Afrel
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersFukui, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Afrel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Afrel
- Legal name
- 株式会社アフレル
- Website
- https://afrel.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Afrel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fukui
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Afrel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Robot Kit and Hardware Sales: Sale of educational robot kits (LEGO Education SPIKE, EV3, WeDo 2.0), DOBOT robotic arms, accessories, and replacement parts to enterprises, schools, and individuals. One-time hardware purchase model.
- Curriculum and Textbook Sales: Sale of original guidebooks and curriculum packs (programming books, building books, challenge guides) for SPIKE, EV3, and DOBOT products.
- Corporate Training Services: Customized training programs for enterprises covering software development, AI, robotics, and DX skills using Afrel's robot platforms, including onboarding training and technical education.
- Event and Competition Support: Organization and sponsorship of robot contests (ET Robocon, WRO, Afrel Creative Cup) and related services including course sheet sales and competition kit bundles.
- Industrial Robotics (Afrel Robotics Division): Sale of industrial collaborative robot systems and DX automation packages for manufacturing, targeting factory automation in SMEs and large enterprises.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 Basic Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Essential (Afrel Set) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EV3 Education Edition Basic Set v2 (with software) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EV3 Education Edition Expansion Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime Afrel Set A |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime Afrel Set B |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime AI Introduction Python Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime C Language Programming Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime Python Programming Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime RoboCon Challenge Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ET Robocon Basic Kit 26 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ET Robocon Applied Kit 26 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | WRO 2026 RoboMission Course Sheets (Senior) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | WRO 2026 Future Engineers Course Sheet |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SPIKE Prime × HuskyLens AI Camera Kit |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate Training / DX Training |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Afrel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Afrel is the official authorized reseller in Japan of LEGO Education robotics kits (SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, EV3, WeDo 2.0) and DOBOT educational robotic arms (Magician, Magician E6, MG400), bundled with its own original Japanese-language curriculum, textbooks, and programming software (SPIKE App, DOBOT Studio Pro, Virtual Robotics Toolkit). It also delivers corporate training services for software development, AI, and DX talent development, and supplies industrial collaborative robot systems through a separate Afrel Robotics division.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Afrel Tech Blog: Company blog covering technology information, robotics, AI, and education topics.
- Afrel Learning Lab
- Afrel Robotics
Products and services
- LEGO Education SPIKE Prime LEGO Education SPIKE Prime is a robotics kit for engineering, programming, AI, and project-based learning, used in schools and corporate training.
- LEGO Education Computer Science & AI LEGO Education's computer science and AI learning product line distributed by Afrel in Japan for schools and learners.
- LEGO Education SPIKE Essential (Afrel Set) SPIKE Essential Afrel Set with 449 pieces including small hub, angular motors, and color sensor, for primary STEAM/robotics education.
- LEGO Education MINDSTORMS EV3 Basic Set v2 and Expansion Set LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 educational robot kit (intelligent block, motors, sensors) for secondary and higher engineering education, with optional expansion set.
- LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 Basic Set LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 entry-level robotics kit for primary school STEM education, supporting icon-block and Scratch programming.
- DOBOT Magician DOBOT Magician is a 4-axis desktop robotic arm (500g payload, 0.2mm repeatability) used for light factory automation, AI integration, and technical education.
- DOBOT Magician E6 DOBOT Magician E6 is a 6-axis educational robot arm distributed by Afrel in Japan, with control via DOBOT Studio Pro supporting graphical programming, Python, C++, and C#.
- MATRIX Robotics System MATRIX robotics system distributed by Afrel in Japan for education and competition use.
- toio Creative Robotics Kit Sony toio creative robotics kit distributed by Afrel for after-school programming courses for children.
- Virtual Robotics Toolkit (VRT) Virtual Robotics Toolkit is a PC-based simulator reproducing LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robot behavior for remote learning and parallel virtual/physical development.
- ET Robocon Support Services and Competition Kits Afrel provides ET Robocon (Embedded Technology Robot Contest) competition support, including Basic and Applied kit packages, technical support, and event sponsorship.
