META Corporation Japan

What META Corporation Japan does

META Corporation Japan Ltd. is a Tokyo-based, privately-held company founded in 1988 by Eiji Takaoki that specializes in producing 3D computer graphics content and visualization systems for the medical and life sciences. Its core offering centers on hand-modeled biomedical CG assets organized under the proprietary 'Actioforma' brand concept, spanning 14 anatomical systems and delivered through (i) the META Biomedical CG Library — a paid rental/lending service of still images, rotating views, and animations for institutional customers, (ii) custom content production and e-learning system development, (iii) iOS applications (Actioforma KOS and Medical KOS) distributed via the App Store with freemium and paid in-app content, and (iv) 3D stereoscopic and haptic device integration for multi-dimensional knowledge mapping (KOSMAP, MDSCOPE). The company sells exclusively to Japanese institutional customers — including medical universities, national research institutes (JST, NIG, KEK), the National Cancer Center, the Japanese Medical Association, science museums, and channel partners such as Net One Systems and Infront — with pricing disclosed only by inquiry. Underlying technology rests on founder-developed intellectual property: the Eccentric Meta-ball algorithm (1988, featured at SIGGRAPH 1992 and 2008), METAEDITOR 3D editing software, and the KOSMAP/MDSCOPE platforms, which together enable multi-scale bidirectional knowledge visualization from histology to organism level.

Name

META Corporation Japan

Legal name

株式会社 メタ・コーポレーション-Hungary

Website

https://metaco.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

META Corporation Japan Ltd. is a Tokyo-based firm founded in 1988 that produces proprietary 3D biomedical CG content, e-learning systems, and iOS visualization applications (Actioforma KOS, Medical KOS) primarily for Japanese medical universities, national research institutes, hospitals, and science museums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Medicine & Allied Health (Clinical) (EDAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Lab Simulation Media (Virtual Labs, AR/VR) (EDAGALAF), Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ), 3D/CGI Animation Production (MPADACAB), Stock Motion Graphics Assets & Templates (MPAHACAO)

Keywords

• Medical 3D visualization
• Biomedical CG content
• Medical e-learning
• Scientific animation
• Anatomical 3D modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biomedical CG Library Rental/Licensing: META Biomedical CG Library is a paid rental service for scientific, medical, and biological CG images and animations. Pricing is available by inquiry. Institutions and organizations can license still images, video materials, and interactive 3D content for educational, publication, and research purposes.
2. Medical/Life Science Content Production: Planning, production, and sales of medical education content, life science content, and web content including consulting for 3D filming. Custom content creation leveraging the existing library assets.
3. E-Learning System Sales: Planning, development, and sales of e-learning systems and interactive medical education platforms.
4. Actioforma App Sales: Actioforma KOS and Medical KOS apps distributed through iOS AppStore offering free and paid in-app content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

META Corporation Japan plans, produces, and sells biomedical 3D computer graphics content and medical/life science educational materials. The company licenses a comprehensive biomedical CG image and animation library (META Biomedical CG Library) covering 14 anatomical systems, develops interactive e-learning platforms (Actioforma KOS and Medical KOS for iOS), and produces custom 3D CG animations and stereoscopic 3D content for medical, pharmaceutical, and research institutions in Japan.

Product overview

META Corporation Japan offers a portfolio centered on Actioforma, a brand concept for medical/life science education, with products including Actioforma KOS and Medical KOS for iOS devices, and the META Biomedical CG Library service. The Actioforma platform enables multi-dimensional visualization of complex scientific and medical information through 3D stereoscopic viewing, while the Biomedical CG Library provides paid lending of biomedical computer graphics covering 14 anatomical systems with over 168 sample items including static images, rotating views, and movie materials. The company also provides related services in 3D CG animation production, 3D video shooting, and medical/research optical equipment development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Actioforma: Brand concept representing the fusion of 'movement and function' with 'form and structure' for medical education systems. Includes Actioforma KOS and Medical KOS applications.
• Actioforma KOS
• Medical KOS
• META BIOMEDICAL CG LIBLARY

