Tripod design

What Tripod design does

Tripod Design Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-based design firm founded in 1987 that has evolved into a hybrid design studio and applied research laboratory. Its core innovation is Micropower Collection (MPC), a proprietary energy-harvesting technology that uses piezoelectric elements to extract micro-wattage from natural media — air currents, water flow, and ground vibrations — enabling lighting and sensor products that operate without batteries or grid power. The firm also develops sensor-integrated design products and applies its proprietary EXPECTOLOGY design methodology to universal design challenges. Operations are anchored by the KU-AN research, testing, and exhibition facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, which has accumulated long-term field data on MPC performance.

The company monetizes through four channels: licensing of MPC technology to enterprise partners, direct hardware sales of MPC lighting and sensor products, paid workshops (¥3,000 per adult, ¥1,000 per student), and exhibition-based revenue. Strategic partnerships span materials science (Asahi Kasei), space technology (ArkEdge Space), display manufacturing (Japan Display), hospitality (Palace Hotel Tokyo), apparel (Goldwin), and construction (Maeda Construction / Hayashizouken), indicating enterprise-grade commercial validation across diverse verticals. Award recognition includes the Chicago Good Design Award in 2022 and 2025, and the Ibaraki Design Selection in 2024. Tripod Design is privately held and founder-led, with no disclosed external funding rounds and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Tripod design

Legal name

tripod design Co., Ltd.

Website

https://tripoddesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tripod Design is a Tokyo-based design firm and R&D lab founded in 1987 that developed Micropower Collection (MPC), a proprietary energy-harvesting technology powering battery-free lighting and sensor products, serving enterprise partners across materials, space, hospitality, and construction sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Grid Energy Harvesting Technology

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (33521)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric Housewares & Fans (3634)

akta.pro primary industry

Microgrid EPC, Integration & Commissioning (Design-Build, Interconnection) (EUAFAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home Energy & EV Charging (HEMS, Smart Meters, Batteries, Chargers) (HSAPAQAF)

Keywords

• Energy harvesting technology
• Off-grid power systems
• Universal design products
• Environmental sensor nodes
• Proprietary micropower collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MPC Technology Licensing and Partnerships: Licensing of proprietary Micropower Collection technology to companies for integration into their products and services. Partnerships with technology companies like ArkEdge Space, Japan Display Inc., and Asahi Kasei for joint development and commercialization of MPC applications.
2. MPC Products and Hardware: Sale of MPC-powered lighting products and components including DROOP environmental lights, stand-alone sensors, MPC cells, and charge controller systems.
3. Workshop and Educational Programs: Revenue from OFF-GRID DESIGN LAB workshops and educational programs at KU-AN facility. Workshop fees: Adult ¥3,000, Student ¥1,000, Pre-school free.
4. Exhibition and Demonstration Services: Providing MPC technology demonstrations and exhibitions for corporate events, public installations, and trade shows such as CES and various design exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tripod Design develops and commercializes Micropower Collection (MPC), a proprietary energy harvesting technology that collects micro electricity from soil, water, plants, compost, and industrial waste to provide continuous power in off-grid environments. The company sells MPC-powered lighting products (DROOP, TRAIL), stand-alone sensor nodes, and trap sensing systems, alongside a portfolio of Universal Design consumer products including pens, cutlery, and scissors designed for users with diverse abilities.

Product overview

Tripod design is a design company founded in 1987 offering two main product lines: (1) MPC (Micropower Collection) technology - a proprietary energy harvesting system that collects micro electricity from natural objects including soil, water, plants, compost, and industrial waste, featuring products like KU-AN research facility, TRAIL and DROOP lighting, STAND-ALONE sensors, and trap sensing systems; and (2) Universal Design products including HANDY BIRDY pens, U-WING universal pens, KUZO cutlery and tableware, Casta scissors, Kamikirimushi paper cutters, TEPITA scissors, and HANDY WORMY bag handles. The company also offers design methodologies through EXPECTOLOGY (predictive kansei engineering) and SUPER SENSING DESIGN. Publications include AGE OF SUPER SENSING, Manual for Universal Design, and Textbook for Universal Design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MPC (Micropower Collection): Proprietary technology that collects micro electricity from various natural objects such as soil, water, plants, compost, and industrial waste to provide continuous power supply in off-grid environments
• KU-AN (空庵)
• EXPECTOLOGY (期待学)
• Super Sensing Design
• Universal Design

Products and services

• Micropower Collection (MPC) Proprietary technology that collects micro electricity from soil, water, plants, organisms, compost, and industrial waste, enabling continuous power supply in off-grid environments independent of weather or time of day. Used by enterprise partners for lighting, sensing, and communication applications.
• KU-AN (空庵) Off-Grid Test Site Off-grid experimental building and research facility housing 1,500 wooden MPC cells using compost and soil, powering 800 12-volt LED lights for long-term stable off-grid electricity research.
• DROOP Environmental Lights

