530

What 530 does

530株式会社 (530 Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese marine environmental protection startup founded on July 30, 2021 by representative director Oishi Tetsuji (大石 哲司). The company operates a dual business: (i) development of marine plastic waste collection devices and survey services under a proprietary "4R" framework (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remove), and (ii) exclusive Japanese distribution of Italian Schenker's seawater desalination systems marketed under the ZEN series (ZEN30, ZEN50, ZEN100). The ZEN units are compact boat-mounted desalination systems producing 30-100 liters of fresh water per hour from seawater, leveraging Schenker's patented energy recovery system that eliminates high-pressure pumps and achieves approximately 80% power reduction versus conventional systems — consuming roughly 4W per liter of drinking water and supporting DC12V/24V battery operation. Filtration precision is cited at 0.0001 microns.

Commercially, the company targets individual boat owners and marine enthusiasts seeking self-sufficient water supply at sea, with secondary positioning toward disaster preparedness and emergency response applications. The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer through website inquiries and contact forms, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Channel distribution includes a relationship with Yanmar Marine Systems (ヤンマー舶用システム), which featured the ZEN50 on its corporate blog in June 2023. The company was originally headquartered in Tokyo's Ginza district, was associated with Yokosuka as its founding city, and relocated to Yokohama Gate Tower (Kanagawa Prefecture) on September 1, 2023. The company appears to be founder-led and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding rounds or institutional investors. Notable recognition includes a 2021 Excellence Award at the CHANGE FOR THE BLUE Business Contest (Chiba).

Name

530

Legal name

530株式会社

Website

https://530-ocean.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

530株式会社 is a Japanese marine environmental protection startup that distributes Italian Schenker's energy-efficient ZEN series seawater desalination systems to boat owners and marine operators in Japan, while developing proprietary marine plastic waste collection technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Desalination Equipment

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Ballast Water, Bilge & Wastewater Treatment Systems (Environmental/Utility) (IMAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Marine desalination systems
• Seawater treatment equipment
• Marine environmental protection
• Ocean plastic cleanup
• Boat water makers

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokosuka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marine Water Maker Sales: Sale of Italian Schenker-manufactured seawater desalination systems (ZEN30, ZEN50, ZEN100 models) to boat owners, marine businesses, and disaster preparedness markets. Products are sold as finished goods with varying capacities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

530 Co., Ltd. distributes Italian-made Schenker brand seawater desalination systems (the ZEN series: ZEN30, ZEN50, ZEN100) for boats and marine vessels in the Japanese market. The company also develops marine waste collection devices and conducts marine debris surveys as part of its mission to achieve zero marine waste and protect ocean ecosystems.

Product overview

530株式会社 is a marine environmental protection company that sells Italian-made Schenker brand seawater desalination systems (造水機) and develops marine debris collection devices. Their main product portfolio consists of the ZEN series water makers (ZEN30, ZEN50, ZEN100), which are compact, energy-efficient seawater desalination systems for boats. The ZEN series uses Schenker's patented energy recovery system technology, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps and achieving 80% reduction in power consumption compared to conventional systems. The company also works on marine plastic waste collection technology as part of their '4R' initiative (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Remove).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZEN30 Marine Water Maker Italian-made Schenker seawater desalination system for boats, producing 30 liters of fresh water per hour with ultra-low energy consumption of 4W per liter. Designed for individual boat owners and small marine vessels requiring self-sufficient water supply.
• ZEN50 Marine Water Maker

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% power reduction compared to conventional systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Schenker (シェンカー)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1998Schenker is an Italian seawater desalination manufacturer established in 1998. They hold the patented energy recovery system technology for ultra-energy-efficient water makers. 530 is the Japanese distributor for Schenker products, selling ZEN30, ZEN50, and ZEN100 models.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sea Recovery: Long-established marine and offshore desalination systems maker targeting yachts, workboats, and offshore platforms. Competes with Schenker/ZEN series for the same downstream boat-owner and marine OEM customers.
• Blue Water Desalination: Smaller US marine desalination manufacturer selling directly to boat owners and small commercial operators; comparable distribution model (direct + dealer) and competitive set to 530 in non-Japanese markets.
• Dessalator: Italian manufacturer of marine reverse-osmosis water makers for sailing yachts and motor yachts. Closest European rival to Schenker in compact marine desalination, addressing a very similar European/Japanese customer profile.
• Spectra Watermakers: US-based manufacturer of energy-efficient marine reverse-osmosis water makers. Directly comparable technology category (low-power marine desalination) competing for the same boat-owner procurement dollars globally.
• Schenker Watermakers: Italian OEM of the patented Energy Recovery System water makers that 530 distributes in Japan. 530 is effectively Schenker's Japanese sales channel and their product roadmap directly determines 530's commercial trajectory.
• Katadyn Group: Swiss maker of portable and marine water purification/desalination products with strong global distribution. Overlaps with 530 in emergency-preparedness and small-vessel drinking-water use cases.

Others

• Yanmar Marine Systems: Japanese marine engine and systems OEM whose blog featured 530's ZEN50. Functions as both a channel partner and a potential adjacent player if Yanmar develops its own water-maker line, posing both upside and competitive threat.

Emerging players

• Echotec Watermakers: Boutique maker of energy-recovery marine reverse-osmosis units focused on small vessels and racing yachts. Targets the same ultra-low-power niche where Schenker/530 compete on efficiency and weight.
• Eco-Nomic Marine Desalination: Another niche competitor in energy-efficient marine watermakers, often featured in sailing publications. Similar positioning around low-power operation; demonstrates the active competitive set 530 faces if expanding outside Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin (Domnick Hunter): Large industrial filtration and fluid-handling incumbent that supplies desalination and water-treatment components to commercial shipping and offshore markets. Notable adjacent competitor for marine and offshore water-maker customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/530_ocean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 530