Archem

What Archem does

Archem Inc. is a Japan-based urethane materials manufacturer established in 2023 as a carve-out from Bridgestone Corporation's chemical products solutions business, inheriting approximately 70 years of formulation and processing expertise dating to 1952. The company operates three business divisions: Seat Pad Business (urethane foam seat cushions for automobiles, produced at 10 facilities across four countries since 1968), Industrial Chemicals Business (Everlite® polyurethane foams, Everlight SF membrane-free foam, Everlight Moran EPDM foam, Everlight Microcell Foam, halogen-free flame-retardant foams, and consumer bedding brands including CITHARA, Ranaly, and D-Sleep), and Precision Parts for OA Office Equipment (rollers for laser and multifunction printers).

The technical platform rests on flexible polyurethane foam (polyether and polyester), EPDM synthetic rubber foam, microcell foam with 100–350 µm cell structures, and proprietary processing capabilities including slab and mold production, precision press processing, long slit cutting, lamination, and frame lamination via heat fusion. All Everlight® flame-retardant grades meet UL94 HF-1/HBF and MVSS No.302 standards, and the SAFETY GUARD foam barriers carry FIM certification for international motorcycle racing circuits. Core manufacturing is supported by a Yokohama R&D Center equipped with 6-axis vibration exciter and motion capture systems, scheduled for consolidation into a new Archem R&D Center from 2027.

Archem makes money through three primarily B2B hardware sales streams — automotive seat pads (its largest segment, supplied directly to OEMs from regional sales offices in Nagoya and Hiroshima plus overseas subsidiaries in the US, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, China, and Hong Kong), industrial chemicals (supplied to home appliance, OA equipment, construction, and consumer goods manufacturers), and OA precision parts — supplemented by direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Amazon Japan, Rakuten) and specialty retail for branded bedding and the palm-derived plant-based Sustainable Sponge launched in June 2024. Pricing is quote-based on multi-year enterprise contracts. Customer segments are predominantly vertical-focused (automotive, home appliances, OA equipment, construction, bedding/nursing care, and consumer daily goods). Corporate leadership is headed by Representative Director and Global CEO Akira Kusano, succeeding Satoru Kusano around January 2026.

Name

Archem

Legal name

Archem Inc.

Website

https://archem.inc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Archem Inc. is a Japanese urethane materials manufacturer spun off from Bridgestone in 2023, producing automotive seat pads across 10 global plants and industrial foam chemicals (Everlite®, Everlight®, D-Sleep) for OEMs, appliance makers, OA equipment, and consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Polyurethane Foam Manufacturing

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (326150), Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086), Adhesives & Sealants (2891)

akta.pro primary industry

Polyurethane (PU) Flexible Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Polymer Foams & Cellular Materials (PU Foams, EPS/XPS, Structural Foams) (IMAEANAL)

Keywords

• Polyurethane foam materials
• Automotive seat cushions
• EPDM foam products
• Urethane foam manufacturing
• Precision printer rollers

Headquarters

HQ city

Konan

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seat Pad Business: Manufacture and sale of urethane foam seat pads for automobiles. Since production began in 1968, high quality products are produced globally at 10 locations in four countries and fitted to many automobile seats.
2. Industrial Chemicals Business: Sale of chemical products under Everlite brand including urethane foam materials for automotive interiors, home appliances, office equipment, furniture, daily necessities, medical products, and bedding. Includes CITHARA mattress brand sold through e-commerce and retail.
3. Precision Parts for OA Office Equipment: Manufacture and sale of precision parts for office equipment, primarily rollers for laser printers and various printers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Archem manufactures and sells high-performance urethane foam materials across three core business areas: (1) Seat Pad Business producing polyurethane foam seat cushions for automobiles at 10 global locations in four countries; (2) Industrial Chemicals Business supplying Everlite® brand polyurethane foams (Everlight SF, Everlight Moran EPDM foam, Everlight Microcell Foam, halogen-free flame retardant foam) for automotive interiors, home appliances, office equipment, construction, and consumer products; and (3) Precision Parts for OA Office Equipment including rollers for laser printers. The company also markets consumer bedding under CITHARA, Ranaly, and D-Sleep brands and eco-friendly sponges under Sustainable Sponge.

Product overview

Archem is a urethane materials company operating three core business areas: Seat Pad Business (manufacturing urethane foam seat pads for automobiles since 1968, produced globally at 10 locations in 4 countries), Industrial Chemicals Business (supplying Everlite® polyurethane foam materials including Everlight SF®, Everlight Moran®, Everlight AH Sheet, Everlight Microcell Foam, and halogen-free flame retardant foams for automotive, bedding, furniture, household goods, and industrial applications), and Precision Parts for OA Office Equipment (developing parts for laser printers and other office equipment). The company also offers consumer products under brands including CITHARA (premium bedding), Ranaly (affordable bedding), D-Sleep® (overlay mattresses), Sustainable Sponge (eco-friendly kitchen sponges), and D-Sleep® Eco (plant-based mattresses). SAFETY GUARD shock-absorbing foam is FIM-certified for motorsport applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CITHARA: Premium sleep mattress brand sold at bedding specialty stores, mass retailers, and e-commerce sites.
• Ranaly
• D-Sleep
• Sustainable Sponge

