Medirom Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:MRM) experienced a 79.17% surge in pre-market trading following the company’s announcement of a strategic collaboration with Hakuhodo Inc. to participate in “World,” a “proof of human” protocol co-founded by OpenAI‘s Sam Altman.
Check out the current price of MRM stock here.
What Happened: The Japanese healthcare technology company announced it will install World ID verification devices called “Orbs” across approximately 100 of its Re.Ra.Ku relaxation salons by December 2025. The collaboration aims to issue 500,000 new World IDs annually through this deployment.
Medirom operates over 300 relaxation salons nationwide under various brands, including Re.Ra.Ku, Spa Re.Ra.Ku, and Ruam Ruam. The company has expanded beyond traditional wellness services into digital health technologies, manufacturing the MOTHER Bracelet fitness tracker and offering the Lav health monitoring application.
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According to Benzinga Pro data, the holistic healthcare company jumped to $2.06 in pre-market after closing at $1.20, down 5.51% on Thursday. Medirom is valued at about $9.48 million, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.32.
Why It Matters: The partnership positions Medirom at the forefront of AI-era identity verification technology. World ID uses advanced biometric scanning to verify human authenticity without compromising privacy, addressing growing concerns about distinguishing humans from AI-generated content.
Investor interest spiked following the announcement, reflecting market enthusiasm for Medirom’s strategic pivot into cutting-edge authentication technology. The stock’s pre-market performance suggests strong investor confidence in the company’s ability to monetize its extensive retail footprint through innovative AI-related services.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MRM stock has a positive price trend across all time frames. Here is how the stock fares on other parameters.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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