Kudan
Kudan Inc. is a Tokyo-listed public company developing proprietary SLAM algorithms and spatial perception software for autonomous mobile robots, digital twin platforms, and XR broadcasting, licensed to robotics OEMs and enterprise customers across Japan, the US, Europe, and Asia.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Kudan does
Kudan Inc. (Kudan株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered, publicly listed spatial perception technology company that develops proprietary SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms, sensor fusion software, and spatial intelligence analytics for machines operating in 3D space. Its core technology portfolio includes Visual SLAM (KdVisual), 3D Lidar SLAM (KdLidar), and integration with NVIDIA Jetson and Isaac Perceptor platforms. The company has approximately 11-50 employees and operates from Tokyo, with subsidiaries in the United States (Kudan USA LLC), the United Kingdom (Kudan Limited), and Germany (Kudan Germany, formerly Artisense GmbH, acquired in 2021 to bring in Professor Daniel Cremers and his TU Munich computer vision team).
Kudan's commercial offering spans three layers: (1) licensed software such as Visual SLAM and Lidar SLAM modules and full-stack autonomous navigation software; (2) hardware products including the XGRIDS mobile 3D scanner, vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems (MMS), and AMR development kits (including the Vecow VTK AMR Dev Kit); and (3) higher-level solutions such as Kudan PRISM (digital twin platform for facility and asset management, offered via SaaS and on-premises) and Kudan VANTAGE (real-time 6-DoF XR camera tracking for live sports broadcasting). Documented technical differentiators include 2x processing framerate and 50% memory usage versus ORB-SLAM, horizontal positional standard deviation within 12 cm in GPS-denied urban canyons, and up to 59.94 Hz 6-DoF tracking without optical markers.
Revenue is generated through a mix of software licensing/royalties to robotics and autonomous system OEMs, hardware sales of development kits and mobile mapping systems, and recurring SaaS or on-premises subscriptions for digital twin solutions. Customers and partners include NVIDIA (Preferred Partner), Fox Sports, SkyCam, Vecow, NexAIoT, Yours Technologies, Inertial Labs, NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation, UCS (Korea), MacroInsight, Avestec, HPC Systems, Synopsys, Xacti, ZENRIN DataCom, and Kokusai Kogyo. Kudan is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market under ticker 4425, with the CEO identified as Xiang Dayu (頴 大雨) and John Williams serving as CTO.
Kudan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kudan
- Legal name
- Kudan Inc.
- Website
- https://kudan.io
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kudan Inc. is a Tokyo-listed public company developing proprietary SLAM algorithms and spatial perception software for autonomous mobile robots, digital twin platforms, and XR broadcasting, licensed to robotics OEMs and enterprise customers across Japan, the US, Europe, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kudan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Spatial Perception Software
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Vision, Depth Sensing & Point Cloud Analytics (HDAAAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AR/VR & Spatial Computing (SLAM, 3D vision) (HDAAAEAJ), XR/AR/VR/MR Development Frameworks & Toolchains (MPAFAFAF), Digital Twins & Scenario-Based Systems Training (Equipment/Process Simulators) (EDAFAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Kudan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Kudan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: Licensing of SLAM software algorithms (Visual SLAM, Lidar SLAM) to robotics and autonomous system manufacturers. Revenue generated through technology licensing agreements with partners integrating Kudan technology into their products.
- Hardware Products: Sale of AMR development kits, mobile 3D scanners (XGRIDS), and vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems. Products combine Kudan software with sensors and computing platforms.
- Digital Twin Solutions: Kudan PRISM platform for facility and asset management delivered as SaaS or on-premises deployment.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kudan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kudan develops proprietary SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) software algorithms and spatial perception technology for robotics and digital twins. Its product portfolio includes Visual SLAM (KdVisual), Lidar SLAM (KdLidar), autonomous navigation software, the Kudan PRISM digital twin platform, and the Kudan VANTAGE XR broadcasting camera-tracking solution, complemented by hardware such as mobile 3D scanners (XGRIDS) and vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems.
Product overview
Kudan is a spatial perception technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for robotics and digital twins. The core offering centers on proprietary SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms providing high-precision localization and mapping, autonomous navigation software, and spatial intelligence analytics. The product lineup includes Kudan PRISM (digital twin platform for facility/asset management), Kudan VANTAGE (XR broadcasting camera tracking), software packages for autonomous robot navigation, and hardware products including AMR development kits, mobile 3D scanners (XGRIDS), and vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems. These products work together to enable robots to perceive and navigate physical environments while creating digital twins of reality for simulation, predictive maintenance, and operational efficiency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kudan VANTAGE: Hardware-and-software integrated XR broadcasting solution providing real-time six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DoF) camera tracking for sports broadcasting and live events.
- Kudan PRISM
- KdLidar
- KdVisual
Products and services
- Kudan Visual SLAM (KdVisual)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2x SLAM processing framerate compared to ORB-SLAM
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kudan
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kudan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature5 records
Kudan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Vecow Co., Ltd.coreVecow launched VTK AMR Development Kit integrating Kudan's spatial perception and robot navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots. The platform combines edge computing, multimodal perception, and AI-driven autonomy for AMR development targeting logistics automation, industrial inspection, and robotics research. Showcased at NVIDIA GTC 2026.
- UCS Co., Ltd. (Korea)coreExpanded partnership from mobile mapping into robotics applications and broadcast solutions. Joint efforts target autonomous navigation and immersive media experiences for Korea's manufacturing, logistics, and media sectors.
- Fox SportscoreFox Sports permanently integrated Kudan VANTAGE camera tracking technology into broadcast truck for 2025 NFL season. Technology was proven during Super Bowl LIX reaching 100M+ viewers, enabling photorealistic 3D XR graphics in live broadcasts without site surveys or optical tracking rigs.
