4,500-School Nationwide Network Sets the Stage for Accelerated Expansion in School Club Support, Child Welfare, and Strategic M&A
TOKYO, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFS) (the "Company" or "Leifras"), a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement and Japan's leading operator of children's sports schools and school club activity outsourcing support, today announced that it had officially established a multi-sport school presence across all 47 prefectures in Japan following its recent expansion into Toyama Prefecture. The milestone further strengthens the Company's ability to expand its core sports school business and pursue strategic acquisition opportunities in Japan and overseas.
Since its founding in 2001, Leifras has driven its business forward under the corporate philosophy, "To Change and Design Sports." This new nationwide footprint marks a milestone and also serves as the launching pad for the Company's next stage of growth. Leveraging its sports education network of approximately 4,500 schools and around 70,700 members nationwide, Leifras plans to deepen penetration into untapped municipalities, expand its social business lines, and pursue strategic domestic and international M&A opportunities while leveraging its access to capital markets as a Nasdaq-listed company.
Driving Next-Phase Growth: Key Strategic Pillars
1. Scaling the Core Sports School Business via Organic Growth and Strategic Acquisitions
With a leading nationwide platform powered by over 1,000 full-time employees and approximately 3,500 part-time employees, Leifras aims to further increase its market share through the following initiatives:
- Expanding Presence in Untapped Areas: The Company plans to actively establish new schools within unpenetrated municipalities across the 47 prefectures, enhancing its position as a vital sports education infrastructure.
- Accelerating Strategic M&A and Global Expansion: To expedite market share expansion, the Company is actively pursuing M&A. Building upon the recently completed acquisition of Tokai Sports Co., Ltd., a 40-year-old club with approximately 1,200 members and a network of 20 partner kindergartens, Leifras plans to continue the execution of its strategy to establish a dominant market position in key regions in Japan and expand its proprietary sports education programs into overseas markets, including Asia, North America, and Europe.
2. Expanding School Club Support and Social Welfare Services
- Scaling School Club Support Nationwide: As Japan's national "Reform Execution Period" begins in 2026, an estimated JPY500 billion potential market is emerging.* With 381 contracted schools, Leifras ranks first in Japan by the number of schools contracted for club activities according to a market research by Tokyo Shoko Research for 2025. The Company plans to leverage its nationwide instructor placement platform to efficiently deploy professional coaches, meeting the increasing demands from local municipalities for centralized management of club activities.
- Expanding "LEIF," "FLEI," and "ILFE" Welfare Services: The Company's specialized after-school daycare locations for children with developmental needs have grown rapidly by 45% year-over-year to 29 locations in 2026. Leveraging its nationwide network of certified instructors, Leifras plans to scale its sports therapy brand "LEIF" alongside its new academic-hybrid brands "FLEI" and "ILFE" to build a robust nationwide support infrastructure.
* Market size is estimated by the Company based on past contract performance.
Management Commentary
Mr. Kiyotaka Ito, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer of Leifras, commented, "Achieving a presence across all 47 prefectures represents an important milestone in Leifras' history, but it is not our final destination. With our network of approximately 4,500 schools now in place, we have finally completed the foundational infrastructure required to deliver value to every corner of Japan. As a Nasdaq-listed company, we aim now to accelerate our expansion into untapped domestic markets while exploring international growth opportunities through strategic M&A. Beyond traditional sports schools, we are committed to addressing critical social issues through school club support, education, and welfare services, utilizing sports as a catalyst to create sustainable value for the future of our children and society."
Corporate History: The Journey to Nationwide Infrastructure
- 2001: Founded as LEIFRAS Co., Ltd; launched its inaugural soccer school.
- 2006-Present: Multi-sport diversification (including baseball schools) and dominant expansion from Kyushu to Kanto and other major urban hubs.
- 2019-Present: Formally launched social business sectors, including school club activity support and after-school daycare services.
- 2026: Achieved presence across all 47 Japanese prefectures following expansion into Toyama Prefecture.
About LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Leifras is a sports and social business company dedicated to youth sports and community engagement. The Company primarily provides services related to the organization and operations of sports schools and sports events for children. As of December 31, 2025, Leifras was recognized as one of Japan's largest operators of children's sports schools in terms of both membership and facilities by Tokyo Shoko Research. The Company's approach to sports education emphasizes the development of non-cognitive skills, following the teaching principle "acknowledge, praise, encourage, and motivate." The holistic approach that integrates physical and mental development sets Leifras apart in the industry. Building upon deep experience and know-how in sports education, Leifras also operates a robust social business sector, dispatching sports coaches to meet various community needs with the aim to promote physical health, social inclusion, and community well-being across different demographics.
For more information, please visit the Company's website: https://ir.leifras.co.jp/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as "approximates," "believes," "hopes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "plans," "will," "would," "should," "could," "may," or other similar expressions in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the registration statement and other filings with the SEC. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.
For more information, please contact:
LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
Investor Relations Department
Email: IR@leifras.co.jp
Ascent Investor Relations LLC
Tina Xiao
Phone: +1-646-932-7242
Email: investors@ascent-ir.com
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SOURCE LEIFRAS Co., Ltd.
