emerald will enable DIC to capitalize on the global venture capital firm’s networks in Europe and North America, its ability to identify potential investment candidates and its expertise in providing post-investment growth support to strengthen the entire process, from initiating collaboration with startups to supporting their growth.

Over the next five years, the Company plans to invest in several companies through its new $62 million investment portfolio, aiming to create business opportunities and future strategic options by supporting startup growth and collaboration, while also fully utilizing the Direct to Society mechanism. By deploying this investment portfolio and deepening partnerships with trailblazing startups in the physical AI domain, the DIC Group will continuously promote sustainable business creation and enhance both corporate value and societal value.

Executive Comments
Takashi Ikeda, Representative Director, President and Group CEO, DIC Corporation
“For many years, DIC has been committed to addressing social imperatives by leveraging the power of materials. Our role is currently undergoing a significant transformation. The physical AI domain has the potential to reshape the relationship between people and technology, making it more natural and intuitive. Our partnership with Emerald represents a major step toward gaining world class expertise and networks in this field. By working together with pioneering startups, we aim to accelerate our efforts to deliver new value to society. In line with our Direct to Society business creation mechanism, we will continue working to secure indispensable technologies and to deliver experiences that will enrich the lives of people in the future.”

Gina Domanig, Managing Partner and CEO, Emerald Technology Ventures
“Partnering with DIC reflects a shared conviction that the next phase of innovation will be driven by technologies that seamlessly integrate human insight with intelligent systems. With physical AI, the real opportunity lies in technologies that work alongside people, enhancing human capability rather than replacing it. By supporting DIC in identifying, investing in and collaborating with advanced startups, we will help translate emerging AI innovations into practical, human-centered solutions that act as a catalyst for DIC’s long-term business evolution.”

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About Emerald Technology Ventures
Emerald Technology Ventures is an independent venture capital firm founded in 2000 in Zurich, Switzerland, with superior expertise in the industrial technology, materials and cleantech sectors. With offices across Europe, North America and Asia, Emerald has a proven track record spanning startup sourcing, investment and growth support. The firm possesses extensive knowledge and global networks in areas such as sensors, robotics, advanced materials and industrial digital transformation, and is highly regarded for its support of open innovation initiatives with corporate partners. DIC and Emerald have built a relationship of trust through prior investments in funds and joint research, and this new strategic partnership will establish an even deeper collaborative framework.

For more information, please visit Emerald’s website: https://emerald.vc/

About DIC Corporation
DIC Corporation is one of the world’s leading fine chemicals companies and the core of the DIC Group, a multinational organization comprising over 170 companies, including Sun Chemical Corporation, in more than 60 countries and territories. The DIC Group is recognized as a global leader in the markets for a variety of products essential to modern lifestyles, notably packaging materials, display materials such as those used in television and computer displays, and high-performance materials for smartphones and other digital devices, as well as for automobiles. Through such products, the Group endeavors to deliver safety and peace of mind, and color and comfort, to people everywhere. The DIC Group also seeks to contribute to a sustainable society by developing innovative products that respond to social change and which help address social imperatives. With annual consolidated net sales exceeding ¥1 trillion and approximately 21,000 employees worldwide, the Group pledges to continue working in close cooperation with its customers wherever they are.
For more information, please visit the DIC global website: https://www.dic-global.com/en/