What Novars does

Novars Inc. (ノバルス株式会社) is a Tokyo-based DX solutions company founded in 2015, operating a small team of 11-50 employees around its proprietary "Connected Battery" platform branded as MaBeee. The core technology packages wireless communication (Bluetooth Low Energy and LTE-M), power output control, current sensing, and cloud connectivity into standard battery form factors (AA/AAA/D-cell shapes), enabling any battery-powered consumer device, home appliance, or industrial endpoint to become a managed IoT node without hardware redesign. The product portfolio spans the MaBeee Control Model (consumer toy and lighting control via smartphone app and Scratch 3.0 programming), the みまもり電池 family monitoring subscription for elderly well-being (¥3,278 hardware plus ¥1,078/month service, ¥1,000 Amazon Gift Card and PayPay promotional incentives at retail), the MaBeee Neo advanced current-pattern-recognition model for TV-viewing analytics, the MaBeee ML LTE-M cellular model for industrial remote monitoring, and an OEM IoT module plus cloud development-support service for manufacturers. B2B revenue is generated through capital-and-business alliances with major Japanese corporates including JVC Kenwood (co-branded simple TV remote bundle), LIXIL/NITTO CERA (co-developed "omu" toilet monitoring product), Zojirushi, Aron Kasei, SOMPO Holdings, Chubu Electric Power, Nitto Kogyo, and Softbank Commerce & Service, alongside B2B subscription services みまもりAir (real estate property managers) and partnerships with Marubeni New Power, Joyo Bank, Shibuya Ward, and Sendai City. The go-to-market combines a consumer product-led growth motion (Makuake crowdfunding origin, 600+ retail stores, Amazon Japan, Yahoo Shopping, app stores) with direct enterprise field sales targeting manufacturers, energy utilities, insurance/care firms, and municipalities.

Name

Novars

Legal name

ノバルス株式会社 (Novars Inc.)

Website

https://novars.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novars is a Tokyo-based DX solutions company that develops the MaBeee Connected Battery platform — battery-shaped IoT devices integrating BLE/LTE-M wireless, current sensing, and cloud connectivity — sold as consumer monitoring subscriptions and licensed as an OEM module to Japanese manufacturers, real estate firms, energy utilities, and municipal governments serving Japan's aging population.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IoT Connected Batteries

NAICS

Battery Manufacturing (33591), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Management Systems (BMS) & Battery Electronics (IMAGAHAC)

Keywords

• IoT connected batteries
• Battery monitoring devices
• Elderly monitoring services
• IoT module development
• DX consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MaBeee Hardware Sales (Consumer): One-time sale of MaBeee devices (monitoring model ~¥3,278, control model ~¥4,980) through e-commerce (Amazon Japan, Yahoo Shopping), retail (Bic Camera), and distributors. Revenue recognized at point of sale.
2. みまもり電池 Monitoring Subscription: Monthly subscription service (¥1,078/month including tax) providing elderly well-being monitoring via smartphone app. Revenue is recurring and recognized monthly. Starter packs bundle hardware with 3-12 months of service coupons.
3. みまもりAir B2B Service (Real Estate): Monthly B2B subscription service for property management companies providing elderly tenant monitoring, loneliness/death prevention, and occupancy promotion. Pricing customized per partnership; includes sensor hardware and cloud dashboard.
4. IoT Module Licensing / OEM B2B: Sale/licensing of MaBeee IoT modules to manufacturing partners (JVC Kenwood, LIXIL/NITTO CERA, Zojirushi) for embedding into their own products and co-developing connected solutions. Includes SDK, customization, and cloud integration services.
5. みまもりAir B2B Subscription (Property Mgmt): Monthly B2B subscription for real estate companies providing elderly resident monitoring services to reduce vacancy rates and prevent incident properties.
6. MaBeee ML Equipment Monitoring (LTE-M): Device subscription or unit sale model for LTE-M connected battery enabling remote industrial equipment monitoring, disaster prevention, and facility management across carrier network coverage areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Novars develops and sells the "MaBeee" (Connected Battery), a battery-shaped IoT device that fits into standard battery compartments to enable remote control and monitoring of battery-powered products. The company offers a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) consumer model for toys and DIY, an LTE-M industrial model (MaBeee ML) for facility/machine monitoring, and a MaBeee Mimamori Battery line for elderly household monitoring. The platform combines the IoT hardware with a cloud backend and mobile applications.

