What Nature Innovation Group does

Nature Innovation Group (株式会社Nature Innovation Group) is a Tokyo-based private company founded in December 2018 that operates Aikasa (アイカサ), Japan's first full-scale umbrella sharing service. The company's product is a network of IoT-enabled self-service umbrella rental kiosks that consumers access via a dedicated iOS/Android app using QR-code scanning at a stand to rent and return umbrellas anywhere in the network. Operations span 13+ prefectures with over 2,000 installed spots as of April 2026, concentrated at major Japanese railway operators (JR East, Tokyo Metro, Tokyu, Keio, Odakyu, Seibu, Keikyu, Keisei, etc.), commercial facilities, retail malls (Marui Group), and university campuses. Two umbrella-stand technologies coexist: communication-based stands in the Tokyo metropolitan, Kansai, Chubu, and Okayama areas, and dial-based stands in Fukuoka, Saga, Mito, and Sapporo, with cross-area returns restricted between the two systems.

Name

Nature Innovation Group

Legal name

株式会社Nature Innovation Group

Website

https://i-kasa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nature Innovation Group (Aikasa / i-kasa), founded 2018, operates Japan's first umbrella sharing service — 2,000+ IoT rental kiosks across 13+ prefectures serving 800,000+ app users via pay-per-use and monthly subscriptions, plus B2B Aikasa Office deployments for corporate ESG and HR benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sharing Economy / Umbrella Rental Services

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Event Equipment Rentals (Umbrellas, Patio Heaters, Fire Pits) (HSACAFAL)

Keywords

• Umbrella sharing service
• Mobile app rental
• IoT umbrella kiosk
• Share economy platform
• Corporate ESG benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-use umbrella rental fees: Users pay per rental based on duration. Short-term rentals (under 1 hour) start at 140 JPY, with rates increasing for longer durations up to 90 days. Each rental is a discrete transaction.
2. Monthly subscription - Unlimited Use Plan (使い放題プラン): A monthly subscription plan (360 JPY/month as of Oct 2025, previously 280 JPY/month) that allows unlimited rentals within the billing period. As of Oct 2025, billing is per calendar month from registration date.
3. Aikasa Office B2B licensing / placement fees: Corporate clients pay a monthly fee (from 20,000 JPY/month as listed in the office product page) to deploy Aikasa stands at their offices for employee use. This is a B2B recurring revenue stream targeting corporate ESG and HR/benefits departments.
4. Umbrella surface sponsorship (伞面赞助): Companies can sponsor the exterior of umbrellas with their branding, generating co-marketing and sponsorship revenue. The collaboration partner page specifically solicits 伞面スポンサーのご検討 (umbrella surface sponsorship).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nature Innovation Group operates Aikasa, Japan's first full-scale umbrella sharing service. Consumers use a smartphone app to rent reusable umbrellas from IoT-enabled QR-scanning stands at over 2,000 locations (primarily railway stations) and return them at any Aikasa spot nationwide. The company also offers Aikasa mini (a foldable sun/rain umbrella with UV protection) and Aikasa Office (a B2B monthly subscription deploying umbrella stands at corporate sites for employee benefit, with CO2 reduction reporting).