- MacroInsight Innovation Ltd.majorDeepened collaboration on digital twin command centers for Taiwanese government-led intelligent shipyard project. Integrates spatial perception, mobile sensing, deep learning, and generative AI for smart patrol inspection, industrial safety monitoring, and predictive maintenance.
- NexAIoTcoreNexAIoT's NexMOV-2 AI-powered AMR deployed in Taiwan factory, integrating Kudan Visual SLAM with NVIDIA Isaac Perceptor for cost-effective high-performance navigation in complex dynamic environments.
- NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation (NTT InfraNet)majorField trial demonstrating high-precision 3D point cloud mapping in urban canyon environments where GNSS signals are unavailable. Achieved horizontal positional standard deviation within 12cm and elevation standard deviation within 25cm by combining Kudan SLAM with NTT InfraNet manhole location data.
- SkyCammajorKudan technology integrated with SkyCam's cable-suspended camera system to deliver real-time AR graphics, player analytics, and game statistics synchronized with live game action during Super Bowl LIX broadcast.
- Yours Technologies (Beijing)coreCommercial launch of next-generation AMR integrating Kudan SLAM with Yours Technologies multi-algorithm fusion system. Partnership combines 1,200+ deployed AMRs across 110+ Chinese cities with plans for Japan deployment.
- Avestec TechnologiesmajorSKYRON V.2 flying robot integrates Kudan KdLidar for 3D Lidar SLAM engine, enabling high-quality point cloud generation for asset inspection in dynamic mapping environments.
- Inertial LabsmajorInertial Labs RESEPI remote sensing payload instrument integrates Kudan 3D-Lidar SLAM (KdLidar) as high-precision point cloud generation engine for UAV, handheld, and backpack-based mapping applications.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA Preferred Partner integrating Kudan SLAM with NVIDIA Jetson platforms and Isaac robotics software. Kudan SLAM software optimized for Jetson modules delivering 2x processing framerate and 50% memory usage versus ORB-SLAM.
- SynopsysmajorCollaboration to optimize Kudan Visual SLAM image processing using Synopsys ARC EV processor IP, achieving 40% speed improvement in image processing tasks.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kudan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trimble: Large geospatial and surveying technology incumbent with mobile mapping, GNSS-denied positioning, and digital twin products. Comparable on the surveying/mapping and digital twin side of Kudan's business.
- NVIDIA (Isaac Robotics Platform): Kudan's own preferred partner, but also a broad incumbent in robotics AI with Isaac SLAM, Isaac Perceptor, and Jetson hardware. Relevant as both a partner and a competitive platform threat to Kudan's SLAM stack.
- Hexagon (Leica Geosystems): Global provider of geospatial measurement and digital reality solutions including mobile mapping systems and digital twin platforms. Comparable across Kudan's surveying, digital twin, and mobile mapping lines.
Direct peers
- Stype: Camera tracking and XR graphics software for live broadcast and sports. Direct competitor to Kudan VANTAGE in real-time 6-DoF broadcast camera tracking.
- Matterport: 3D spatial capture and digital twin platform for real estate, facilities, and asset management. Comparable to Kudan PRISM in digital-twin-driven facility and asset management workflows.
- SLAMcore: UK-based specialist in Visual SLAM and spatial AI software for robots and AR/VR. Directly comparable as a pure-play SLAM algorithm provider targeting the same robotics and AR/VR use cases as Kudan's KdVisual/KdLidar.
- Pixotope: Real-time XR/AR graphics and camera tracking platform for live sports and broadcast. Directly comparable to Kudan VANTAGE for live broadcast camera tracking, serving the same Fox Sports / sports broadcast use case.
- Faro Technologies: 3D measurement, imaging, and digital twin hardware/software vendor for AEC, surveying, and industrial inspection. Comparable on the mobile 3D scanning and digital twin side (XGRIDS, PRISM).
Emerging players
- Brain Corp: Autonomous navigation software platform for commercial robots (cleaning, retail, logistics). Comparable to Kudan's autonomous navigation software for AMRs in industrial and commercial environments.
- Ouster (Velodyne): Provider of high-resolution 3D lidar sensors and perception software used in robotics, mapping, and autonomy. Comparable on the lidar-based SLAM and point cloud generation side (KdLidar) of Kudan's offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kudan social profiles
Digital presenceKudan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kudan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kudan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Kudan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kudan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kudan
What does Kudan do?
Kudan develops proprietary SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) software algorithms and spatial perception technology for robotics and digital twins. Its product portfolio includes Visual SLAM (KdVisual), Lidar SLAM (KdLidar), autonomous navigation software, the Kudan PRISM digital twin platform, and the Kudan VANTAGE XR broadcasting camera-tracking solution, complemented by hardware such as mobile 3D scanners (XGRIDS) and vehicle-mounted mobile mapping systems.
Is Kudan a public or private company?
Kudan is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Kudan founded?
Kudan was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kudan based?
Kudan is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Kudan make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are hardware Products and digital Twin Solutions.
Who are Kudan's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trimble, NVIDIA (Isaac Robotics Platform) and Hexagon (Leica Geosystems). Direct peers are Stype, Matterport, SLAMcore, Pixotope and Faro Technologies. Emerging players are Brain Corp and Ouster (Velodyne).
Does Kudan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kudan.
What industry is Kudan in?
Kudan's product category is Spatial Perception Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAEAK, 3D Vision, Depth Sensing & Point Cloud Analytics, with a secondary code of HDAAAEAJ, AR/VR & Spatial Computing (SLAM, 3D vision). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.