Product overview

Novars is a DX solutions company centered on its Connected Battery technology — the MaBeee platform, which packages battery and wireless communication into a single device. The portfolio comprises three main lines: the MaBeee Control Model for toy/educational control via smartphone apps and Scratch programming; the MaBeee Monitoring Model (みまもり電池) as a family monitoring subscription service for elderly safety; and the MaBeee ML/Neo models for B2B remote equipment monitoring and analytics. Supporting these are an IoT development support service offering compact modules and cloud platforms to manufacturers, plus dedicated desktop and mobile apps. The company also offers みまもりAir, a B2B property management service for senior housing operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• みまもりAir (Mimamori Air): Elderly housing promotion service for real estate companies, providing safety monitoring solutions for elderly residents
• みまもり電池 (Mimamori Battery)
• MaBeeeコントロールモデル (Control Model)
• MaBeeeレーシング (Racing)
• MaBeeeトレイン (Train)
• MaBeeeライト (Light)
• MaBeee ML

Products and services

• MaBeee (Connected Battery)
• MaBeee Mimamori Battery (consumer)
• MaBeee ForBiz (Mimamori Battery for business)
• MimamoriAir
• MaBeee ML (LTE-M model)
• MaBeee Scratch 3.0 Model
• IoT Module / OEM Licensing for Manufacturers
• IoT Development Support / DX Consulting Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection of early health changes (e.g., earlier bedtime indicating illness) through lifestyle rhythm monitoring
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Sendai City (仙台市) — DATA SENDAI FrontlineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2024Sendai City's data-driven civic innovation program 'DATA SENDAI Frontline' selected MaBeee IoT Console for pilot deployment. Demonstrates municipal government adoption of MaBeee technology.
• Innovation Leaders Summit (ILS) — Multiple Corporation PartnersmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024ILS2025 and ILS2024: Selected as TOP100 STARTUP among 853 global applicants. The ILS conference connects Novars with dozens of large Japanese corporations actively seeking startup partnerships for digital transformation. Major B2B lead generation platform.
• Shibuya Ward (渋谷区)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2024Shibuya Ward officially adopted MaBeee monitoring battery for its municipal elderly monitoring service program. This government endorsement validates the product for public senior care programs.
• Joy o Bank (常陽銀行)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 June 2024みまもり電池 adopted for Joyo Bank's member service 'Joyo Anshin Smile+' (常陽あんしんスマイル＋). Bank offers the monitoring service as a value-added benefit to its banking customers for elderly family well-being.
• Plug and Play Japan (Healthcare Sector Accelerator)coreTechnology or Integration · 6 June 2024Accepted into Plug and Play Japan accelerator program (Healthcare sector, 2024 batch). Follows their successful 2018 Batch 1 participation where they won the double award. Provides mentorship, corporate partnership introductions, and co-working space at Shibuya office.
• Japan Property Management Association (日管協 / 公益財団法人は你先配管住宅管理協会)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 April 2024Joined as member of Japan Property Management Association (Tokyo chapter, November 2021). Enables partnership with 6,000+ member property management companies for みまもりAir B2B service distribution.
• Aron Kasei (アロン化成)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2022Capital and business partnership (October 2022) via third-party share allocation to Aron Kasei. Aron Kasei has ~1,000 welfare product SKUs (Anju brand), 800+ member companies in Anju-kai network, and 6,000+ client companies. Focus on developing welfare equipment DX using MaBeee technology for Japan's aging society.
• Zojirushi (象印マホービン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2022Capital and business partnership (October 2022) via third-party share allocation to Zojirushi. Leverages Zojirushi's 20+ years of 'Mimamori Hotline' (みまもりほっとライン) elderly monitoring experience with electric pots. Focus on co-developing new products/services using MaBeee technology in home appliances for frailty/cognitive decline early detection.
• MIT Media Lab / Scratch CommunitycoreTechnology or Integration · 15 September 2022Technical integration partnership: MaBeee officially compatible with MIT Scratch 3.0 (September 2022) and Scratch 1.4. Novars participates in Scratch 2018 Tokyo conference at MIT Media Lab. Enables visual programming control of MaBeee-connected devices for educational use in Japanese schools.
• Telecom Carriers (LTE-M Network Providers)majorTechnology or Integration · 25 July 2022MaBeee ML (LTE-M model MB-1101WY) operates over cellular carrier LTE-M networks. No specific carrier named, but the product requires carrier network agreements for direct cloud connectivity. Enables industrial/facility remote monitoring without smartphone/gateway proximity requirements.
• Marubeni Solar Trading (丸紅ソーラートレーディング)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 August 2020Partnership to offer MaBeee monitoring service to post-FIT (Feed-in Tariff) solar power plant owners. Marubeni Solar Trading customers receive the monitoring service as part of their ongoing solar energy relationship. Addresses elderly family well-being for solar plant operator customer base.
• JVC Kenwood (株式会社JVCケンウッド)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2020Joint product development and packaging: JVC Kenwood 'Simple TV Remote' pre-bundled with MaBeee monitoring battery for elderly well-being. Distributed through JVC Kenwood retail channels and co-exhibited at b8ta retail store. Also partnered for b8ta Tokyo in-store demonstration events (2021).