- WRO (World Robot Olympiad) Course Sheets and Kits Afrel supplies official WRO Japan competition course sheets, training courses, and competition kits for the World Robot Olympiad.
- Afrel Creative Cup Competition Afrel Creative Cup is the company's own organized robotics competition for students and educators in Japan.
- Corporate Training and DX Talent Development Services Afrel's corporate training services deliver hands-on programs in software development, AI, robotics, and DX upskilling for enterprise employees, using robot kits to visualize development outcomes.
- Educational Institution Curriculum and Materials Afrel provides K-12, high school, and higher-education curriculum, textbooks, and hardware bundles aligned with Japanese education standards, including DX High School support.
- After-School Program Materials and School Operation Support Afrel offers after-school learning centers curriculum materials, classroom setup support, and operational/marketing assistance for private programming schools.
- Event and Workshop Planning and Operations Support Afrel plans, organizes, and operates technology-driven events, workshops, and contests that build community engagement and brand image for clients.
- Afrel Robotics Industrial Collaborative Robot Systems Afrel Robotics (afrel-robotics.jp) supplies industrial collaborative robot systems, DX automation packages, and related training for manufacturing enterprises.
- SDGs and DEI Consulting Services Afrel provides SDGs/DEI consulting for enterprises focused on education, gender, and talent development, drawing on its education expertise.
- SPIKE Prime C Language Programming Master Guide and Book Original Afrel-authored C language programming guide for SPIKE Prime, used by universities and technical colleges to teach C through robot control.
- SPIKE Prime Python Programming Set and AI Introduction Set Bundles combining SPIKE Prime hardware with Afrel's original Python and AI introduction textbooks for programming and AI education.
- SPIKE Prime × HuskyLens AI Camera Kit AI vision add-on kit pairing HuskyLens PRO AI camera with SPIKE Prime for object/face recognition and Python control.
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies report faster onboarding of engineering talent with visible development process outcomes using Afrel training programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Afrel
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Afrel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Afrel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LEGO EducationcoreAfrel is an official authorized reseller (正規代理店) of LEGO Education products in Japan, distributing the full lineup including SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, EV3, and WeDo 2.0, along with original Japanese-language curriculum materials and technical support.
- DOBOTcoreAfrel serves as the authorized distributor of DOBOT educational robotic arms (Magician, Magician E6, MG400) in Japan. Afrel collaborates with DOBOT Japan on product development, experience events, and AI curriculum integration, including the DOBOT Magician E6 launch in Japan.
- DOBOT JapancoreDOBOT Japan collaborates with Afrel on experience events, AI curriculum development (e.g., AI picking with image recognition), and the DOBOT Magician E6 master guide textbook. DOBOT Japan provides technical and product support while Afrel leads Japanese market development and educational content creation.
- Virtual Robotics ToolkitminorAfrel is an authorized reseller and promoter of Virtual Robotics Toolkit (VRT) simulation software in Japan, integrating it into university curricula such as Keio University's software design courses.
- PITSCO EducationminorAfrel is an authorized reseller of PITSCO Education products in Japan.
- WRO Japan (World Robot Olympiad)coreAfrel supports WRO Japan as a key event organizer and kit supplier, providing official competition course sheets, training courses, and competition kits. WRO competitions drive significant annual demand for Afrel's SPIKE Prime and robotics products among schools and students.
- ET Robocon (ET Robocon Executive Committee)coreAfrel is a key supporter and kit/materials provider for the ET Robocon (Embedded Technology Robot Contest), one of Japan's most prestigious robotics competitions for engineers and students. Afrel provides competition kits, technical support, and event sponsorship.
- JASA (Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association)minorJASA organizes ET Robocon, and Afrel collaborates through kit provision and sponsorship as part of its engineer training ecosystem strategy.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Afrel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DFRobot: DFRobot designs and distributes STEM/robotics components and kits (micro:bit accessories, Maqueen, BOSON) used in maker spaces and schools. Comparable product and educational-customer base to Afrel's robotics kit distribution, with overlap in curriculum-led selling rather than pure hardware.