Products and services

• META Biomedical CG Library Paid lending service offering scientifically accurate biomedical CG images, rotating views, and animation materials covering 14 anatomical systems including musculoskeletal, nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, urinary, reproductive, endocrine, sensory, immune/HIV, cellular, and molecular biology content. Available to institutions, companies, and organizations only (not individuals).
• Actioforma KOS (iOS App) Multi-dimensional medical education content platform available as a free iOS app on the App Store, providing 3D visualization for medical and life science learning. Includes both free and paid in-app content with multi-scale bidirectional knowledge mapping across tissue to organism levels.
• Medical KOS (iOS App) iOS app for iPhone and iPad delivering medical education content with 3D visualization, enabling individual medical professionals, students, and educators to discover and access medical visualization content via free and paid in-app purchases.
• Custom Medical/Life Science Content Production Bespoke content production service for medical and life science clients, including 3D CG animation production, 3D video shooting and consulting, medical/life science content planning, and web content creation for institutional customers.
• E-Learning System Development Planning, development, and sales of interactive e-learning systems and platforms for medical and healthcare education institutions, leveraging the company's KOSMAP knowledge organizing system.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Infront Co., Ltd. / 株式会社インフロントminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a major corporate user and partner in the distribution of META Corporation Japan's biomedical CG content to end customers.
• IMAGICA Corporation / 株式会社イマジカminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMETA Corporation Japan was commissioned by IMAGICA to create the 'Venus' 3DCG animation, which became Japan's first full 3DCG television commercial, establishing a landmark in Japanese CG history.
• Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) / 科学技術振興機構minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJST is a major institutional user of META Corporation Japan's 3D biomedical visualization content for science communication and research dissemination.
• Keio University Faculty of Medicine Medical Education Center / 慶應義塾大学医学部医学教育統轄センターminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany representative Eiji Takaoki serves as a committee member at Keio University Faculty of Medicine's Medical Education Center, representing a collaborative relationship for medical education content development.
• Showa University School of Medicine / 昭和大学医学部minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEiji Takaoki was a special research student (2000-2005) at Showa University's Department of Anatomy, conducting morphological research on the nervous system and earning his Ph.D. in Medicine.
• The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science / 東京大学生産技術研究所minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEiji Takaoki was a researcher (2006-2017) at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science, working on haptic device software development in collaboration with the institution.
• Nihon University College of Art Industrial Design / 日本大学藝術学部インダストリアルデザインコースminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEiji Takaoki served as a part-time lecturer (1998-2004) at Nihon University's College of Art Industrial Design course, contributing to design education and maintaining academic connections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Elsevier: Elsevier is a global medical and scientific publisher that owns Visible Body and Complete Anatomy, offering 3D anatomy content as part of a much broader medical education portfolio. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same institutional medical education budgets META targets.
• Wolters Kluwer Health: Wolters Kluwer is a large medical publisher that owns Primal Pictures and Lippincott, providing 3D anatomy and medical education content alongside clinical decision tools. It is a broad incumbent in the same institutional medical education procurement space.

Direct peers

• Visible Body: Visible Body (acquired by Elsevier) publishes a suite of 3D anatomy apps and web platforms (Human Anatomy Atlas, etc.) used by millions of students and professionals. It is a direct competitor in interactive 3D medical education apps and content, particularly via the iOS App Store.
• Anatomage: Anatomage produces the Anatomage Table — a life-size 3D virtual dissection and visualization platform widely used in medical schools globally. It is the most direct competitor in the 3D anatomical visualization for medical education space, with a much larger scale, venture funding, and global reach.
• Complete Anatomy (3D4Medical / Elsevier): 3D4Medical's Complete Anatomy platform, now part of Elsevier, delivers detailed 3D anatomy and physiology content for medical schools and individual subscribers. It is a direct competitor in 3D medical education content and software, with stronger global distribution.
• BioDigital: BioDigital offers a web-based 3D human body platform with customizable anatomical models, serving medical education, pharma, and patient communication. It is a direct peer in interactive 3D medical visualization, with a self-serve SaaS model that contrasts with META's email-inquiry sales approach.
• Primal Pictures (Wolters Kluwer): Primal Pictures (now part of Wolters Kluwer) provides interactive 3D anatomy models and multimedia content for medical and healthcare education. It is a direct peer in 3D anatomy content licensing to medical schools and institutions.

Emerging players

• Cyber-Anatomy (MedApp): Cyber-Anatomy develops 3D medical simulation and virtual dissection tools, with a focus on medical education and training. It is an emerging peer in interactive 3D medical education, with overlap in target customers (medical schools) but a more simulation-focused product set.
• PHEM Inc. PHEM is a Japanese medical 3D visualization and digital anatomy company that emerged from Juntendo University. It is an emerging peer in the same Japanese 3D medical visualization niche, with a more recent founding but academic medical backing.

Others

• IMAGICA Group: IMAGICA Group is a Japanese post-production and visual effects company, and a historical client/partner of META (the 'Venus' TV commercial). While not a direct medical education peer, it is an adjacent media production company with overlapping CG/VFX capabilities.

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 META Corporation Japan