Creative Coatings

What Creative Coatings does

Creative Coatings Co., Ltd. (株式会社クリエイティブコーティングス) is a Japanese surface engineering company founded on August 21, 2017, headquartered in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, with a second Comprehensive Research Institute in Nagaoka, Niigata. The company designs, manufactures, and sells specialized coating equipment for the electronics, semiconductor, energy, medical device, and advanced materials sectors, operating across three coating technology domains: liquid-phase (wet) external electrode coating for MLCC and other passive components; gas-phase low-temperature high-density plasma atomic layer deposition (ALD) for semiconductor equipment parts, high-aspect-ratio TGV/TSV structures, and SAW filters; and powder ALD coating for all-solid-state battery cathode/anode/electrolyte materials, dielectric and magnetic powders, phosphor powders, and quantum dots. Its core product portfolio comprises six equipment lines — the CMD dual-terminal coater, CMT multi-terminal coater, passive component plater, low-temperature ALD system, powder ALD system, and WTD-method green sheet former — each customizable from standalone units to fully automated inline systems. The company holds patents on its external electrode coating method across Japan, Europe, the US, Korea, Taiwan, China, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, and bundles a proprietary "Autonomous AI" process-design capability with its deposition equipment.

The company generates revenue through three streams: direct sales of customized coating hardware (multi-year, quote-based contracts), commissioned contract coating and prototype services for both wet and dry processes, and technology development / process consulting. Go-to-market is sales-led direct engagement with enterprise customers (the company cites 120 major domestic and international manufacturers as established customers), supported by a multilingual website (Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese) with inquiry and test-request forms as the primary lead capture mechanism. Distribution is direct, with no channel partners identified. The company maintains open-innovation partnerships with material manufacturers and proximity-based R&D relationships with the University of Tokyo (Tokyo HQ) and Nagaoka University of Technology (Nagaoka research institute). Leadership comprises CEO Sato Eiji (PhD in Engineering) and CTO Mitsuhashi Hiroyuki, a former Sony engineer leading technical strategy across all three coating phases. Registered capital is JPY 98,000,000; total disclosed funding is approximately $16.6M across a 2018 seed round and a September 2022 growth round led by Moon.Ventures. The company is privately held with no parent company, subsidiaries, or IPO activity disclosed.

Name

Creative Coatings

Legal name

株式会社クリエイティブコーディングス

Website

https://c-coatings.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Creative Coatings is a Japanese surface engineering company that designs and manufactures custom coating equipment — including MLCC external electrode coaters, low-temperature plasma ALD systems, and powder ALD systems — for electronics, semiconductor, next-generation battery, and advanced materials manufacturers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Coating Equipment

NAICS

Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM)

Keywords

• Surface coating equipment
• Atomic layer deposition
• Electronic component coating
• Semiconductor equipment coating
• Powder coating systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagaoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coating Equipment Sales: Sale of coating equipment including two-terminal external electrode coating machines, multi-terminal external electrode coating machines, plating equipment, green sheet formers, low-temperature ALD systems, and powder ALD systems. Equipment is customized to customer requirements, ranging from standalone units to fully automated inline systems.
2. Commissioned Coating Services: Contract coating services providing test coating and test film formation for customers. Production support services are available upon equipment purchase to assist with equipment installation and production process establishment.
3. Technology Development and Process Consulting: Technical consulting and process development services leveraging proprietary liquid and gas phase coating technologies. Jigs, materials, and process development support from prototyping to mass production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Creative Coatings manufactures coating equipment and provides coating film formation services spanning liquid-phase (wet), gas-phase (dry), and powder coating processes. Its six core equipment product lines cover external electrode coating for MLCCs and other passive components, plating of passive components, low-temperature plasma ALD film formation on flat substrates, ALD on powder materials, and green sheet forming via a proprietary web-tension-die method. The company sells customized equipment to manufacturers in electronics, semiconductors, energy, medical devices, and advanced materials sectors, and supplements this with commissioned coating services and technical development support.

Product overview

Creative Coatings is a Surface Engineering Company offering a comprehensive portfolio of coating equipment and technologies spanning liquid phase (wet), vapor phase (dry), and powder processes. The product lineup centers on six core equipment categories: dual-terminal and multi-terminal external electrode coating systems for MLCC/MLCI components, passive component plating equipment, low-temperature high-density plasma ALD systems for flat substrates, powder ALD systems for particulate materials, and green sheet forming machines using the proprietary WTD method. These products serve electronic components, semiconductor manufacturing, next-generation battery materials, and core-shell electronic materials sectors. The company also provides contract coating services and technical consulting for custom process development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dual Terminal External Electrode Coating Equipment (CMD) External electrode coating equipment for two-terminal chip components such as MLCCs (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors), using Creative Coatings' patented liquid-phase blotting technology. Designed for MLCC and other passive component manufacturers, customizable from standalone units to fully automated production systems based on customer requirements.
• Multi-Terminal External Electrode Coating Equipment (CMT) External electrode coating equipment for multi-terminal MLCC components such as three-terminal capacitors and low-ESL high-frequency noise suppression chips. Supports customization from standalone machines to inline production systems for MLCC and passive component manufacturers.
• Passive Component Plating Equipment Plating equipment for passive components including MLCC and MLCI, featuring four independently operating tanks with dual plating solution supply systems per tank and supporting component sizes from 0201mm to 3225mm. Industry-first design positioned to significantly improve production efficiency for MLCC and passive component manufacturers.
• Green Sheet Forming Machine (WTD Method) MLCC dielectric layer green sheet forming equipment using Creative Coatings' proprietary web-tension-die (WTD) coating method. Provides clean-environment film unwinding and coating, inline thickness measurement, and defect inspection to deliver high-speed, high-quality thin-film coating independent of web substrate influence, for MLCC and passive component manufacturers.
• Low-Temperature High-Density Plasma ALD Film Formation Equipment Atomic Layer Deposition equipment using low-temperature high-density plasma technology that uses OH radicals as oxidant to achieve high-quality film formation below 200°C. Applied to semiconductor manufacturing equipment components, high-aspect-ratio TGV/TSV, SAW filters, solar cells, and other electronic component devices, with customizable chamber sizes for semiconductor and electronics customers.
• Low-Temperature High-Density Plasma Powder ALD Film Formation Equipment Powder ALD equipment for coating powder substrates including all-solid-state battery materials, dielectric materials, magnetic materials, phosphor powders, and quantum dot powders, leveraging the same low-temperature OH-radical plasma technology used for flat substrates. Chamber and equipment sizes are customizable for battery material, electronic material, and advanced powder manufacturers.
• Commissioned Contract Coating and Prototype Development Services Commissioned contract coating and prototype development services, providing test coating and test film formation for customers using the company's wet and dry coating technologies. Includes production support services after equipment purchase to help with installation and production process establishment, for manufacturers evaluating the technology before equipment purchase.
• Equipment, Material, and Process Development Consulting Technical consulting and process development services leveraging Creative Coatings' proprietary liquid, gas, and powder coating technologies. Supports jigs, materials, and process development from prototyping through mass production, delivered through direct technical consultation to enterprise manufacturers across electronics, semiconductor, energy, medical device, and advanced materials sectors.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nagaoka University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company maintains a close relationship with Nagaoka University of Technology, with its Comprehensive Research Institute located approximately 5 minutes by car from the university. The proximity suggests collaborative research and development activities in coating technologies.
• Material Manufacturers (Open Innovation Partners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company actively promotes open innovation with material manufacturers for joint development, combining coating equipment design, process development, and material development to provide total solutions to customers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Creative Coatings