What KUBIX does

KUBIX (株式会社キュービクス) is a privately held Japanese biotechnology company founded in August 2004 by Hiroshi Tanno (丹野博) and headquartered at 熱野町ハ8番1地 in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The company operates under the guiding principle '研究から臨床へ' (From Research to Clinical Practice) and provides contract genetic diagnostic testing services plus reagent kit products to medical institutions across Japan. KUBIX holds a Type 2 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Marketing License (effective December 2011), a Privacy Mark certification (June 2024), and is currently actively operating with 11-50 employees.

The company's core technology stack spans four complementary modalities: microarray gene expression analysis (using Agilent Technology equipment) for gastrointestinal cancers, real-time PCR-based mRNA blood testing for pancreatic cancer (PanLegacy®, PMDA approval number 30400EZX00046000), NGS-based DNA sequencing for primary dyslipidemia, and SNP genotyping (ADH1B, ALDH2) for alcohol-related cancer risk (AlcoRisk®). The flagship PanLegacy® assay reports 85.2% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity, with 78.6% sensitivity for Stage I/II pancreatic cancer (versus 35.7% for CA19-9 alone). The gastrointestinal microarray test can detect four cancer types — gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and biliary — from a single 5.0 mL blood draw with approximately 90% sensitivity. R&D is anchored by a long-standing joint research collaboration with Kanazawa University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences; the underlying blood-based gastrointestinal cancer detection method is protected by Patent 4953334 and received the National Invention Association Invention Award in 2013.

KUBIX generates revenue primarily through contract testing services — partner medical institutions collect patient blood samples that are analyzed at KUBIX's laboratory — plus reagent kit sales (HBV quantitative measurement kits being the active product; COVID-19 detection reagents were discontinued and shifted to made-to-order production). Distribution is conducted via a nationwide network of 1,500+ partner medical institutions across all 47 Japanese prefectures, supplemented by direct contracts with larger hospital accounts and a consignment arrangement with LSI Medience for the Primary Dyslipidemia (14-Disease) Genetic Analysis service. Go-to-market relies on event-driven marketing (medical conferences, the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, university lectures) and earned media; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Disclosed equity capital events include an Osaka Bio Fund investment in November 2013 (~$510K plus undisclosed amounts) and undisclosed rounds involving Shinkin Capital and Toho Holdings. The company has no subsidiaries, no parent entity, and operates exclusively within Japan.

Name

KUBIX

Legal name

株式会社キュービクス

Website

https://kubix.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KUBIX is a Japanese biotechnology company that provides contract genetic diagnostic testing services and reagent kits to medical institutions, specializing in blood-based cancer screening (gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers), dyslipidemia genetic analysis, and alcohol-related cancer risk assessment across a nationwide partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genetic Diagnostic Testing Services

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Genetic & Genomic Testing (germline, somatic, carrier, pharmacogenomics) (HLAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genetic, Cytogenetic & Prenatal Screening IVD (HLAHAAAI), Genetic & Prenatal Testing Laboratories (HLAFAMAH)

Keywords

• Genetic diagnostic testing
• Molecular diagnostics services
• Cancer screening tests
• Reagent kit manufacturing
• Microarray blood tests

Headquarters

HQ city

Hakusan

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Testing Services: KUBIX provides outsourced genetic testing services to medical institutions. Blood samples are collected at partner clinics and sent to KUBIX's laboratory for analysis. Revenue is generated per test based on the type of analysis performed.
2. Reagent Kit Sales: Development, manufacturing, and sales of diagnostic reagent kits including HBV quantitative measurement kits. Previously sold COVID-19 detection kits. Currently transitioning certain products to made-to-order production.
3. Genetic Analysis Services (LSI Medience Partnership): KUBIX performs genetic analysis services contracted through LSI Medience for Primary Dyslipidemia (14 diseases) testing. LSI Medience serves as the customer-facing window while KUBIX conducts the actual testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KUBIX develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary reagent kits and provides contracted genetic diagnostic testing services to medical institutions across Japan. Its portfolio centers on cancer screening blood tests (Pancreatic Cancer mRNA Blood Test "PanLegacy" and Gastrointestinal Cancer Microarray Blood Test), alcohol sensitivity genetic testing (AlcoRisk), and Primary Dyslipidemia Genetic Analysis, delivered through a nationwide network of partner medical institutions.

