What Biocoke Lab does

Biocoke Lab Co., Ltd. (バイオコーク技研株式会社) is a Tokyo-based, privately held Japanese materials technology company founded in March 2006 with registered capital of ¥10 million. It develops and commercializes magnesium hydride (MgH₂) as a safe, ambient-temperature, ambient-pressure hydrogen carrier for industrial, consumer, and research applications. Its industrial-grade MgH₂ is manufactured through a partnership with Tokuyama Corporation, which supplies the bulk product that Biocoke Lab distributes; Biocoke Lab also sells cosmetic-grade MgH₂ under the M Powder brand, portable hydrogen generators under the MAGPOPO line, hydrogen bath products, hydrogen water devices, multi-granularity MgH₂ powder (5µm–80µm and tablet formats), and educational chemistry kits.

The company's underlying technology exploits the hydrolysis reaction MgH₂ + 2H₂O → 2H₂ + Mg(OH)₂ to release hydrogen on demand, with MgH₂ particles ≥15µm classified as non-hazardous under Japan's Fire Service Act and delivering storage density equivalent to 88.7 MPa high-pressure gas. Revenue mechanics span three streams: (1) industrial and consumer MgH₂ product sales, the latter partially through a dedicated e-commerce storefront (m-powder.jp); (2) technology licensing and joint development to domestic and international enterprises, with multiple global counterparties in active negotiation; and (3) hardware sales of portable generators and bath/water devices. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Customers include industrial energy users (factories, plants, mobility), consumer beauty and wellness buyers (via M Powder cosmetics and bath products), and R&D/educational users (fuel cells, metal reduction, chemistry education). Operations are headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, with manufacturing at a Numazu, Shizuoka factory. The company is led by Representative Director Jun Hashimura, with Dr. Hiroyuki Uesugi (Doctor of Engineering) serving as Technical Advisor. No external institutional investors are disclosed, and no revenue, headcount, or funding data are publicly available.

Name

Biocoke Lab

Legal name

Biocoke Lab Co., Ltd.

Website

https://biocokelab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biocoke Lab Co., Ltd. (バイオコーク技研株式会社) is a privately held Japanese materials technology company that manufactures and licenses magnesium hydride (MgH₂) as a safe, ambient-condition hydrogen carrier for industrial, consumer wellness, and research applications, distributing industrial product via Tokuyama Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hydrogen Materials

NAICS

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (325180), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrogen Storage Materials & Solid-State Storage (Metal Hydrides, Adsorbents) (EUAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility) (IMAEACAB), Hydrogen Energy Storage & Power-to-X Equipment (electrolyzers, storage, fuel cell systems) (IMAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Magnesium hydride hydrogen carrier
• Hydrogen storage technology
• Industrial hydrogen supply
• Hydrogen water devices
• Clean energy materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MgH₂ Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and direct sales of magnesium hydride (MgH₂) powder in various particle sizes (5µm to 80µm), tablet specifications, and products for industrial, consumer, and educational applications.
2. Technology Licensing and Joint Development: Licensing of proprietary hydrogen production processes and MgH₂-related technologies to domestic and international companies. Includes technology transfer, joint development (JDP), and factory/equipment integration support. Multiple global companies are currently in licensing negotiations.
3. Consumer Hydrogen Products: Sale of consumer-facing products including portable magnesium hydrogen generators (MAGPOPO series), bath/hydrotherapy products, hydrogen water devices, and educational magnesium hydrogen kits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Biocoke Lab manufactures and sells magnesium hydride (MgH₂) hydrogen carrier products and licenses its proprietary MgH₂ hydrogen production technology. The company supplies industrial-grade MgH₂ (manufactured with Tokuyama Corporation) for safe storage, transport, and on-demand hydrogen generation, and sells consumer-facing products (M Powder cosmetics, MAGPOPO portable hydrogen generators, hydrogen bath products, hydrogen water devices, and educational MgH₂ kits) under its own brands.

