What Techno Research does

Techno Research Co., Ltd. is a Japanese patent research and patent information analysis services firm headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, with a Tokyo office in Chuo-ku. The company was founded in 1979 and has operated continuously for over 35 years, specializing in manual and mechanized patent searches on behalf of corporate IP departments, patent attorneys, and R&D units. Its service portfolio covers theme/trend surveys, novelty investigations, infringement prevention (FTO) searches, invalidation material collection, and SDI monitoring, with documented depth in chemistry, bio, food, and medical domains and a distinctive capability to conduct patent searches across ASEAN jurisdictions (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia) and India, including non-English-language sources.

The company operates an internal technology stack comprising TR-Viewer, a proprietary patent gazette viewer that processes documents offline for fast rendering, and a Patent Classification Lookup/Copy Tool supporting IPC, FI, and F-term taxonomies. A newer Concept Search Agency Service, launched in August 2020, leverages Hitachi's ShareResearch commercial database to perform semantic text-to-patent extraction at a low unit price (¥5,000–¥7,000 per case with one-week turnaround). Techno Research generates revenue on a unit-priced, project-based pay-as-you-go model, with domestic investigation fees ranging from ¥30,000 to ¥900,000 per case depending on difficulty and document scope, and foreign/non-English investigations priced at ¥250,000–¥840,000 per case.

Since August 1, 2023, Techno Research has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pasona Knowledge Partner Co., Ltd. within the Pasona Group, while retaining its brand, management team (led by Representative Director Hideo Toyota), and service offerings. Distribution is direct-sales led, supplemented by listings on IPROS manufacturing databases and Chizai Times referral portals, with annual participation in the Patent & Information Fair & Conference since at least 2014.

Name

Techno Research

Legal name

テクノリサーチ株式会社

Website

https://technoresearch.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Techno Research is a Japan-based patent research and information analysis firm serving corporate IP departments, patent attorneys, and R&D units, with proprietary TR-Viewer software, ASEAN and India coverage, and 35+ years of operating history.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patent Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

IP & Patent Information Publishing (Patent/Litigation Analytics, Prior Art) (MPAJACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Patent research services
• Patent information analysis
• Patent search
• Freedom-to-operate analysis
• Patent mapping

Headquarters

HQ city

Shizuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Patent調査サービス: 客户からの発注に基づいてPatent調査サービスを提供する。受発注形式。見積もりは原則無料（高度な検索式作成が必要な場合は有料）。

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Techno Research is a Japanese patent research and patent information analysis services firm. It provides commissioned patent searches including theme/trend surveys, infringement prevention (FTO) surveys, invalidation material surveys, novelty surveys, and SDI monitoring. Its service portfolio is augmented by proprietary in-house tools (TR-Viewer for patent document browsing, Patent Classification Lookup/Copy Tool for IPC/FI/F-term classification work) and a low-cost Concept Search Agency Service using Hitachi's ShareResearch database. The firm specializes in chemical, biotech, food, and medical domains and in ASEAN/India patent research.

Product overview

Techno Research provides patent investigation and information analysis services, centered on comprehensive patent search offerings including theme/trend surveys, infringement prevention (FTO) surveys, invalidation material surveys, novelty surveys, and SDI monitoring. The portfolio includes proprietary tools (TR-Viewer for patent document viewing, Patent Classification Lookup/Copy Tool for IPC/FI/F-term lookup) and low-cost services (Concept Search Agency Service using Shareresearch concept search). ASEAN and international patent research capabilities are also offered, with specialized tools for Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and India patent searches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Investigation Services (特許調査) Comprehensive commissioned patent search services covering theme/trend surveys, infringement prevention (FTO), invalidation material searches, novelty searches, and SDI monitoring for corporate IP departments, R&D departments, and patent law firms. Includes domestic (Japanese) and foreign (ASEAN/India/English/non-English) investigations.
• TR-Viewer (調査結果ビューワー) Proprietary patent gazette viewer developed by Techno Research that enables fast browsing of patent documents without a network, simultaneous display of drawings and text, keyword highlighting in patent specifications, check-box functionality, and user memo features. Used to deliver investigation results to clients.
• Patent Map Creation Service (パテントマップ作成) Patent visualization service that produces various patent maps (applicant-by-year analysis, technology distribution mapping, problem-solution mapping) for analyzing technology trends, competitor activity, and technology landscapes. Trademark 「パテントマップⓇ」 is licensed from Impatech Inc.
• Patent Classification Lookup/Copy Tool (特許分類表 照会・貼付ツール) Web-based tool for looking up patent classifications (IPC, FI, F-term) and copying them to clipboard via checkbox selection for use in spreadsheets or documents. Accessible at patentclass.technoresearch.co.jp.
• Concept Search Agency Service (概念検索代行サービス) Low-cost service that mechanically performs concept search on customer-provided text to extract related Japanese patents and utility models, using Hitachi's ShareResearch concept search database. Delivered via TR-Viewer format within one week. Pricing ¥5,000 per case for patent only, ¥7,000 per case for patent + utility model.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 株式会社パソナグループcoreOthersパソナナレッジパートナーは株式会社パソナグループのグループ会社。Techno Researchはパソナグループ松葉に属する。

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Patentics: AI-based patent search engine offering semantic and Boolean search across multiple jurisdictions — competing most directly with Techno Research's concept search agency service and FTO investigations.
• PatSnap: AI-driven patent analytics platform serving R&D and IP teams with innovation intelligence, FTO, and landscape analysis — directly comparable in target customer and product offering.
• Wizdraw (Patent Drawing & Mapping): Patent visualization and patent map services, including for Japanese and Asian markets — directly competes with Techno Research's Patent Map creation service.
• Aistemos (Cipher): Patent analytics platform specializing in competitive intelligence and IP strategy — comparable offering to Techno Research's patent map creation and trend analysis services.

Emerging players

• ipQuants (ipQ): Niche patent analytics and competitive intelligence vendor with overlapping IP search and mapping capabilities, particularly relevant for technology intelligence use cases.

Regional players

• アイピー・リサーチ株式会社 (IP Research Co., Ltd.): Japanese patent investigation and invalidation material firm — most directly comparable domestic peer in scope, customer base (corporate IP departments and patent attorneys), and service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Innography (now part of ProQuest / Clarivate): Patent analytics and IP intelligence platform acquired by ProQuest/Clarivate — comparable in patent landscape, competitive intelligence, and FTO analytics offerings.
• LexisNexis PatentAdvisor: Patent search, analytics, and IP workflow tools within LexisNexis — broader portfolio player but overlapping on patent investigation and analytics capabilities for legal and corporate IP teams.
• Clarivate (PatentSight / Derwent): Global IP analytics and patent information incumbent that competes in patent search, FTO, and patent landscape analytics — overlapping directly with Techno Research's core service lines but at much larger scale.
• ANQUA: IP management software and analytics platform serving corporate IP departments — adjacent in serving the same customer segment (corporate IP teams) but more focused on IP portfolio management than search.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 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 Techno Research