INNOPHYS

What INNOPHYS does

INNOPHYS Co., Ltd. (株式会社イノフィス) is a Tokyo-based wearable robotics company founded in 2013 as a spin-off from Tokyo University of Science by Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi. The company designs, manufactures, and sells the MUSCLE SUIT® product line — a series of powered exoskeletons that use proprietary McKibben-type pneumatic artificial muscles to reduce physical strain on workers' waists, backs, and arms during heavy lifting and prolonged bending tasks. The suits are powered by compressed air rather than electric motors, making them lightweight (4.3–8.1 kg depending on model), cost-effective, and compliant with international safety standards; MUSCLE SUIT Every received the world's first ISO 13482 certification for an artificial muscle-powered exoskeleton in February 2020. The product portfolio includes MUSCLE SUIT Every (entry-level, MSRP ¥149,600 / ~$1,000), MUSCLE SUIT GS-BACK and GS-ARM (specialized variants), MUSCLE UPPER (world's first wearable balancer for simultaneous arm and waist assistance with up to 35.7 kgf force), and discontinued Power/Edge lines.

INNOPHYS serves a horizontally diversified customer base spanning elderly care facilities, manufacturing plants, agriculture, logistics, construction, and government/military customers. Named enterprise customers include Toyota Auto Body, Nippon Express, Bosch, Honda Cars, Tosoh, Exedy, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and numerous special nursing homes; consumer and SMB buyers purchase through official e-commerce (shop.musclesuit.co.jp) with installment plans (¥3,500/month) and via retail partnerships with Bic Camera and Joyful Honda. The Kagurazaka Showroom in Tokyo supports in-person product trials, and international sales flow through regional distributors across 10+ countries including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong/Macau, Malaysia, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, and more recently Poland, the Baltics, Denmark, the USA, and Australia. Mass production is outsourced to Kikuchi Seisakusho's Minamisoma Factory in Fukushima Prefecture under a contract manufacturing partnership established in 2015.

The business model is predominantly one-time hardware sales across the MUSCLE SUIT product family, supplemented by replacement parts and accessories. INNOPHYS has shipped more than 40,000 cumulative units globally as of June 2026 and entered a stated 'popularization phase' with reduced adoption barriers. The company has raised approximately ¥4.3 billion (~USD 30 million) in disclosed equity funding across rounds in 2015, 2018, and 2019 — with the largest ¥3.53 billion round in December 2019 bringing in strategic investors Bic Camera, Brother, Fidelity International, HI-LEX, NAC, TIS Japan, TOKAI, and Towa Pharmaceutical. INNOPHYS operates from its headquarters in Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, with 11–50 employees, and remains a privately held venture-backed independent entity with no parent company and no public listing.

Name

INNOPHYS

Legal name

株式会社イノフィス

Website

https://innophys.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INNOPHYS designs, manufactures, and sells the MUSCLE SUIT® line of McKibben pneumatic artificial muscle-powered exoskeletons that reduce back, waist, and arm strain for workers in elderly care, manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and construction, with 40,000+ cumulative units shipped.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wearable Exoskeleton Suits / Assistive Robotics

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosthetic Components & Rehabilitation Accessories (Liners, Feet, Knees, Sockets) (HLAHAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports & Active Rehabilitation Devices (Adaptive Sports Mobility, Performance Prosthetics) (HLAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Wearable exoskeleton suits
• Assistive robotics
• Pneumatic artificial muscles
• Occupational wearables
• Care robotics

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Muscle Suit Series: One-time sale of powered exoskeleton suits (Muscle Suit Every, Muscle Suit Edge, Muscle Upper) to enterprises, healthcare facilities, farms, factories, and individuals. Revenue is generated from upfront product sales at manufacturer suggested retail prices.
2. Optional Parts and Accessories: Sale of optional accessories and replacement parts (body covers, shoulder belts, etc.) for the Muscle Suit Every, with periodic repurchase from B2B customers and individual buyers.
3. Enterprise/Corporate Direct Sales: Direct sales of units in bulk to enterprises (manufacturing, logistics, caregiving), often facilitated through subsidy programs or demonstration/showroom trials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INNOPHYS designs, manufactures, and sells pneumatic-powered wearable exoskeleton suits under the MUSCLE SUIT® brand, using proprietary McKibben-type artificial muscle actuators that provide up to 25.5–35.7 kgf of assistive force to the waist, arms, and upper body without motors or batteries. Core products include the MUSCLE SUIT Every (lightweight waist-assist), Muscle Upper (waist + dual-arm balancer), and specialized GS-BACK / GS-ARM variants sold to enterprises in caregiving, manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and government/defense, and directly to consumers via e-commerce and retail chains.