Products and services

• Seat Pad Business Manufacture and sale of urethane foam seat pads for automobiles. Production has been ongoing since 1968, produced globally at 10 locations in four countries including Japan, fitted to many automobile seats worldwide.
• Everlite® Polyurethane Foam Flexible polyurethane foam available in polyether and polyester types, used as cushioning material, sound-absorbing material, heat insulation material, industrial material, and miscellaneous goods material across automotive, home appliance, office equipment, furniture, and consumer applications.
• Everlight SF® Membrane-free Urethane Foam Membrane-free urethane foam with foam membrane removed, providing exceptional breathability and water drainage. Used in filters, cosmetic puffs, headphone ear pads, clothing, and miscellaneous goods. UL94 HF-1 and HBF certified flame-retardant grades available.
• Everlight Moran® EPDM Foam Semi-closed cell foam using EPDM synthetic rubber as main component, offering excellent heat resistance, weather resistance, and chemical resistance. Available in grades from approximately 10 to 25 times foaming. Used for mirror mounting, soundproofing, waterproofing, and sealing applications. UL-94 HBF certified.
• Everlight AH Sheet High-performance adhesive flexible polyurethane foam sheet combining foam technology with adhesive processing. Used for sound absorbing, heat insulation, and bonding applications in vehicles, construction machinery, and office equipment.
• Everlight Microcell Foam Ultra-fine cell structure soft urethane foam with cell diameter ranging from 100-350 micrometers, providing excellent sealing properties against fine particles such as toner and sound insulation. UL94 HF-1 certified and halogen-free.
• Halogen-free Flame Retardant Foam Flame-retardant urethane foam achieving high flame retardancy without using vinyl chloride, antimony, or halides. UL94 HF-1 compliant, compatible with green procurement for light electrical appliances, automobiles, and office equipment.
• SAFETY GUARD (ARCHEM MODULE 1300 and ARCHEM URETHANE BARRIER) Shock-absorbing foam barriers for circuit courses with high impact absorption performance, certified by FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) for international motorcycle racing. Used at major domestic circuits, test courses, and auto racing tracks.
• Precision Parts for OA Office Equipment Precision parts for office equipment developed primarily as parts for laser printers and used in a variety of printers. Part of Archem's three business areas.
• CITHARA Premium Bedding Premium sleep mattress brand offering mattresses and sleep products delivering high-quality sleep comfort, sold at bedding specialty stores, mass retailers, and e-commerce sites in Japan.
• Ranaly Affordable Bedding Affordable bedding brand providing easy and accessible sleep products sold through bedding specialty stores and mass retailers in Japan.
• D-Sleep® Overlay Mattress Bedding overlay brand offering thin mattresses that can be layered on existing bedding to improve sleep quality, sold through bedding specialty stores and mass retailers in Japan.
• D-Sleep® Eco Plant-based Mattress Eco-friendly mattress overlay using palm-derived plant-based polyol materials blended with petroleum-derived polyol to reduce CO2 emissions, combining environmental friendliness with comfortable sleep support.
• Sustainable Sponge Plant-based Kitchen Sponge

Quantifiable outcome

• Seat pad production at 10 global locations in 4 countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF: BASF is the world's largest chemical company with extensive polyurethane systems and specialty foam offerings serving automotive, construction, and consumer markets. Sets pricing and technology benchmarks that Archem must compete against.
• Mitsui Chemicals: Mitsui Chemicals is a major Japanese chemical company producing polyurethane raw materials and foam systems for automotive and industrial applications. Broad incumbent with overlapping customer base and chemistry portfolio.
• Covestro: Covestro is a global polyurethane raw materials and systems supplier serving automotive, construction, and industrial foam customers. Larger incumbent that competes with Archem through MDI/TDI supply and downstream foam systems.

Direct peers

• Recticel: Belgian polyurethane foam manufacturer serving automotive, bedding, and industrial markets across Europe. Highly comparable in flexible PU foam capabilities and downstream applications including automotive seating and consumer bedding (CITHARA/D-Sleep overlap).
• FXI: FXI (formerly Foamex International) is a major North American flexible polyurethane foam producer serving automotive, bedding, and industrial customers. Direct overlap in foam product categories, geographies (US plants), and customer verticals.
• Woodbridge Group: Woodbridge is one of the world's largest manufacturers of polyurethane foam for automotive seating, with comparable customer base (global OEMs) and product mix. Strong direct competitor in automotive seat pad market where Archem has produced since 1968.
• JSP Corporation: JSP is a Japanese foam manufacturer specializing in expanded polystyrene (EPS) and other foam products for automotive, construction, and packaging. Comparable Japanese foam manufacturer with overlapping automotive and industrial customer base.
• Inoac Corporation: Inoac is a Japanese polyurethane foam manufacturer with deep automotive seating and interior materials exposure, directly overlapping with Archem's seat pad and Everlite product portfolios. Closest direct Japanese peer in flexible PU foam for automotive OEMs.
• Vita Group: Vita Group is a UK-based flexible polyurethane foam manufacturer serving automotive seating, furniture, and bedding markets. Comparable in flexible PU foam technology and automotive OEM supply relationships.

Others

• Bridgestone Corporation: Bridgestone is the corporate predecessor whose chemical products solutions business was spun off to form Archem in 2023. Although Bridgestone divested this unit, it remains the source of Archem's 70-year heritage, technology, and customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookm.facebook.com/sustainablesponge/?wtsid=rdr_0P6xY5vfHirqGaMoC
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainable_sponge_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archem-america-inc

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Archem