Quantifiable outcome

• Power supply capability in environments without existing infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• Hayashizouken Construction Industry Co., Ltd. (株式会社林造園建設工業)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Collaboration on OFF-GRID LIGHTING PROJECT utilizing abandoned bamboo forest resources. Bamboo-based off-grid lighting for cultural heritage illumination and landscape preservation.
• Maeda Construction Co., Ltd. (前田建設工業株式会社)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025Collaboration on 'réveil' illuminated art bench project using wind turbine blade waste as electrolyte material in MPC cells for self-sustaining power generation lighting.
• Goldwin Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2024MPC lighting product 'TRAIL' used at PLAY EARTH PARK Nanto Naturing Days event. Goldwin Inc. is an outdoor apparel company hosting nature-themed events.
• Palace Hotel TokyocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023First commercial use of MPC technology at Palace Hotel Tokyo Christmas tree installation (November-December 2021). Hotel operates circular recycling system converting garbage to organic fertilizer 'エコパレス' since 1997.
• Japan Display Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 5 January 2023Collaboration at CES 2023 for display technology integration with MPC. Japan Display Inc. showcased transparent display technology powered by Micropower Collection at the joint exhibition booth.
• ArkEdge Space Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 5 January 2023Joint development of MPC technology for satellite IoT applications. Partnership featured at CES 2023 for developing power solutions enabling communication in jungle and remote environments.
• KUDOSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020Co-producer of 'E!ROOM BANGKOK' exhibition at Bangkok Design Week 2020 alongside tripod design and sensingnet.
• Asahi Kasei Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2019Art exhibition collaboration 'SWIM' featuring sea water-powered micro electricity generation. Step-up ICs employed for LED illumination powered by water-derived micro power.
• Asahi Kasei Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2019Art exhibition collaboration 'EAT' featuring step-up ICs to generate environmental power. Soil-powered LED installation using compost from NYC's food waste recycling program, demonstrating sustainable circular economy concept.
• Benesse CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Planning and administration partnership for Hug Japan social design initiative supporting children affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Benesse Corporation operates 'Assist Children's Future Project'.
• Japan AirlinessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Planning and administration partner for Hug Japan social design initiative supporting children affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
• sensingnet Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationListed as linked organization and technology partner. Appears in site navigation alongside main company operations for sensing technology development.
• FICTION (Gallery)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner gallery for art exhibitions including 'EAT', 'SWIM', and 'FICTION' exhibitions in New York showcasing MPC technology through artistic installations.
• FUTURE BRAIN LABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic initiative for future brain research and speculative design. Hosts international symposiums and serves as platform for presenting MPC technology to international audience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• d.light: Kenya-headquartered off-grid solar provider distributing pay-as-you-go lighting and energy systems across emerging markets. Compares to Tripod's off-grid lighting value proposition (TRAIL, DROOP) and its focus on users without reliable grid access.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy known for combining design thinking with emerging technology and engineering. Comparable to Tripod in spanning design methodologies, hardware products, and societal-impact installations, though IDEO operates at much broader scope and scale.
• Zola Electric (formerly Off Grid Electric): Tanzania-based off-grid solar-plus-storage provider for residential and commercial customers in Africa. Comparable to Tripod's off-grid power thesis but operates at much larger scale with conventional solar+battery architecture rather than electrochemical harvesting.
• Niko Ltd (Citizen Watch energy-harvesting): Citizen's Eco-Drive watches and related energy-harvesting consumer electronics division, a major Japanese incumbent that has shipped light-harvesting products at scale. Comparable to Tripod MPC as a Japan-based precedent for energy harvesting becoming a mainstream consumer category.

Direct peers

• EnOcean: Germany-based pioneer of energy-harvesting wireless sensors for building automation using motion, light, and temperature as inputs. Directly comparable to Tripod's MPC as both sell self-powered sensing nodes for off-grid deployments without batteries.
• Atmosic Technologies: US fabless semiconductor company designing ultra-low-power and energy-harvesting wireless SoCs for batteryless IoT. Comparable to Tripod's MPC-powered stand-alone sensors targeting the same batteryless IoT use cases for connected devices.
• Everactive (formerly PsiKick): US-based company building batteryless IoT sensor platforms using harvested energy from heat, vibration, and light. Compares to Tripod on the batteryless industrial-sensor thesis and on selling integrated node-plus-cloud solutions for remote monitoring.

Regional players

• Nendo: Tokyo-based industrial design studio with global brand recognition led by Oki Sato. Comparable to Tripod as a Japanese design firm earning international design awards, exhibiting at CES/Milan, and shaping consumer product narratives.

Emerging players

• e-peas (EM Microelectronic-related): Belgian fabless IC vendor specializing in energy harvesting power management ICs for photovoltaic, thermal, and vibration sources. Comparable as a component-level peer that Tripod's MPC systems could integrate with or partner against.
• Matrix Industries: US startup that harvests energy from ambient heat and motion to power wearables and IoT devices. Comparable to Tripod MPC's core thesis of extracting power from ubiquitous environmental sources without batteries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tripoddesign
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tripoddesign8213
• Facebookfacebook.com/tripoddesign
• Instagraminstagram.com/tripod.design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Tripod design