komham

What komham does

komham is a Japanese biomass recycling company founded in Sapporo on January 29, 2020, operating a microbial biotechnology platform that decomposes food waste on-site. The company deploys its flagship Smart Compost machine — a solar-powered, standalone food waste processor requiring no AC power or drainage — that uses a proprietary thermophilic Bacillus consortium called 'komu-hamu' (コムハム) to reduce food waste volume by up to 98% in as fast as one day, producing just 2-3% residual compost compared with approximately 50% for conventional composters. Two granted Japanese patents (JP-7300079 for food waste and JP-7539103 for biodegradable plastic decomposition) protect the underlying microbial formulation and processing methods, and NITE has verified the constituent bacteria as non-hazardous.

The company's commercial offering has three layers: Smart Compost hardware (custom-quoted direct sales with 1-6 month manufacturing lead times and an 8-year operational lifespan, plus a monthly rental option launched in September 2024 for event trials), MICROBOOST (a facility optimization service launched November 2025 priced at ¥500,000 per facility diagnosis, claiming up to 3x efficiency gains at existing composting operations), and a Facility Diagnosis & Optimization Plan launched January 2026. The technology was initially limited to 100 units at its November 2023 launch and is now deployed across more than 15 municipalities and organizations including Akashi City, Tsukuba City, Shibuya Ward, Tateyama Town, Hamamatsu City, Ritsumeikan University, Corona Beer, and Suntory, with newer deployments at the Sapporo Marathon, ARABAKI ROCK FEST, and a Mitsui Fudosan office building rooftop.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time hardware sales, recurring event rentals, and a nascent professional services stream, all sold through direct enterprise and municipal field sales in Japan. The company has raised four funding rounds between 2020 and 2024 from investors including Hokkaido Bank, Ritsumeikan Social Impact Fund, DG Incubation, KOBASHI HOLDINGS, and New Commerce Ventures, with the only disclosed tranche being ¥50M (~$340K) in March 2021. Recent strategic partnerships with NTT Urban Solutions Research Institute, SIIX (for Global South expansion), and Mitsui Fudosan (real estate channel), together with open BizDev roles targeting ASEAN markets, indicate the company is transitioning from a Japan-focused municipal pilot business to a broader climate-tech platform with international and channel-partner ambitions.

Name

komham

Legal name

株式会社komham

Website

https://komham.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

komham is a Sapporo-based Japanese biotechnology company that designs and sells the solar-powered Smart Compost machine and the MICROBOOST facility optimization service, using its proprietary 'komu-hamu' thermophilic Bacillus consortium to decompose food waste on-site for municipalities, schools, events, and enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management Equipment

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organics Facility Development & Operations Services (Design/Build, O&M, Permitting) (EUAIAEAJ), Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF), Compost & Compost Blends (AFABADAE), Compostable Materials & Certified Compostables (IMAEAOAC)

Keywords

• Food waste composting
• Biomass recycling systems
• Microbial decomposition
• Smart compost machines
• Organic waste treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sapporo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Smart Compost Hardware Sales: Sale of Smart Compost machines - standalone solar-powered food waste processing units. Manufacturing lead time is 1-6 months after order. The machines process up to 10L of food waste per day with an 8-year lifespan.
2. Smart Compost Rental: Rental model for Smart Compost units, particularly targeting event-based trial usage. Launched September 2024.
3. MICROBOOST Optimization Service: New service released November 2025 that helps composting facilities optimize operations, reportedly increasing efficiency up to 3x. Priced at 500,000 yen for facility diagnosis and optimization plan.
4. Biomass Recycling System Sales: Sales of biomass recycling systems based on microbial decomposition technology for organic waste processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

komham develops and sells the Smart Compost® machine, a solar-powered, standalone food-waste processing unit that uses the proprietary "komu-hamu" microbial consortium to decompose food waste up to 98% within 1-3 days, reducing volume to just 2-3% as compost without requiring AC power or drainage. The company also sells MICROBOOST, a service that improves existing composting facility operational efficiency by up to 3x, and a Facility Diagnosis & Optimization Plan priced at 500,000 yen.

Product overview

Komham offers a portfolio centered on the スマートコンポスト® (Smart Compost), a solar-powered food waste processing machine that uses the proprietary 微生物群「コムハム」 (Komham microbial consortium) as its core technology. This core product is complemented by add-on services including MICROBOOST for facility efficiency optimization and 施設診断・最適化プラン for facility diagnostics. The Komham microbial consortium is the foundational technology underlying all products, enabling rapid decomposition of food waste in 1-3 days compared to weeks or months for conventional composting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• スマートコンポスト®: AC電源や排水処理を必要としないソーラー発電で自動駆動する独立型の生ごみ処理機。生ごみの高速処理が得意な微生物群「コムハム」がより安定して生ごみを分解できる環境をスマートコンポスト内に整えている。
• MICROBOOST（マイクロブースト）
• Microboost
• 渋谷シェアリングコンポスト
• Shibuya Sharing Compost

