Mui Lab
Mui Lab is a Kyoto-based calm-technology company that develops a patented wood touch-sensitive smart home interface and IoT platform (mui Platform), selling B2B hardware, licensed software, and managed smart-living solutions to Japanese housing developers, real estate firms, utilities, and select global partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersKyoto-shi, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mui Lab does
Mui Lab, Inc. is a Kyoto-headquartered, privately-held calm-technology company (founded October 2017, 26 staff) that builds the mui Platform — a proprietary IoT cloud system combined with a patented wood-based touch-sensitive display panel — and a portfolio of consumer- and enterprise-facing products anchored by the mui Board smart home interface. The wood display reveals digital information only when active and disappears when idle, and the platform is Matter-compliant, integrating with Amazon Alexa, SwitchBot, Crestron Home, and ECHONET Lite devices. The portfolio extends into wellness (mui Calm Sleep Platform with mmWave radar and on-device Spatial AI), property/utility solutions (mui Smart Living, mui Demand Response System with Giftee reward integration), and family/lifestyle products (Height Marking in Wood with Wacom, SHOPCARD, Cabin co-working, muihaus smart homes).
Revenue is generated through four primary streams: B2B hardware sales of mui Board devices (quote-based, not sold to individuals), SaaS/platform licensing of the mui Platform to enterprise developers, managed B2B solutions such as mui Smart Living and mui Demand Response sold to electric power companies and property developers, and professional services covering UX/UI design and consulting. Go-to-market is enterprise-led via direct sales into Japanese housing developers, real estate, energy/utilities, and infrastructure, supplemented by channel partnerships (Mitsubishi Estate, LIXIL, JIBUN HAUS, Shizuoka Gas, DSR Corporation) and event-driven demand generation at CES and Milan Design Week. Consumer-side demand is built through Kickstarter/Indiegogo crowdfunding and the muiboard.com storefront, with the sleep-enabled mui Board Gen 2 priced at $999.
Mui Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mui Lab
- Legal name
- mui Lab, Inc.
- Website
- https://muilab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mui Lab is a Kyoto-based calm-technology company that develops a patented wood touch-sensitive smart home interface and IoT platform (mui Platform), selling B2B hardware, licensed software, and managed smart-living solutions to Japanese housing developers, real estate firms, utilities, and select global partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mui Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Home IoT Devices
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Smart Building Software Platforms (IWMS/CAFM Integration, Digital Twin, Command Center) (BPABAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SCADA/HMI Platforms (IMAGABAB), Industrial Panel PCs & HMI Terminals (HDACALAE)
Keywords
Where Mui Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kyoto-shi
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Mui Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of mui Board smart home devices and related hardware products to B2B customers including housing developers and real estate companies.
- SaaS/Platform Licensing: mui Platform licensing to companies for developing their own calm IoT systems and smart home solutions. Companies can license mui's proprietary technology and design techniques.
- B2B Solutions Services: mui Smart Living and mui Demand Response System provided as solutions to electric power companies and property developers, including mobile apps, communication devices, and sensor systems.
- Professional Services: UX/UI design, SaaS software development, consulting, and business development services provided to corporate clients.
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of patented wood touch panel display technology and Calm UI design approach to other companies for product integration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | mui Board Gen2 - Sleep-enabled version with mmWave radar |
| Other | Multi-year contract | mui Board for Business Use |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Mui Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mui Lab designs, manufactures, and licenses smart home interfaces centered on the mui Board, a touch-sensitive control panel built from natural wood whose display surface appears only when activated. The company sells the mui Platform (IoT cloud + Calm UI) and B2B solutions including mui Smart Living, mui Demand Response System, Height Marking in Wood, and the mui Calm Sleep Platform to enterprises such as housing developers, electric power companies, and hotel operators, while consumer pre-orders of mui Board Gen 2 are fulfilled through crowdfunding and the muiboard.com online store.
Product overview
Mui Lab offers a portfolio of calm technology products centered around its core mui Board smart home interface—a wooden touch-panel display that serves as a 'calm UI' between users and digital information. The mui Platform underlies all offerings as the IoT cloud system enabling device interoperability, with Matter compliance for broad smart home connectivity. The product ecosystem includes mui Smart Living (property management solution with mui Kurashi app and mui Sensors), mui Demand Response System (energy-saving rewards platform), and specialized offerings like Height Marking in Wood (family memory interface with Wacom technology), Cabin (co-working spaces), and muihaus. (smart residential homes). The company has expanded into wellness with the mui Calm Sleep Platform using mmWave radar and Spatial AI. Recent additions include Living OS (with DSR Corporation) and SHOPCARD (mobile membership cards). All products are designed according to the company's 'Calm Technology & Design' principles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- mui Board Flagship smart home control panel made of natural wood with touch-sensitive surface that displays information only when needed. Integrates with various smart home devices and supports handwriting input.
- mui Board Gen 2 Second-generation Matter-compliant smart home hub with improved device synchronization, voice command support, handwriting control on wooden interface, and seamless integration with Matter-certified devices. Sleep-enabled version with mmWave radar announced at CES 2026.
- mui Demand Response System
Quantifiable outcome
- mui Board enables energy savings through intelligent device scheduling and circadian rhythm-based lighting adjustments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mui Lab
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mui Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Mui Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- DSR CorporationcorePartnership to develop an open smart home platform and launch 'Living OS' for the Japanese market. Building on August 2024 business alliance for smart home solutions regardless of communication standards.
- Miwa LockmajorCES 2026 co-exhibition partnership demonstrating integration of mui Board with Matter-compatible smart locks for seamless home security experience.
