Nichietsu

Name

Nichietsu

Legal name

ニチエツ株式会社 (Nichietsu Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://jpvn.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Factory Automation Equipment

NAICS

All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Blow Molding & Thermoforming Packaging Equipment (Bottle/Tray Making) (IMALAOAK)

Keywords

• Mold exchange devices
• Injection molding automation
• AMR industrial robotics
• Factory automation equipment
• Press machine tooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mold Exchange Device Sales: Sale of automated mold exchange devices including SDC, ODC, and MMC series. Devices range from manual to fully autonomous unmanned systems, handling molds up to 2.5t and clamping forces up to 30,000kN class.
2. Custom Equipment (特注自動機): Custom automated machines including heavy object transport vehicles, box packing/box supply systems, and secondary processing of molded products.
3. Custom Design and Engineering Services: Custom redesign of mold exchange cart structure and frame based on customer requirements, mechanical design for next-generation factory automation products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nichietsu designs, manufactures, and sells automated mold exchange devices and custom automation equipment for plastic molding, press forming, die casting, and blow molding factories. Its portfolio includes the SDC dual-side series, ODC single-side track series, MMC trackless series, large mold exchange devices, and AMR-guided systems using proprietary Physical AI technology. The company also builds custom automation machines for heavy object transport, box packing/supply, and secondary processing of molded products.

Product overview

Nichietsu is a robotics startup specializing in mold exchange devices for plastic molding factories. The product portfolio centers on three main product lines: the SDC Series (dual-side type) for high-speed dual-mold operations, the ODC Series (single-side track type) available in manual/semi-automatic/unmanned variants, and the MMC Series (trackless type) for flexible, portable mold exchange. The company also offers large mold exchange devices (up to 50 tons) and custom automation machines for heavy object transport and secondary processing. All products aim to automate mold changes to achieve labor savings, unmanned operations, and productivity improvement in manufacturing factories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDC Series (両側タイプ / Dual-Side Type) Dual-side type mold exchange device that enables production preparation during operation, pre-heating of next mold, and ultra-fast production changeover (as fast as 3 seconds). Supports dual-mold simultaneous use for doubled productivity.
• ODC Series (片側軌道タイプ / Single-Side Track Type) Single-side track type mold exchange device available in manual, semi-automatic (unmanned capable), and fully automatic unmanned multi-mold variants. Compact design supports space efficiency and integration with multi-coupler systems for automatic pre-heating.
• MMC Series (無軌道タイプ / Trackless Type) Compact trackless mold exchange cart that operates without fixed rails, like a powered pallet jack. One unit covers multiple molding machines (small to medium machines up to 4,500 kN clamping force), with electric drive and elevation plus programmable height memory. Models include MMC-04S, MMC-08S, MMC-12S, MMC-20S, and MMC2t (up to 2.5 ton mold weight). Adapted for press machine applications in 2026.
• Large Mold Exchange Device (大型金型交換装置) Large-scale mold exchange device for molds exceeding 2.5 tons, handling molds up to 50 tons weight and clamping force up to 30,000 kN class.
• Custom Automation Machines (特注自動機)

Quantifiable outcome

• Production changeover time reduced to as fast as 3 seconds with SDC series
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and important.

• 公益財団法人横浜企業経営支援財団 (IDEC Yokohama)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 December 2025IDEC Yokohama organized 'Startup Collaboration Seminar' jointly hosted with Mitsubishi UFJ Bank. Nichietsu participated to present their mold exchange devices for labor-saving and automation to 37 companies attending.
• 株式会社コスメック (Cosmek)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner company in alphabetical order, involved in promoting sales activities, installation, operation training, and maintenance support for Nichietsu's mold exchange devices.
• 株式会社松井製作所 (Matsui Manufacturing)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company that organized Green Molding Webiner Week 2025, where Nichietsu participated to present their automation solutions. Involved in sales promotion and support activities.
• 住友重機械工業株式会社 (Sumitomo Heavy Industries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as partner company for distribution and sales of Nichietsu's mold exchange devices in the manufacturing sector.
• 株式会社日本製鋼所 (Japan Steel Works)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as partner company for distribution and sales of Nichietsu's automation equipment.
• 三菱重工業株式会社 (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) YHHimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerYHH (Hardtech Hub) houses Nichietsu's Yokohama Lab. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries operates this manufacturing innovation hub supporting startups and SMEs in manufacturing automation technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yushin Precision Equipment Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of take-out robots and downstream automation for plastic injection molding. Directly comparable to Nichietsu as a Japan-based automation supplier serving the same plastics molding factories, though Yushin focuses on part extraction rather than mold exchange.
• Harmo Co., Ltd. Japanese specialist in mold clamping systems and quick mold change (QMC) equipment for injection molding machines. Closest direct competitor to Nichietsu's SDC, ODC, and MMC product lines, operating in the same mold exchange niche.
• Wittmann Battenfeld Group: Austrian supplier of injection molding machines and complementary automation including robots, mold change systems, and material handling. Comparable to Nichietsu's automation offerings for plastics processing factories globally.
• Sepro Group: French manufacturer of Cartesian and 6-axis robots for plastic injection molding automation. Comparable as a plastics-focused automation supplier serving injection molding factories, though focused on part extraction rather than mold exchange.

Broad incumbents

• Stäubli Robotics: Swiss-headquartered industrial robotics and mechatronics supplier with applications in plastics, automotive, and life sciences. Broad incumbent in factory automation that could expand into mold exchange automation given its AMR/robotics capabilities.
• FANUC Corporation: Japanese industrial robot and factory automation giant with strong presence in plastics, automotive, and electronics manufacturing. Broad incumbent whose robotics portfolio could extend into autonomous mold change, posing a competitive threat to Nichietsu's AMR device.
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation: Japanese industrial robot, motion control, and AC drive manufacturer serving global manufacturing customers. Broad incumbent with the engineering depth to enter mold exchange automation if it chooses to pursue the niche.
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation: Japanese factory automation conglomerate offering industrial robots, PLCs, and mechatronics. Operates the YHH (Hardtech Hub) where Nichietsu has its R&D lab, and is a broad automation incumbent that could enter mold exchange as part of its plastics manufacturing portfolio.
• Shibaura Machine (formerly Toshiba Machine): Japanese industrial machinery maker including injection molding machines and industrial robots. Broad incumbent serving the same plastics factory customers that Nichietsu serves, with the scale and product breadth to compete across the molding automation stack.

Emerging players

• Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR): Denmark-based manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling and logistics in factories, warehouses, and hospitals. Comparable to Nichietsu's AMR technology stack, though focused on general material transport rather than mold exchange specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 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 Nichietsu