Products and services

• Smart Compost® (スマートコンポスト®) A solar-powered, self-sustaining food-waste processing machine that uses the proprietary 'komu-hamu' microbial consortium to decompose food waste within 1-3 days, reducing volume to just 2-3% as compost. Processes up to 10L/day, fits in a 1.2m² footprint, requires no AC power or drainage, includes cloud-based monitoring, and has an 8-year hardware lifespan. Sold to municipalities, schools, enterprises, and event organizers; custom quotation pricing with 1-6 month manufacturing lead time.
• Smart Compost Rental Service (スマートコンポスト レンタル事業) Monthly rental subscription of Smart Compost units for event-based trial deployments, allowing festival, sports, and music event organizers to process food waste on-site without capital expenditure. Targeted at event organizers needing zero-waste event solutions; used by Sapporo Marathon, ARABAKI ROCK FEST, and Corona Sunsets Festival.
• MICROBOOST (マイクロブースト) Professional service that optimizes operational efficiency of existing composting facilities using komham's proprietary microbial technology, reportedly boosting facility efficiency by up to 3x. Targeted at commercial composting facility operators seeking to scale capacity and reduce processing time.
• Facility Diagnosis & Optimization Plan (施設診断・最適化プラン) Diagnostic service that visualizes operational challenges at composting facilities and provides a written optimization plan, priced at 500,000 yen as a one-time flat fee. Targets existing composting facility operators as a standalone entry point into the MICROBOOST service.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 98% food waste reduction in 1-3 days
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 三井不動産 (Mitsui Fudosan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Introduction of Smart Compost to rooftop of Mitsui Fudosan office building, expanding deployment through real estate partnership.
• SIIXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Joint application for Tokyo's 'Global South GX Subsidy' program, collaborating on international expansion initiatives.
• Aichi GX Acceleration Program 2025minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Selected for Aichi Prefecture's GX acceleration program supporting decarbonization initiatives.
• NTTアーバンソリューションズ総合研究所 (NTT Urban Solutions Research Institute)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2025Partnership for demonstration experiment on urban resource circulation at Shinagawa Seaside Terrace. Joint research on circular resource systems in urban facilities.
• 明石市 (Akashi City)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Civil proposal system adoption for Smart Compost pilot project in Akashi City schools. Collaboration on municipal food waste reduction.
• 、独立行政法人製品評価技術基盤機構 (NITE)minorOthers · 1 August 2024NITE's harmful microorganisms list verification confirming 'komu-hamu' major constituent bacteria are non-hazardous.
• 渋谷区・札幌市 (Shibuya Ward / Sapporo City)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Partnership agreement between Shibuya Ward and Sapporo City for startup ecosystem formation, signed February 2024.
• CIC Institute / Be Smart TokyocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Selected project in Tokyo Metropolitan Government's smart service implementation promotion project 'Be Smart Tokyo' for 2023 and 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Chemical (now MCG) / Kobelco Eco-Solutions: Mitsubishi Chemical Group and Kobelco Eco-Solutions provide large-scale organic-waste treatment plants and biogas/composting infrastructure in Japan. Broad incumbents in the same Japanese municipal organic-waste processing space where komham positions as a decentralized alternative.
• Recology: Recology is a large integrated waste and composting hauler operating municipal and commercial organics collection and processing in the US West Coast. A broad incumbent komham indirectly competes with as municipalities weigh centralized vs. on-site composting solutions.

Direct peers

• BioHiTech Global: BioHiTech offers the Eco-Safe Digester, an aerobic on-site food-waste processing unit for hospitals, universities, stadiums, and food-service operators. Comparable product category and customer segments to komham's Smart Compost.
• Oklin International: Oklin manufactures on-site food-waste composting machines (GG-02, GG-05, etc.) sold to commercial customers globally. Closest head-to-head hardware competitor to komham's Smart Compost in the on-site institutional composter category.
• Power Knot: Power Knot builds aerobic food-waste digesters (LFC biodigesters) for commercial kitchens and institutions. Direct overlap with komham's Smart Compost in on-site food-waste processing for cafeterias, schools, and event venues using biological decomposition.
• Big Hanna: Big Hanna (by Susteco) makes community-scale aerobic food-waste composters deployed at schools, housing developments, and municipalities in Europe and Asia. Directly comparable to komham in targeting on-site institutional composting.
• Tidy Planet: Tidy Planet produces composting and anaerobic digestion equipment for commercial and municipal food waste. Comparable in offering on-site and small-facility organic-waste processing solutions to hospitality, retail, and local authorities.

Emerging players

• Cambrian Innovation: Cambrian Innovation (EcoVolt) deploys on-site anaerobic digestion and water treatment for food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable in serving institutional food-waste customers with biological treatment technology, though at larger scale.
• WASE: WASE is a UK-based startup deploying on-site anaerobic digestion units for commercial food waste at restaurants and canteens. Comparable in offering decentralised food-waste processing to commercial and institutional customers.
• Ekogea: Ekogea develops biological Bokashi-based food-waste solutions and microbial fermentation products. Comparable to komham in using proprietary microbial consortia to accelerate organic-waste decomposition, though distributed differently.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/shibuyakmhm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 komham