- Mitsubishi EstatecoreCapital and business alliance for smart home solutions. Integration of mui Board with Mitsubishi Estate's HOMETACT smart home service, accelerating deployment in new housing developments. Alliance signed November 2022 for smart home business domain, with capital alliance following in August 2023.
- LIXILcoreSmart home business partnership linking HOMETACT with LIXIL's Life Assist 2 IoT home link (ECHONET Lite standard certified). Enables operation and control of ECHONET Lite compatible products through hybrid IoT platform.
- WacomcoreJoint development of 'Height Marking in Wood' product combining mui's Calm Technology with Wacom's digital ink technology for family memory preservation interfaces.
- JIBUN HAUScorePartnership for muihaus residential product - smart house featuring 'Height Marking in Wood' as standard feature. Houses designed to strengthen family bonds using mui's technology.
- Giftee Inc.majorPartnership for mui Demand Response System providing 1,000+ digital gift options for energy-saving rewards. Giftee Box integration with power saving programs for electric power companies.
- Amazon / AlexamajorSelected as one of 14 Japanese startups for Amazon Alexa Startups program. Received 'Works with Alexa' certification for mui Board. Seamless Alexa voice communication integration.
- Hokkaido Gasmajormui Smart Living deployed in EFUTE rental properties. Using calm tech approaches for apartment tenant energy monitoring and daily task management.
- ABB Busch JaegerminorBusch-free@home project partnership for intuitive and natural smart home control panels.
- SAPminorCustomer feedback system partnership - wooden message board that turns handwritten messages into data for SAP's CRM system.
- SwitchBotmajorMOU signed for energy management service market. Integration with SwitchBot Smart Curtain & Smart Lock added to mui Board features.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mui Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brilliant Smart Home Systems: Brilliant makes in-wall smart home control panels with touchscreens that unify control of lighting, climate, locks, and entertainment — the closest direct analog to mui Board's in-home control hub model, differentiated only by Brilliant's LCD touchscreens versus mui's wooden touch panel.
- Loxone: Loxone provides a full smart home automation platform with a dedicated control panel (Loxone Touch) and miniserver, targeting housing developers and end consumers — closely aligned with mui Lab's B2B-to-developer channel and integrated platform play.
- SwitchBot: SwitchBot produces a broad line of Matter-compatible smart home devices (curtains, locks, sensors) and is an active partner of mui Lab. They serve the same Japanese consumer market but with mass-market hardware versus mui's premium design positioning.
- Ecobee (Generac): Ecobee makes smart thermostats and environmental sensors with wellness/energy-saving focus, now part of Generac. Closely comparable to mui Lab's mui Smart Living and Demand Response System around energy management and indoor environmental quality.
- Aqara (Lumi United Technology): Aqara delivers a comprehensive Matter-compatible smart home platform with sensors, hubs, and control panels targeting both consumer and developer channels. Strongly comparable to mui Platform's IoT cloud and broad device coverage, particularly in Asian housing markets.
Broad incumbents
- Control4 (Snap One): Control4 offers a comprehensive smart home control system with dedicated touch panels and a strong installed base in custom-integrated homes — a larger incumbent that overlaps with mui Board's premium home-control positioning but operates at significantly greater scale.
- Crestron Electronics: Crestron provides luxury home automation control panels and is now an integration partner (mui Board demonstrated with Crestron Home at CEDIA Expo 2025). As a high-end incumbent, Crestron defines the category mui Lab is competing for in the luxury wellness segment.
Regional players
- Wulian (南京物联传感): Wulian is a major Chinese smart home IoT platform offering cloud, sensors, and control panels — comparable to mui Platform's IoT cloud and Calm UI approach but focused on the Chinese market and serving housing developers at much larger volume.
Emerging players
- Senic (Nuimo): Senic builds tactile smart home controllers (Nuimo) with a focus on minimalist, design-forward interfaces — a smaller, design-driven peer to mui Board's calm-interface philosophy, operating primarily in Europe.
Others
- Wacom: Wacom is a strategic partner (co-developer of Height Marking in Wood) and a major shareholder-adjacent technology collaborator. As a digital ink and pen-input technology provider, Wacom supplies the underlying pen-capture capability for mui's family-memory products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mui Lab social profiles
Digital presenceMui Lab compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Mui Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mui Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Mui Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mui Lab 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 Mui Lab
What does Mui Lab do?
Mui Lab designs, manufactures, and licenses smart home interfaces centered on the mui Board, a touch-sensitive control panel built from natural wood whose display surface appears only when activated. The company sells the mui Platform (IoT cloud + Calm UI) and B2B solutions including mui Smart Living, mui Demand Response System, Height Marking in Wood, and the mui Calm Sleep Platform to enterprises such as housing developers, electric power companies, and hotel operators, while consumer pre-orders of mui Board Gen 2 are fulfilled through crowdfunding and the muiboard.com online store.
Is Mui Lab a public or private company?
Mui Lab is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Mui Lab founded?
Mui Lab was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mui Lab based?
Mui Lab is headquartered in Kyoto-shi, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Mui Lab make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are saaS/Platform Licensing, B2B Solutions Services, professional Services and technology Licensing.
Who are Mui Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brilliant Smart Home Systems, Loxone, SwitchBot, Ecobee (Generac) and Aqara (Lumi United Technology). Broad incumbents are Control4 (Snap One) and Crestron Electronics. Wulian (南京物联传感) is listed as a regional player. Senic (Nuimo) is listed as an emerging player. Wacom is listed as an others.
Does Mui Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mui Lab.
What industry is Mui Lab in?
Mui Lab's product category is Smart Home IoT Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAGAG, Smart Building Software Platforms (IWMS/CAFM Integration, Digital Twin, Command Center), with a secondary code of IMAGABAB, SCADA/HMI Platforms. Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3822.