SME M&A Guidelines Compliance

DECLARATION

Ataraxia Partners, operator of KEISHŌ (継承), hereby declares its voluntary commitment to the principles of the Small and Medium Enterprise M&A Guidelines, 3rd Edition (August 2024), as set out on this page.

1. Platform Role

KEISHŌ (継承), operated by Ataraxia Partners, is an online business succession and M&A matching platform. We connect business owners seeking succession with prospective buyers and facilitate introductions and secure exchange of listing information, documents, and contact details. KEISHŌ is a platform facilitator only. We are not registered as an M&A intermediary (M&A仲介業) or financial advisor under Japanese law, and we do not provide legal, financial, or transactional advisory services. Negotiations, due diligence, definitive agreements, and closing are conducted directly between buyer and seller.

2. Voluntary Commitment to the SME M&A Guidelines

Ataraxia Partners voluntarily commits to the principles set out in the Small and Medium Enterprise M&A Guidelines, 3rd Edition (中小M&Aガイドライン 第3版), published by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in August 2024. Although KEISHŌ operates as a matching platform rather than a registered M&A intermediary, we support the Guidelines' goal of fostering a fair, transparent, and healthy SME M&A market. In particular, we commit to: • Clearly explaining the scope of our platform services, fees, and limitations before users engage • Presenting listing and match information accurately, without misleading representations • Protecting the confidentiality of seller and buyer information • Facilitating fair access to opportunities for qualified buyers without improper discrimination • Not engaging in conduct that would undermine trust in the SME M&A market • Encouraging parties to seek independent legal, tax, and financial advice before concluding any transaction

3. Anonymisation and Privacy Protection

KEISHŌ applies strict anonymisation and privacy controls throughout the matching process: • Public listings use generic descriptions — real business names, owner identities, and precise locations are not shown without seller consent • Full business details, financial information, and personal data are disclosed only after mutual interest, verification, and appropriate confidentiality agreements (NDA) • Buyer identities are held in escrow by the platform and released only through the approved introduction process • Personal data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable Japanese law (APPI) and, where relevant, GDPR • Users may request access, correction, or deletion of their personal data as described in our Privacy Policy We treat all non-public information obtained through the platform as confidential and expect the same of all participants.

4. Antisocial Forces Exclusion Policy

KEISHŌ maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward antisocial forces (反社会的勢力). All sellers and buyers must confirm at registration that neither they nor any entity they represent falls under any of the following: • Organised crime groups (暴力団) or their members or associates • Companies with substantial involvement of organised crime groups • Corporate extortionists (総会屋), social movement advocators used for commercial gain, or special intelligence crime groups • Any other equivalent antisocial forces under Japanese law We reserve the right to refuse registration, suspend accounts, or terminate access without notice if we reasonably believe a user is connected to antisocial forces or has provided false declarations. We will cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory authorities as required by law.

5. Official Guideline

The official Small and Medium Enterprise M&A Guidelines (中小M&Aガイドライン) are published by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (中小企業庁), METI:

中小M&Aガイドライン — Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (METI) ↗

6. Contact

Questions about this declaration or our compliance practices may be directed to admin@keisho.ai.