What Unicast does

Unicast (株式会社ユニキャスト) is a privately held Japanese technology company founded in 2005 as a student venture in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, operating three integrated business divisions: Robotics, ClientWork (custom software development), and IT Services (managed hosting). The company serves enterprise and government clients across Japan — including Hitachi group companies, three major regional banks, Ricoh Japan, SoftBank, NTT East, and prefectural governments — addressing labor shortages and digital transformation needs through proprietary robotics applications, bespoke software development, and recurring infrastructure services. Approximately 80% of staff are engineers, with an average engineer age of 31, and the organization is founder-led by Representative Director Yuta Mitsubori with no external venture capital funding disclosed.

The company's core technology combines proprietary software with third-party robot hardware. The Robotics portfolio includes KSIN, a photorealistic 3DCG avatar remote reception service (Unreal Engine) with GPT-4o integration for unmanned AI first-response; MOTTETTE, an autonomous delivery robot for logistics in restaurants, offices, hospitals, and warehouses; 企業受付 for Sota, a desktop robot reception system with facial recognition; 接客ガイド for Pepper, a multilingual (JP/EN/CN/KR) guidance application; automated cleaning robots with elevator integration; and a real-time digital twin infrastructure co-developed with Hitachi Construction Machinery. Underlying technical capabilities span ROS/ROS2-based robot control, generative AI/LLM integration, 3DCG avatar rendering, computer vision, and full-stack development from embedded systems to cloud (AWS/Azure) infrastructure. The ClientWork division delivers custom generative AI integration, mobile/web applications, and DX consulting using both fixed-deliverable (請負) and time-and-materials (準委任) contract structures. The IT Services division offers tiered managed hosting (Bronze–Platinum plans) with multi-site BCP capability.

Unicast's revenue model combines three streams: hardware sales and rental of robot applications combined with customization and maintenance, professional services for custom enterprise development, and subscription recurring revenue from managed hosting. Go-to-market relies primarily on direct enterprise sales supported by trade-show presence (CEATEC, COMPUTEX/InnoVEX, CeBIT) and channel partnerships — notably Ricoh Japan for Pepper × MFP integration products (certified October 2017) and SoftBank Robotics as a Robo App Partner (certified 2016). The company holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 / JIS Q 27001:2023 ISMS certification (valid through May 2027) covering all business domains, and operates a Taiwan subsidiary (Relay Inc., established May 2019) for international robotics business development. Distribution and operations remain primarily Japan-domestic, with no public revenue or funding disclosure.

Name

Unicast

Legal name

株式会社ユニキャスト

Website

https://unicast.ne.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unicast is a Japan-based technology company founded in 2005, operating Robotics, custom software development, and managed hosting divisions that serve enterprise and government clients with proprietary robot applications, generative AI integration, and digital infrastructure solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics & AI Software Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Warehouse Robotics (HDAAAIAA), Industrial Robotics & Cobots (IMAIAMAB)

Keywords

• Robotics integration services
• Custom software development
• Managed hosting services
• AI avatar reception
• Digital twin infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Hitachi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Robotics Products & Services: Sale and rental of robot applications (Pepper, Sota, temi, MOTTETTE) combined with customization, onboarding, and ongoing maintenance. Revenue includes hardware procurement pass-through and proprietary software licensing.
2. Client Work / Custom Development: Bespoke software development contracted to enterprise clients (research institutions, manufacturers, financial institutions, government). Projects range from embedded/control systems to generative AI integration and digital twin platforms. Both fixed-deliverable (請負) and time-and-materials (準委任) contract structures are offered.
3. Managed Hosting / IT Infrastructure: Full managed hosting services including server plans (Bronze through Platinum tiers), domain/SSL management, CDN, WAF, email services, and technical support tickets. Recurring monthly/annual billing across a customer base of SMB and enterprise clients.
4. AI / Generative AI Integration Services: Consulting, PoC, and development services for generative AI and LLM deployment in enterprise workflows, including prompt design, RAG implementation, and AI agent integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unicast operates three integrated business divisions: a Robotics division offering proprietary robot applications (MOTTETTE delivery robot, KSIN AI avatar reception, Sota reception, cleaning robots) deployed on multi-vendor hardware platforms; a ClientWork division providing custom software development including generative AI, digital twins, and ROS-based robotics applications; and an IT Services division delivering managed web hosting across shared, VPS, and dedicated server tiers.

