SkyDisc
SkyDisc (Fukuoka, founded 2013) sells AI-powered production-planning SaaS — Optimal Works — to Japanese manufacturers, using a proprietary scheduling engine and patent-pending master-configuration technology to automate equipment and staffing allocation, sold via subscription and regional-bank channel partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersFukuoka-shi, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SkyDisc does
SkyDisc (株式会社スカイディスク) is a Fukuoka-headquartered Japanese AI/SaaS company, founded in October 2013, that develops and sells production-planning software for small, mid-sized, and large Japanese manufacturers. Its flagship product, Optimal Works (最適ワークス), is an AI-powered SaaS scheduler that automatically generates equipment and staffing allocation plans from order data ("what product, how many, by when"), using a proprietary optimization engine and a patent-pending master-configuration technology that materially reduces setup effort. The product reached general availability in April 2022 and surpassed 100 million JPY in ARR within eight months.
The company operates a two-segment business model: (1) a SaaS segment built around Optimal Works, sold primarily via monthly subscription (starting at 150,000 JPY/month plus a 900,000 JPY initial implementation fee) and certified under Japan's IT Introduction Subsidy program, and (2) a DX Solution Studio that delivers consulting, PoC execution, and system integration services. Legacy offerings include the SkyAI cloud analytics platform (time-series anomaly detection, predictive analytics, computer vision) and the SkyAI for Sound audio-inspection module developed jointly with Toyota Motor Kyushu; earlier hardware lines such as GINGA Box and the Factory Doctor FORS/Suizin water-treatment product are no longer commercially active. As of mid-2023 the company had supported 272+ companies across 550+ DX projects and accumulated 100+ Optimal Works customers by 2025–2026.
SkyDisc's go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with an unusually deep regional distribution network — channel and referral partnerships with multiple Japanese regional banks (NCB, Saga, Higo, Gifu Shinkin), regional SIers and distributors (S2-I, Fukpack Printing, Maruemu Shokai, Kanaden), and ecosystem partners (Project Company for SME DX consulting, Asuene for CO2 visualization, Ricoh via the TRIBUS program, and Honda Trading for international deployment). The company has raised approximately 2.5 billion JPY across four funding rounds (2016 seed, 2017 Series A, 2019 Series B, 2023 Series C), led by DG Daiwa Ventures and regional-bank-affiliated VCs; it underwent a management restructuring and product pivot in December 2019 after over-expansion, and is now led by Representative CEO Uchimura Anri.
SkyDisc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SkyDisc
- Legal name
- 株式会社スカイディスク
- Website
- https://skydisc.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SkyDisc (Fukuoka, founded 2013) sells AI-powered production-planning SaaS — Optimal Works — to Japanese manufacturers, using a proprietary scheduling engine and patent-pending master-configuration technology to automate equipment and staffing allocation, sold via subscription and regional-bank channel partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SkyDisc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Manufacturing Execution / Production Planning Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)
Keywords
Where SkyDisc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fukuoka-shi
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
SkyDisc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription - Optimal Works: Monthly subscription-based SaaS service for AI-powered production scheduling. Pricing starts at 150,000 JPY per month. Revenue recognized monthly as subscription fees with strong recurring revenue characteristics.
- DX Solution Services: Custom DX solution development, consulting, and implementation services. Includes DX strategy planning, requirements definition, PoC, system development and implementation support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Optimal Works subscription plan starting at 150,000 JPY/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Entry-level pricing at 50,000 JPY/month mentioned in older sources |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
SkyDisc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SkyDisc develops and sells "Optimal Works" (最適ワークス), an AI-powered SaaS production scheduler that automatically generates optimal equipment and staffing allocation plans from order data for Japanese manufacturers. The company also provides a DX Solution Studio offering custom AI/DX consulting, system development, and implementation support, along with the SkyAI cloud platform for IoT data analytics and AI training services for manufacturing personnel.