• Marubeni New Power (丸紅新電力)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2020Service partnership (July 2020) to offer MaBeee monitoring service to Marubeni New Power customers. Marubeni promotes the service to its electricity contract holders as a value-added benefit. Hardware: ¥2,980 + ¥980/month subscription.
• NITTO CERA (株式会社 NITTO CERA) / LIXIL GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2020Co-developed 'omu' toilet monitoring product with NITTO CERA (LIXIL Group subsidiary). MaBeee monitoring battery embedded inside 'omu' toilet tank device for elderly well-being monitoring. Launched via Makuake crowdfunding (June-September 2020). NITTO CERA has ~1,000 welfare product SKUs and 6,000+ client companies. LIXIL is a major building materials/housing manufacturer.
• SOMPO Holdings (ＳＯＭＰＯホールディングス)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2020Capital and business partnership (March 2020) with SOMPO Holdings, a major insurance and care services conglomerate. Goal: expand MaBeee-based elderly care services leveraging SOMPO's insurance, nursing care, and healthcare customer base. Includes third-party share allocation to SOMPO.
• Softbank (NTT SoftBank) — MaBeee Monitoring Battery for みまもりサービスmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2019Softbank began offering MaBeee monitoring battery as part of its proprietary 'みまもりサービス' (monitoring service) for Softbank mobile customers. Special red/white color variant produced for Softbank exclusively. Different app required for Softbank version.
• Chubu Electric Power (中部電力) + Nitto Kogyo (日東工業)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2019Capital and business partnership (November 2019) for expanding MaBeee-based services leveraging Chubu Electric's energy utility customer base and Nitto Kogyo's electrical equipment/distribution network. Focus on service expansion using Connected Battery technology.
• Tokyo Electric Power Holdings (東京電力ホールディングス) + Samurai Incubate (サムライインキュベート)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2017Won Grand Prize at TEPCO/Samurai Incubate 'CHANGE and CHALLENGE IoT Scalerator PROGRAM'. Co-developed elderly well-being monitoring solution with TEPCO through 3-month acceleration program (July-October 2017). Goal: build non-intrusive monitoring solution for single elderly using MaBeee technology.
• Softbank Commerce & Service (ソフトバンク コマース＆サービス)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 September 2017Distribution partnership for MaBeee Scratch Desktop Ex app license sets and MaBeee products through Softbank C&S's nationwide retail network. Leverages Softbank's extensive B2B and B2C distribution channels in Japan.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Murata Manufacturing: Japan's largest IoT module and component manufacturer, producing BLE modules, sensors, and wireless communication modules. Highly comparable to Novars' MaBeee IoT Module offering for OEM embedding, though Murata serves a broader industrial customer base at much larger scale.
• TDK: Japanese electronics components and battery manufacturer with growing IoT/sensor business (InvenSense MEMS, BLE modules). Comparable to Novars on battery + wireless module manufacturing and IoT platform play, though TDK's portfolio is far broader and serves industrial automotive customers.
• Secom: Japan's largest security services company with an established elderly monitoring (My Spoon, Cocoro) and emergency alert business. Comparable to Novars' elderly monitoring subscription, but Secom uses a different technology stack (wearables, sensors, call centers) and operates at vastly larger scale.
• Omron: Japanese healthcare electronics giant producing blood pressure monitors, activity trackers, and remote patient monitoring solutions. Comparable to Novars' みまもり電池 for elderly well-being monitoring, but Omron focuses on clinical-grade medical devices rather than non-intrusive household usage detection.
• Panasonic: Major Japanese electronics and battery manufacturer with deep IoT/smart home initiatives (HomeHawk elderly monitoring, smart batteries). Overlaps with Novars on battery form factor, BLE-connected devices, and Japanese elderly care market, but at vastly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Maxell: Japanese battery manufacturer with growing IoT/sensor product line (Maxell Air Voltage Sensor, smart home sensors). Comparable to Novars on battery form factor expertise and Japanese IoT sensor market entry, though Maxell focuses on industrial sensing rather than consumer elderly monitoring.

Emerging players

• Cerevo: Tokyo-based IoT product developer (maker of Taclim VR shoes, LiveShell video encoders, smart home devices). Comparable to Novars as a Japanese IoT hardware startup with B2C/B2B hybrid model, though Cerevo focuses on consumer electronics rather than elderly monitoring.
• Akerun (Photosynth): Tokyo-based IoT smart lock and access control startup, comparable to Novars as a Japanese hardware-IoT startup building subscription-based B2B services. Similar stage and capital profile, though Photosynth focuses on access control rather than battery-form-factor IoT.

Others

• SOMPO Care (SOMPO Holdings subsidiary): Operating subsidiary of SOMPO Holdings, focused on nursing care and senior living services. Strategic partner AND potential competitor to Novars' elderly monitoring business, as SOMPO could vertically integrate its own monitoring solution if the partnership does not scale.

Direct peers

• Carecom: Japanese elderly monitoring and care services company (now under KDDI), offering sensor-based monitoring for senior housing operators. Directly comparable to Novars' みまもりAir B2B property management service targeting the same landlord/senior housing pain points.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/novars_jp
• GitHubgithub.com/novars-jp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/novars.jp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novars-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/mabeee_mabeee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 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 Novars