Product overview

Unicast operates three main business areas: Robotics (ロボティクス), ClientWork (クライアントワーク), and IT Services (ITサービス). The Robotics division offers a portfolio of proprietary robot applications centered on four named products: MOTTETTE (autonomous delivery robot), 業務用自動清掃ロボット (automated cleaning robot), 企業受付 for Sota (desktop robot reception system), and アバター遠隔接客 KSIN (AI-powered avatar remote reception service), supported by Pepper-based services including 接客ガイド for Pepper. The ClientWork division provides custom software development — spanning generative AI/3D visualization/virtual space applications, ROS-based robot application development, mobile/web apps, and enterprise websites — using both fixed-deliverable and consulting contract models. The IT Services division offers full-managed hosting, multi-site data center infrastructure with BCP capabilities, partnership programs, and ticket-based operational support across shared, VPS, and dedicated server tiers. The three divisions share a unified ISMS (ISO 27001) certification scope and leverage Unicast's integrated engineering expertise across hardware, software, and infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KSIN (けしん): Avatar remote reception service combining CG avatars with remote operation and AI integration for customer service applications.
• MOTTETTE
• 企業受付 for Sota
• 接客ガイド for Pepper

Products and services

• MOTTETTE Autonomic Delivery Robot Service Autonomous delivery robot service that learns routes and automatically navigates to destinations. Handles heavy loads and long-distance transport in restaurants, offices, hospitals, and warehouses. Also available as office document delivery solution with smart button calling.
• Automated Cleaning Robot Service (業務用自動清掃ロボット) Automated cleaning robot with rental plan including maintenance and support. Covers multiple floors via elevator integration. Combines autonomous cleaning capability with ongoing support services.
• 企業受付 for Sota (Company Reception for Sota) Desktop robot Sota-based reception system that greets visitors, collects their purpose via tablet, identifies faces, and notifies staff via smartphone, PC, or intercom. Cloud-based visit history management included.
• Avatar Remote Reception KSIN (アバター遠隔接客 KSIN) Next-generation remote customer service combining photorealistic 3DCG avatars (rendered via Unreal Engine) with remote operation or AI (GPT-4o). Enables remote workers to serve customers as avatars at hotel reception, customer service, government windows, and medical facilities.
• 接客ガイド for Pepper (Customer Guidance for Pepper) Customer reception and guidance robot application for Pepper. Features multilingual guidance (Japanese/English/Chinese/Korean), face recognition, product recognition cards, AV control integration, and real-time visitor analytics. Used across banks, airports, hotels, model houses, and exhibition halls.
• ClientWork (クライアントワーク) Custom Software Development Custom software development services including generative AI/metaverse integration, ROS/ROS2 robot application development, mobile/web application development, and corporate website/business system development. Supports both fixed-deliverable and ongoing consulting contract models.
• IT Services (ITサービス) Managed Hosting IT infrastructure and hosting services including full-managed hosting, data center operations (multi-site BCP-ready), partnership/reseller programs, and ticket-based operations support. Server tiers include Bronze (shared), Silver (VPS), Gold, and Platinum (dedicated server) plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies with no dedicated IT staff can fully outsource server management through full managed hosting, eliminating operational overhead.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 富士丸産業株式会社 (Fujimaru Sangyo)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024AI chatbot system for sales support introduced at Fujimaru Sangyo, a manufacturing company. Unicast developed an AI-powered sales assistant to address salesperson shortages and tacit knowledge transfer challenges.
• Gatebox株式会社 (Gatebox)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnership to support Gatebox's virtual home robot on the Unicast Robotics platform, enabling development and sales of combined robot and virtual character solutions for hospitality and retail environments.
• 株式会社デジタル・フロンティア (Digital Frontier)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-developed the KSIN avatar remote reception service. Digital Frontier contributed photorealistic 3DCG avatar technology using Unreal Engine; Unicast handled application development, integration, and operational deployment. The 5-year collaboration produced a first-of-its-kind non-entertainment industry avatar application.