Product overview

Biocoke Lab offers a portfolio of magnesium hydride (MgH₂) based hydrogen products and technologies. The core offerings include industrial-grade magnesium hydride manufactured in partnership with Tokuyama Corporation for large-scale energy and industrial applications, and consumer-grade M Powder for cosmetic and wellness uses. The product lineup also includes portable hydrogen generators (MAGPOPO-33 and MAGPOPO-1000), hydrogen bath products, hydrogen water devices, magnesium hydride powders in various particle sizes and tablet specifications, and educational kits. The company also licenses its proprietary hydrogen manufacturing technology to domestic and international enterprises, and provides technology transfer and joint development services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M powder (Mパウダー): Cosmetic-grade magnesium hydride powder developed for beauty and wellness applications, including cosmetics, bath products, and hydrogen water.
• MAGPOPO-33
• MAGPOPO-1000

Products and services

• Industrial Magnesium Hydride (産業用水素化マグネシウム)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hydrogen storage density equivalent to 88.7MPa — exceeds ammonia (NH₃) as a hydrogen carrier

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tokuyama Corporation (株式会社トクヤマ)coreTechnology or IntegrationTokuyama Corporation, a major Japanese chemical manufacturer, serves as Biocoke Lab's primary manufacturing partner for industrial-grade magnesium hydride. Tokuyama produces and supplies the industrial-grade MgH₂ product, which Biocoke Lab distributes under its brand. The partnership enables Biocoke Lab to leverage Tokuyama's large-scale chemical manufacturing capabilities while focusing on its proprietary technology and distribution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies: German company developing Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology using benzyltoluene for safe hydrogen storage and transport. Like Biocoke Lab, Hydrogenious offers a hydrogen carrier solution that decouples hydrogen logistics from high-pressure or cryogenic infrastructure, addressing the same core customer pain point of safe, large-scale hydrogen distribution.
• Chiyoda Corporation (SPERA Hydrogen): Japanese engineering company that commercialized SPERA Hydrogen, a methylcyclohexane/toluene (MCH) hydrogen carrier technology for long-distance hydrogen transport. Both Biocoke Lab's MgH₂ and Chiyoda's SPERA represent next-generation hydrogen carrier approaches targeting the same Japanese and global industrial hydrogen logistics market.

Broad incumbents

• Iwatani Corporation: Major Japanese industrial gas and hydrogen supplier with established hydrogen liquefaction, distribution, and fueling infrastructure. Iwatani operates broadly across the hydrogen value chain in Japan and is a key incumbent whose customer base and infrastructure overlap with Biocoke Lab's target industrial hydrogen users.
• Air Liquide: Global industrial gas major with significant hydrogen production, liquefaction, and distribution capabilities. As a broad incumbent in the hydrogen supply chain, Air Liquide is a potential licensing partner and compares to Biocoke Lab in serving industrial hydrogen customers, even though it relies on conventional compressed/cryogenic hydrogen logistics.
• Linde plc: Global industrial gases and engineering company with one of the largest hydrogen production and distribution footprints worldwide. Linde is a broad incumbent in industrial hydrogen supply and a potential strategic partner or alternative supplier to Biocoke Lab's target customers.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Japanese industrial conglomerate with a hydrogen division developing liquid hydrogen carriers and transport systems. Kawasaki is a broad incumbent in Japanese hydrogen infrastructure and a potential technology partner or competitor for Biocoke Lab's industrial hydrogen logistics customers.

Emerging players

• Nel ASA: Norwegian company specializing in hydrogen electrolyzers and fueling stations. Nel operates upstream in the hydrogen value chain (production equipment) versus Biocoke Lab's downstream focus (storage/transport carriers), making it an adjacent emerging player in the broader hydrogen economy ecosystem.
• AMG Critical Materials: Specialty metals and materials company with capabilities in magnesium and related hydrogen storage alloys. AMG's expertise in magnesium chemistry and metal hydride materials overlaps with Biocoke Lab's MgH₂ technology base, making it a relevant emerging materials peer.

Others

• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA): Global chemical and laboratory supplier that sells research-grade magnesium hydride powder. Sigma-Aldrich competes with Biocoke Lab in the laboratory and R&D MgH₂ supply segment, though it is a broader chemical supplier rather than a hydrogen carrier specialist.

Regional players

• Sumitomo Corporation: Japanese trading house with active interests in hydrogen supply chains, including hydrogen carrier import/export and distribution projects. Sumitomo is a regional player in the Japanese hydrogen ecosystem and a potential partner or alternative supplier for Biocoke Lab's industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Biocoke Lab