Product overview

INNOPHYS develops and manufactures a suite of wearable assistive suits under the MUSCLE SUIT® brand, using proprietary McKibben-type artificial muscle actuators powered by compressed air. The product portfolio includes the consumer/light-duty model Muscle Suit Every, the GS-BACK and GS-ARM specialized variants for back and arm support, the Muscle Upper full-body balancer for heavy lifting, and the discontinued Muscle Suit Power and Edge lines. The products are designed for care, agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics sectors to reduce physical strain on workers' backs and arms during lifting and carrying tasks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MUSCLE SUIT: Main product line of wearable assistive exoskeleton suits powered by McKibben artificial muscles, designed to reduce waist and body strain in various work environments.
• MUSCLE UPPER
• MUSCLE SUIT Every

Products and services

• MUSCLE SUIT Every Lightweight waist-supporting pneumatic assistive suit using McKibben-type artificial muscles powered by a manual air pump, delivering up to 25.5 kgf of assistance to reduce lower back strain during lifting and carrying. Sold to caregiving, agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics enterprises and to individual consumers via e-commerce and retail chains.
• Muscle Upper (マッスルアッパー) World's first wearable balancer system that simultaneously assists both arms and waist during heavy material handling. Uses four McKibben-type artificial muscles driven by compressed air from an external compressor to deliver up to 35.7 kgf (140 Nm) of assistive force without fixed installations or specialized attachments. Targeted at heavy material handling in manufacturing and logistics.
• MUSCLE SUIT GS-BACK Specialized waist-support assistive suit designed for back-injury prevention in caregiving and industrial environments, available in tight-fit and soft-fit options. Built on the McKibben pneumatic-muscle platform to reduce lower-back strain during heavy lifting and prolonged bending.
• MUSCLE SUIT GS-ARM Assistive suit variant designed for arm support during overhead work and repetitive lifting tasks, with adjustable sizing and powered assistance for the upper extremities using the McKibben artificial-muscle platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Waist strain reduced to approximately one-third during heavy lifting tasks
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered key, minor and core.