• 株式会社空き家総合研究所 (Akiya Souken)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-developed the KSIN service alongside Digital Frontier. Specializing in Unreal Engine plugin development and 3DCG-AI convergence technology, Akiya Souken provided the technical foundation for real-time avatar rendering and AI integration.
• 株式会社日立製作所 (Hitachi Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Unicast supports Hitachi's R&D Group in developing air traffic control systems for drones and flying cars. Unicast handles communication infrastructure and data transfer components for the autonomous mobility research program.
• 日立建機株式会社 (Hitachi Construction Machinery)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborating on real-time digital twin infrastructure for autonomous construction machinery at the Kasumigaura Value Creation Hub. Unicast developed terrain measurement data transmission control and sensor data integration systems for next-generation construction site DX.
• リコージャパン株式会社 (Ricoh Japan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2017Co-developed '接客ガイド for Pepper 複合機連携オプション' — a certified solution linking Pepper robot applications with Ricoh multifunction printers. Ricoh officially sold the product as a certified add-on from October 2017, expanding distribution to Ricoh's enterprise customer base.
• ヴイストン株式会社 (Vstone)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 June 2017Manufacturers the Sota desktop robot used in Unicast's '企業受付 for Sota' service. Unicast develops and sells the proprietary reception application software on top of Vstone's Sota hardware platform.
• 株式会社内田洋行 (Uchida)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Development partner for Uchida's AV control system — integrating Pepper robot with tablet-based voice-controlled office equipment management. Unicast provides ongoing feature development and maintenance for the system.
• ソフトバンクロボティクス株式会社 (SoftBank Robotics)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 February 2016Certified as a SoftBank Robotics Robo App Partner (Basic) following technical and written examinations, enabling authorized development and distribution of Pepper robot applications through the SoftBank ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SoftBank Robotics: Creator of Pepper and the broader SoftBank Robotics ecosystem; Unicast is a certified Robo App Partner building applications on top of SoftBank's robot platforms, making it both a channel partner and a directly comparable Japanese service robotics developer.
• avatarin (ANA Holdings): ANA's avatar robotics subsidiary operating the 'newme' telepresence avatar platform; the closest direct competitor to Unicast's KSIN in Japan's emerging avatar-as-a-service market.
• Vstone: Manufacturer of the Sota desktop robot used in Unicast's 企業受付 for Sota product; Vstone develops its own reception/service applications and represents both a hardware partner and a direct competitor in Sota-based reception.

Broad incumbents

• Cyberdyne: Listed Japanese robotics company (HAL exoskeleton and cleaning/transport robots); competes in the broader Japanese service-robotics category and is a publicly traded comp for valuation benchmarking.

Regional players

• Sakura Internet: Listed Japanese managed hosting and cloud provider; comparable to Unicast's IT Services division (Bronze-to-Platinum server plans) for SMB/mid-market Japanese hosting revenue mix.

Emerging players

• Groove X: Tokyo-based developer of LOVOT companion robot; comparable Japanese robotics venture with consumer-facing product, useful as a peer for Japanese robotics unit economics and ecosystem positioning.
• ABEJA: Tokyo-based AI platform company providing enterprise generative AI and computer vision solutions; competes for the same Japanese enterprise 'AI integration services' budget that Unicast targets with its generative AI consulting practice.
• Telexistence: Tokyo-based robotics startup deploying TX SCARA retail robots in FamilyMart convenience stores; overlaps with Unicast in Japan-focused commercial service robotics targeting labor shortage use cases.
• Preferred Networks: Well-funded Japanese AI/robotics company applying deep learning to industrial and service robots; competes for Japanese enterprise robotics budget and AI integration mindshare.
• CrossEffect: Japanese AI avatar company building CG-character conversational agents for enterprise customer service; overlaps directly with Unicast's KSIN avatar offering in the Japanese AI avatar reception market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UnicastInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnicastInc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Unicast