Product overview
SkyDisc operates two main business segments: (1) SaaS事業 (最適ワークス) — the Optimal Works AI×SaaS production planning scheduler, and (2) DXソリューションスタジオ — a consulting and system integration studio for production management and optimization. SkyDisc's flagship AI product Optimal Works generates optimal equipment and staffing plans from order data using a proprietary AI engine, with additional modules for CO2 emissions visualization and integration with third-party BI dashboards. The broader product portfolio historically included SkyAI (cloud IoT analytics), SkyAI for Sound (audio anomaly detection), and the Factory Doctor FORS/Suizin water treatment automation suite (now discontinued). The company also offers AI training services as part of its DX support portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 最適ワークス (Saiteki Works): AI×SaaS production planning DX service (production scheduling automation system). Automatically creates optimal production plans from order information (what product, how many, by when) using AI.
Products and services
- Optimal Works (最適ワークス) AI × SaaS production planning auto-scheduling system that automatically generates optimal equipment and staffing allocation plans from order data ('what products, how many, by when'). Targets small and medium-sized manufacturers for production planning DX, eliminating bottlenecks, reducing changeover time, and supporting on-site small-footprint DX. Includes CO2 emissions visualization module.
- SkyAI (スカイエーアイ) Cloud AI platform for IoT time-series data analysis, providing pattern recognition, predictive analytics, image recognition, feature analysis, and cluster analysis modules for manufacturing anomaly detection, fault prediction, and quality control.
- SkyAI for Sound (スカイエーアイ フォー サウンド) AI audio analysis module that detects normal vs. anomalous sounds in manufacturing environments. Extracts over 10,000 features from approximately 1 minute of audio data and uses human auditory characteristics modeling to identify abnormal sounds for quality inspection and equipment monitoring.
- SkyDisc DX Solution Studio (DXソリューションスタジオ)
Quantifiable outcome
- Planning work reduced from 3 hours to 10 minutes
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SkyDisc
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SkyDisc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability8 records
Feature3 records
SkyDisc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Gifu Shinkin Bank (岐阜信用金庫)minorGifu Shinkin Bank hosts pitch events where SkyDisc presents Optimal Works to regional manufacturing companies.
- Hiroshima AI Sandbox (ひろしまAIサンドボックス)minorSelected for Hiroshima Prefecture's AI sandbox program supporting regional AI initiatives. Collaborating with Hiroshima companies to develop AI solutions using Optimal Works for regional manufacturing DX.
- IT Coordinator Hiroshima (ITコーディネータ広島)minorSpeaking engagement at IT Coordinator Hiroshima regular seminar to promote Optimal Works to regional IT professionals.
- Honda Trading (（株）ホンダトレーディング）coreStrategic collaboration with Honda Trading to support their manufacturing supply chain visualization and expansion goals. First demonstration experiments planned at Honda Trading's overseas manufacturing facilities. This partnership extends Optimal Works' presence in the automotive supply chain and validates international applicability.
- Fukui Digital Promotion Alliance (ふくいデジタル推進アライアンス)minorJoined regional DX promotion alliance in Fukui prefecture.
- Project Company ((株）プロジェクトカンパニー）coreJoint venture to provide DX consulting services targeting SMEs. Combines SkyDisc's SaaS products with Project Company's DX consulting capabilities for SMB-focused manufacturing DX services.
- Ricoh (（株）リコー）coreParticipation in Ricoh's TRIBUS 2023 accelerator program. Collaboration with multiple Ricoh divisions and group companies for co-creation, including pilot implementations and customer surveys. Awarded special jury prize.
- Saga Bank / Higo Bank Group (佐賀銀行)coreBusiness partnership to support regional manufacturing DX through Saga Bank group's customer network.
- S2-I / Estsuai (（株）エスツーアイ）coreSales partnership agreement for Optimal Works distribution. S2-I is a manufacturing-focused SIer based in Aichi Prefecture with strength in automotive industry. Partnership aims to expand sales in Aichi and central Japan automotive sector.
- Fukpack Printing (（株）福博印刷)minorSales partnership for Optimal Works distribution in Kyushu region, particularly for printing and manufacturing industries.
- Asuene (アスエネ）coreBusiness partnership with carbon emissions visualization company Asuene. Integration of Optimal Works with Asuene's carbon management platform to provide Scope 1, 2, and product-level CO2 visualization and reduction solutions to manufacturing clients.