- VEX Robotics (Innovation First International): VEX Robotics designs and sells educational robotics kits and runs the VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX AI competition series that mirror Afrel's WRO and ET Robocon sponsorship role. Direct product and competition overlap with Afrel's SPIKE Prime and DOBOT-based offerings, although VEX focuses on its own proprietary hardware.
- Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop (Dash, Dot, Cue) sells K-12 educational robotics kits with curriculum and teacher training, targeting the same primary-school and afterschool customers as Afrel's WeDo 2.0 and SPIKE Essential lines. Comparable product, customer, and vertical SaaS-curriculum model.
- Sphero Education: Sphero's education division sells programmable STEAM robots (Sphero BOLT, Indi, RVR+) with cross-curricular content for K-12, paralleling Afrel's SPIKE Prime/EV3 + textbook bundles. Closely comparable on product category, customer segment, and curriculum-led go-to-market.
- Makeblock Education: Makeblock sells STEAM-focused educational robotics kits (mBot, Codey Rocky, CyberPi) to schools globally and competes in the same K-12 and afterschool STEM kit market as Afrel's LEGO Education and DOBOT lineup, with similar curriculum and competition ecosystems (MakeX). Highly comparable on product, target customer, and business model.
Emerging players
- Tynker: Tynker is a coding-and-robotics learning platform for K-12 that pairs block-based programming with hardware (Sphero, LEGO, drones). Overlaps with Afrel on the software/curriculum layer of the educational robotics stack and competes for the same teacher and school budget line items.
- ROBOTIS: ROBOTIS is a Korea-based maker of educational and research robotics kits (OLLO, Bioloid, Dynamixel, DREAM, THORMANG) sold through regional resellers. Comparable to Afrel as a competing educational robotics brand in Asia with competition and curriculum programs targeted at students and universities.
- DJI RoboMaster: DJI's RoboMaster division sells educational robot kits (EP, S1) and runs the international RoboMaster University Championship, mirroring Afrel's competition + curriculum bundling for higher-ed and university engineering programs (e.g., ET Robocon use cases). Strong brand and funding from DJI give it global reach comparable to Afrel's Japanese events.
- iRobot Education: iRobot Education (Root, Create) provides K-12 educational robots with accompanying curriculum, targeting STEM and CS classrooms. Comparable to Afrel's K-12 kit + textbook ecosystem on product type and customer; smaller scale and distribution footprint than Afrel's LEGO/DOBOT-anchored portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education is the global product and brand owner that Afrel distributes in Japan. It sells SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, WeDo 2.0, and Computer Science & AI directly and through partners worldwide, overlapping directly with Afrel's core product line and curriculum positioning at global scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Afrel social profiles
Digital presenceAfrel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Afrel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Afrel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Afrel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Afrel
What does Afrel do?
Afrel is the official authorized reseller in Japan of LEGO Education robotics kits (SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, EV3, WeDo 2.0) and DOBOT educational robotic arms (Magician, Magician E6, MG400), bundled with its own original Japanese-language curriculum, textbooks, and programming software (SPIKE App, DOBOT Studio Pro, Virtual Robotics Toolkit). It also delivers corporate training services for software development, AI, and DX talent development, and supplies industrial collaborative robot systems through a separate Afrel Robotics division.
Is Afrel a public or private company?
Afrel is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Afrel founded?
Afrel was founded in 2006.
Where is Afrel based?
Afrel is headquartered in Fukui, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Afrel make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Robot Kit and Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are curriculum and Textbook Sales, corporate Training Services, event and Competition Support and industrial Robotics (Afrel Robotics Division).
Who are Afrel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DFRobot, VEX Robotics (Innovation First International), Wonder Workshop, Sphero Education and Makeblock Education. Emerging players are Tynker, ROBOTIS, DJI RoboMaster and iRobot Education. LEGO Education is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Afrel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Afrel.