• Meguras (メグラス)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022INNOPHYS and Meguras conducted a joint demonstration (January 2022) of rehabilitation methods using the Muscle Suit Every in nursing care facilities, leveraging the Muscle Suit's pneumatic pressure as resistance training to enable rehabilitation without requiring physical therapists.
• Sewing Box (ソーイングボックス)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2021INNOPHYS entered a business partnership with Sewing Box (株式会社ソーイングボックス) for operational collaboration, announced September 10, 2021.
• Minami Shirahama Airport (南紀白浜エアポート) and Tagami (たがみ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021INNOPHYS signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Minami Shirahama Airport and Tagami Corporation to activate the primary industry in the Minami region of Wakayama Prefecture, using the Muscle Suit to verify effectiveness and promote the product to local agricultural workers.
• Itochu Techno-Solutions (伊藤忠テクノソリューションズ / CTC)keyTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2020INNOPHYS partnered with CTC and SORACOM to develop an IoT-enabled Muscle Suit. The joint demonstration integrated sensors and devices into the Muscle Suit, enabling usage data and location tracking collection and analysis across global operations.
• SORACOM (ソラコム)keyTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2020Part of the three-party IoT Muscle Suit development initiative with INNOPHYS and CTC, providing IoT network connectivity and data collection infrastructure for the connected Muscle Suit.
• BASFkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2019INNOPHYS and BASF announced a joint collaboration (published November 7, 2019), combining BASF's materials expertise with INNOPHYS's assistive robot technology for product development and market applications.
• Hokkaido Care Robot Promotion Council (北海道介護ロボット推進協議会)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 August 2017The Hokkaido Care Robot Promotion Council displays the Muscle Suit at its showroom in Sapporo, making the product available for demonstration to care facilities across Hokkaido.
• Kikuchi Manufacturing (菊池製作所)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKikuchi Manufacturing is the contract manufacturer of Muscle Suits, producing units at its Minamisoma Factory (南相馬工場) in Fukushima Prefecture. This manufacturing partnership, established from 2015, was the basis for mass production scale-up and was featured in major media coverage including Prime Minister Abe's factory visit in 2016.
• Daido (ダイドー)minorOthersDaido (株式会社ダイドー) partnered with INNOPHYS to display its walking support assist suit 'π Plus' at the Kagurazaka Showroom (June 2026), expanding the showroom's showcase of assistive technology.
• Kagurazaka Showroom (神楽坂ショールーム)minorOthersThe Kagurazaka Showroom serves as a permanent exhibition space for the Muscle Suit series and partner assistive technology products, including the π Plus by Daido.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Cyberdyne: Cyberdyne's HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) is the most prominent Japanese wearable exoskeleton competitor, serving medical, eldercare, and industrial applications. It uses a fundamentally different (motor-driven, bio-electrical signal) architecture but targets identical use cases and customer segments.
• Ekso Bionics: Ekso Bionics develops powered exoskeletons for medical rehabilitation (EksoNR) and industrial use (Ekso EVO), directly competing with INNOPHYS in the workplace-assistance category. Both target industrial buyers and rehabilitation centers seeking to reduce worker injury and amplify physical capability.
• Sarcos Technology and Robotics: Sarcos develops the Guardian XO full-body industrial exoskeleton, aimed at manufacturing, logistics, and defense use cases overlapping with INNOPHYS's industrial customers. It is a peer in industrial wearable robotics with comparable enterprise GTM motions.
• German Bionic: German Bionic's Cray X is a powered exoskeleton for logistics and manufacturing workers, competing directly with INNOPHYS's Muscle Suit Edge/Every in European industrial accounts. Both focus on reducing fatigue and injury in repetitive lifting tasks.
• SuitX (by Ottobock): SuitX (acquired by Ottobock) makes modular industrial exoskeletons (shoulderX, backX, legX) for manufacturing workers, directly competing with INNOPHYS in factory-floor ergonomic assistance applications with a similar enterprise sales motion.

Broad incumbents

• Honda Motor (Walking Assist Device): Honda's Walking Assist Device is a wearable robot for stride assistance in elderly and rehabilitation contexts, overlapping with INNOPHYS's eldercare and rehabilitation use cases. Honda is a much broader incumbent with extensive R&D resources but does not focus on industrial lifting assistance.
• Ottobock: Ottobock is a global leader in prosthetics, orthotics, and assistive mobility devices, with a growing presence in industrial exoskeletons via its SuitX acquisition. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering rehabilitation/mobility products overlapping with INNOPHYS's customer base.
• Lockheed Martin (FORTIS): Lockheed Martin's FORTIS industrial exoskeleton targets manufacturing and defense use cases closely overlapping with INNOPHYS's Muscle Suit industrial and Japan Air Self-Defense Force deployments. Lockheed is a broad defense/industrial incumbent rather than a specialist.
• Panasonic (Assist Robots): Panasonic has developed wearable assistive robots (e.g., the Assist Suit, powered chair robots) for caregiving and industrial applications, and is a broad incumbent in the same assistive-wearable-robotics category as INNOPHYS, with deeper distribution but broader portfolio focus.

Emerging players

• ReWalk Robotics: ReWalk develops powered exoskeletons for spinal cord injury rehabilitation and is now expanding into industrial soft exoskeletons. It overlaps with INNOPHYS in the wearable assistive robotics category but with a different primary focus on medical mobility restoration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/musclesuitEvery
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX8VSoK4e5KJ9gZ3N-AqZ5Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/innophys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innophys
• Instagraminstagram.com/musclesuit_every

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors26 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INNOPHYS