- Nishi-Nihon City Bank / NCB (西日本シティ銀行)coreBusiness partnership for Optimal Works promotion to bank's manufacturing clients. Bank introduces product to customers and supports DX initiatives.
- Nakajima Kogyo / AI Engineering (中島工業 / AIエンジニアリング)minorJoint development of smart factory solutions for water treatment in food factories. Created 'Factory Doctor FORS' service with Suizin module for water treatment automation.
- AJS (TIS Intellic Group)minorAgreement with AJS to develop AI/IoT services for the petrochemical and chemical manufacturing industry. Combines SkyAI platform with AJS's extensive experience in chemical industry ICT services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
SkyDisc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Cognite: Industrial DataOps platform providing AI-ready data foundation for manufacturing and asset-heavy industries. Comparable in using AI on factory data for anomaly detection and predictive use cases, similar to SkyAI's positioning.
- FLECT: Japanese SaaS startup offering manufacturing data platform / DX solutions for factories. Comparable to SkyDisc in serving Japanese manufacturing DX, with partial overlap in data-driven production analytics.
- Falkonry: AI platform specialized in time-series anomaly detection for industrial operations. Comparable to SkyAI's anomaly detection and predictive maintenance modules for manufacturing equipment.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Yonder: Large global supply chain and production-planning platform serving enterprise manufacturers and retailers. Overlaps with Optimal Works in production scheduling but as part of a much broader SCM suite.
- SAP S/4HANA PP/DS and IBP: SAP's production planning and detailed scheduling (PP/DS) and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) modules compete for the same large-manufacturer scheduling budgets as Optimal Works, typically as part of broader ERP rollouts.
- Dassault Systèmes DELMIA / Quintiq: Dassault's DELMIA and Quintiq brands offer advanced planning, scheduling and operations solutions for industrial customers. Broad incumbent in the same production-planning category as Optimal Works.
Direct peers
- o9 Solutions: AI-native integrated business planning platform used by global manufacturers and supply chains. Comparable to SkyDisc in applying AI/optimization to production planning and supply-chain scheduling.
- Asprova: Japanese advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software vendor widely used in domestic manufacturing. Directly comparable to SkyDisc's Optimal Works in targeting production-scheduling automation for Japanese manufacturers.
Others
- Wing Arc 1st: Japanese BI / data visualization vendor (MotionBoard) with deep manufacturing customer base. Already integrated with SkyDisc (SkyAI + MotionBoard) and serves overlapping Japanese manufacturers, making it both an ecosystem partner and a tangential competitor for shop-floor DX budgets.
- BrainPad: Japanese data analytics and AI solutions company with manufacturing DX practices. Adjacent peer — similar end customers (Japanese manufacturers) and analytics capabilities, but positioned as a services/analytics firm rather than a packaged SaaS scheduler.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SkyDisc social profiles
Digital presenceSkyDisc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SkyDisc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SkyDisc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SkyDisc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SkyDisc
What does SkyDisc do?
SkyDisc develops and sells "Optimal Works" (最適ワークス), an AI-powered SaaS production scheduler that automatically generates optimal equipment and staffing allocation plans from order data for Japanese manufacturers. The company also provides a DX Solution Studio offering custom AI/DX consulting, system development, and implementation support, along with the SkyAI cloud platform for IoT data analytics and AI training services for manufacturing personnel.
Is SkyDisc a public or private company?
SkyDisc is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SkyDisc founded?
SkyDisc was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SkyDisc based?
SkyDisc is headquartered in Fukuoka-shi, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does SkyDisc make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription - Optimal Works are the primary driver. The others are DX Solution Services.
Who are SkyDisc's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Cognite, FLECT and Falkonry. Broad incumbents are Blue Yonder, SAP S/4HANA PP/DS and IBP and Dassault Systèmes DELMIA / Quintiq. Direct peers are o9 Solutions and Asprova. Others are Wing Arc 1st and BrainPad.
Does SkyDisc have an API?
No public API is recorded for SkyDisc.
What industry is SkyDisc in?
SkyDisc's product category is Manufacturing Execution / Production Planning Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAJ, Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian). Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7372.