Product overview

Nature Innovation Group operates Aikasa, Japan's first full-scale umbrella sharing service with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core Aikasa service allows users to rent reusable umbrellas at stations and return them anywhere using a smartphone app. The product portfolio includes the standard Aikasa umbrella (available at 2,000+ spots nationwide), Aikasa mini sun-rain folding umbrella (launched July 2025), the Aikasa Office employee benefit add-on, unlimited and pay-per-use subscription plans, the U22 youth support plan, corporate umbrella surface sponsorship, and corporate installation programs. The service integrates with multiple mobile payment systems (d払い, auかんたん決済, Apple Pay, SoftBankまとめて支払い, エポスカード) and is available through the ShareSPOT sharing economy platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aikasa Umbrella Sharing Service Japan's first full-scale umbrella sharing service. Users locate nearby rental spots through the Aikasa mobile app, scan a QR code at the IoT-enabled stand to rent a reusable umbrella, and return it to any Aikasa spot across the national network. Pricing is usage-based (starting at 140 JPY for under 1 hour) or via a monthly unlimited subscription (360 JPY/month). Target users are urban Japanese commuters and city dwellers needing temporary umbrella access during unexpected rain.
• Aikasa mini Sun-Rain Folding Umbrella A compact folding umbrella designed for both rain and sun, featuring UV cut 99.9%+, light blocking 99.99%, glass fiber ribs for wind resistance, and memory-shape fabric. Available for rental at approximately 150 Tokyo spots and for home delivery (with 550 JPY shipping) to unlimited-plan subscribers in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Osaka, Hyogo, and Nara. Targets Aikasa users who want a personal dual-weather umbrella.
• Aikasa Office B2B Office Umbrella Sharing Corporate B2B offering that deploys Aikasa umbrella sharing stands at company offices for free employee use. Sold via direct sales with online consultation, from 20,000 JPY/month for a 100-employee company, with CO2 reduction reporting included to support SDG/ESG disclosures. Targets Japanese corporate HR, sustainability/ESG, and facilities management teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 reduction of approximately 692g per rental (based on Ministry of Environment 3R calculation)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Odakyu Electric Railway (小田急電鉄)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026Aikasa launched at three Odakyu Line stations (Sagami-Ono, Odakyu-Sagamihara, Higashi-Rinkan) on April 3, 2026, with plans to expand to all Odakyu Line stations, Odawara Line, and Enoshima Line areas. The partnership provides Aikasa's umbrella sharing service at railway facilities.
• INFORICH (ChargeSPOT / ShareSPOT)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 December 2022Aikasa was listed on ShareSPOT, INFORICH's multi-service sharing economy platform, alongside ChargeSPOT and Docomo Bike Share. A campaign distributed coupons to the first 5,000 new ShareSPOT users who signed up during the December 2022–January 2023 campaign period.
• Tokyo Gas (東京ガス)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2022Tokyo Gas joined the 2030 Zero Disposable Umbrella Project led by Aikasa, contributing to its decarbonization campaign. This was one of 9 initial corporate partners in the project. Tokyo Gas connects Aikasa usage to its electricity customer engagement programs and social contribution activities.
• KDDI (povo2.0)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 June 2022Aikasa participated in KDDI's povo2.0 '#Gig活' (giga activity) campaign, deploying specially branded povo umbrellas at 42 locations in the Yamanote Line area. Users who rented povo umbrellas and scanned an in-umbrella QR code could enter a lottery for free data (gig) prizes.
• Ryuchell (りゅうちぇる)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 May 2022Talent personality Ryuchell served as a Special Supporter for the 2030 Zero Disposable Umbrella Project launch event, promoting umbrella sharing as a sustainability action during Environmental Month and the rainy season.
• Seibu Lions (西武ライオンズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2022Seibu Lions collaborated on a co-branded umbrella design promoting the SAVE THE HOPE Orange Ribbon Movement (child abuse prevention). 300 umbrellas deployed across 60 Seibu Line stations from November 2021 to November 2022, with in-station and in-train poster campaigns.
• 旭化成ホームプロダクツ, NOK, 大阪ガス, サントリーホールディングス, 第一生命, 100BANCH, 丸井グループ, Rethink PROJECT (and additional 2030 Project partners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2022Nine major Japanese corporations joined the 2030 Zero Disposable Umbrella Project, a multi-stakeholder initiative led by Aikasa to eliminate disposable umbrella waste by 2030. The coalition aims to leverage corporate adoption of umbrella sharing to create a social movement and reduce Japan's world-highest per capita umbrella consumption.
• JR East Chiba Branch / Peerie (千葉ステーションビル) / Jeff United Ichihara ChibacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2022A four-party 'Chiba × Aikasa Start Project Team' was formed with JR East Chiba, Peerie (Chiba Station Building), Jeff United Ichihara Chiba, and Aikasa, supported by a crowdfunding campaign to fund Chiba's first Aikasa deployment. The collaboration introduced Chiba-prefecture-exclusive umbrellas at 17 locations including Sobu Line, Keiyo Line, and outer line stations.
• Saga Prefecture / 歩こう。佐賀県。 (Walk Saga)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2021Saga Prefecture partnered with Aikasa under its 'Walk Saga' walking promotion initiative, deploying 200 umbrellas at JR Saga Station and public facilities (prefectural office, libraries, university). Saga residents and visitors enjoyed free Aikasa usage through March 2022 as an incentive to walk more, especially on rainy days.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INFORICH: Operates ChargeSPOT, Japan's leading mobile battery sharing service using IoT-enabled kiosks with QR-based rental, distributed at transit hubs, retail, and commercial facilities. Closest comparable business model: shared asset + IoT kiosk + app + transit-channel distribution. Aikasa is even listed on INFORICH's ShareSPOT multi-service sharing app, indicating direct ecosystem overlap.
• OpenStreet (HELLO CYCLING): Operates Japan's largest bike-sharing network (HELLO CYCLING) using app-based, station-based rentals across urban transit and commercial points. Mirrors Aikasa's app-driven, distributed kiosk model serving last-mile commuter needs in dense Japanese cities.
• Docomo Bike Share: NTT Docomo's bike-sharing service operating across Japanese metro areas with station-based app rentals. Same commuter convenience / transit-distribution / pay-per-use economics as Aikasa, applied to bicycles rather than umbrellas.
• LUUP: Tokyo-based micro-mobility (e-scooter / e-bike) sharing service with IoT-enabled docks and an app-based rental/return flow. Comparable technology stack and urban commuter use case, with similar growth-stage profile and Japan regulatory exposure.
• Careco: Car-sharing service from Park24 with station-based app rentals across Japanese metros. Comparable business model (asset-light sharing, app transactions, transit-area distribution) at a different asset category and earlier growth stage.

Broad incumbents

• Times Mobility (Times Car SHARE): Japan's largest car-sharing service operated by Times Mobility, with nationwide station-based rentals. While asset class differs (cars vs umbrellas), it shares the distributed-station, app-based, pay-per-use sharing economy model at much larger scale.
• Kinto (Toyota Mobility Services): Toyota's car-sharing and subscription mobility platform. Relevant as a broader incumbent sharing/mobility service operating in Japan with station-based access, illustrating how large OEMs enter the sharing economy that Aikasa also serves.

Others

• Uber Japan: Japan arm of the global ride-sharing platform. Not a direct competitor but adjacent in the urban mobility / app-based sharing economy space relevant to Aikasa's commuter user base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ikasa1111
• Facebookfacebook.com/iKasaJapan
• Instagraminstagram.com/ikasa1111
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nature-innovation-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Nature Innovation Group