Product overview

KUBIX is a medical testing and biotechnology company offering a portfolio of genetic diagnostic products and contracted testing services centered on the concept of 'Research to Clinical Application.' The core offerings include four diagnostic tests: (1) the Gastrointestinal Cancer Microarray Blood Test using Agilent microarrays to detect digestive organ cancers from blood RNA; (2) the Pancreatic Cancer mRNA Blood Test using the domestically approved PanLegacy kit for pancreatic cancer screening; (3) AlcoRisk® analyzing alcohol metabolism gene polymorphisms for cancer risk; and (4) Primary Dyslipidemia (14-Disease) Genetic Analysis using NGS. Supporting these are reagent kits (HBV Quantitative Kit) and contracted inspection services for nucleic acid extraction, real-time PCR, microarray gene expression, and NGS. All diagnostic tests are available through a network of affiliated medical institutions across Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• アルコリスク®: Alcohol decomposition enzyme genetic polymorphism and questionnaire-based risk test for esophageal cancer and head/neck cancer. Uses real-time PCR SNPs analysis of ADH1B and ALDH2 genes combined with lifestyle survey.
• パンレグザ®

Products and services

• Pancreatic Cancer mRNA Blood Test (PanLegacy) Proprietary mRNA-based blood screening test for pancreatic cancer, delivered as a contracted genetic testing service to medical institutions in Japan.
• Gastrointestinal Cancer Microarray Blood Test Microarray-based blood diagnostic test for gastrointestinal cancer, provided to medical institutions as a contracted genetic testing service.
• AlcoRisk Genetic test assessing alcohol sensitivity, delivered to medical institutions as a contracted testing service for their patients.
• Primary Dyslipidemia Genetic Analysis Genetic analysis test for primary dyslipidemia, offered as a contracted testing service to medical institutions in Japan.
• Reagent Kits In-house manufactured reagent kits sold to medical institutions for use in genetic diagnostic testing workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85.2% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity for pancreatic cancer detection using パンレグザ®
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• LSI Medience (株式会社LSIメディエンス)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKUBIX entered a consignment contract with LSI Medience for the Primary Dyslipidemia (14 diseases) Genetic Analysis service. LSI Medience acts as the customer-facing window while KUBIX performs the actual laboratory testing.
• Medic (株式会社メディック)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUBIX entered a business partnership with Medic in April 2013 to expand the contract testing service business. The partnership aims to develop new business opportunities in the genetic testing market.
• Kanazawa University (国立大学法人金沢大学医薬保健学域)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partner for the gastrointestinal cancer microarray blood test technology. The test is based on research outcomes from Kanazawa University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Multiple researchers from the university co-developed the technology and are listed as inventors on Patent 4953334.
• Ginex (ジーネックス社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUBIX entered a business partnership agreement with Ginex in September 2025. Details of the partnership scope were not specified in the available sources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tosoh Corporation: Diversified Japanese chemical manufacturer with a significant IVD division producing diagnostic reagents and instruments. Comparable to KUBIX in IVD reagent development, manufacturing, and sales, particularly in clinical chemistry and molecular diagnostics.
• BML, Inc. Japanese clinical reference laboratory providing routine and specialized testing services to medical institutions nationwide. Comparable to KUBIX in the medical institution-facing contract testing model, with a similar network of partner clinics and hospitals.
• Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. Japanese IVD manufacturer specializing in clinical chemistry, immunoassays, and molecular diagnostics (notably its LAMP isothermal amplification technology). Directly comparable to KUBIX as a Japanese IVD reagent maker and clinical lab testing services provider with similar regulatory positioning.
• LSI Medience Corporation: Japanese clinical laboratory and IVD company and a key channel partner of KUBIX. Directly comparable in genetic/clinical testing services, and LSI Medience's distribution of KUBIX's dyslipidemia panel shows the companies operate in overlapping clinical test categories.
• Riken Genesis Co., Ltd. Japanese molecular diagnostics company offering genetic analysis services including cancer genome profiling and hereditary disease testing. Closely comparable to KUBIX in providing specialized genetic testing services to medical institutions in Japan.

Emerging players

• Cancer Precision Medicine, Inc. (CPM): Emerging Japanese molecular diagnostics company focused on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood-based cancer detection. Comparable to KUBIX in pursuing non-invasive, blood-based cancer screening tests targeting the same Japanese oncology diagnostics market.
• DNA Chip Research Inc. Tokyo-based molecular diagnostics company providing microarray-based genetic testing services. Comparable to KUBIX's microarray-based cancer detection platform and genetic analysis services, though focused on a narrower set of indications.

Broad incumbents

• Sysmex Corporation: A global leader in in vitro diagnostics, particularly hematology and clinical chemistry, with growing presence in molecular and genetic diagnostics. Comparable to KUBIX in IVD product manufacturing and laboratory testing services, but at vastly larger scale and with international reach.
• H.U. Group Holdings (SRL): Major Japanese clinical laboratory and IVD company operating the SRL network of reference labs. Comparable to KUBIX's contract testing laboratory services and nationwide partner medical institution model, but at much larger scale with broader test menu.
• Denka Company Limited (Diagnostics Division): Diversified Japanese chemical/pharmaceutical company with a life sciences division producing IVD reagents and diagnostic instruments. Comparable to KUBIX as a Japanese IVD reagent developer, though operating at much larger scale across multiple industries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 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 KUBIX