What Nemoto & Co. does

Nemoto & Co., Ltd. (根本特殊化学株式会社) is a privately-held Japanese specialty inorganic materials company founded in 1941 as a watch manufacturing business and headquartered in Suginami-ku, Tokyo. The company develops and manufactures phosphorescent pigments, specialty phosphors, gas sensors, and stress-luminescent materials for the Safety, Security, and Health verticals. Its flagship technology, the LumiNova series of aluminate-based long-afterglow pigments invented in 1993, provides 10 times the brightness and duration of conventional ZnS-based pigments and forms the basis for high-performance photoluminescent safety signage sold under the N夜光 (N-Yako) brand. The gas sensor business spans catalytic combustion, electrochemical, and thermal conduction detection principles, serving consumer alarms, industrial leak detection, fuel cells, and environmental monitoring applications. Supporting product lines include Lumipearl light-diffusion pigments, mechanoluminescent materials standardized under ISO 8065:2024 for structural crack visualization, and a watch-components business serving domestic and international watchmakers.

The company operates a global group structure with wholly-owned subsidiaries in Portugal (Nemoto Portugal), Switzerland (LumiNova AG), the Netherlands (NEMOTO Europe B.V.), China (Dalian, Shanghai, Shenzhen entities), and Hong Kong, alongside two domestic group companies: Nemoto Science Co., Ltd. (pharmaceutical contract research) and T.N.Technos Co., Ltd. Revenue is generated through direct sales of functional materials, gas sensor products, and processed intermediate products (sheets, ceramics, pellets), as well as contract research services. The company sells to enterprise customers across safety signage, transportation, textiles, consumer electronics, automotive, watch manufacturing, and pharmaceutical R&D, with named customers including Japan Transport Engineering Company, Shima Seiki Manufacturing, and YKK Corporation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on direct-quote basis. Distribution is handled through the subsidiary network rather than third-party resellers, and the go-to-market emphasizes trade show presence (six major exhibitions in 2024) combined with corporate web properties and social media.

Nemoto holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and was recognized as a Health Management Excellence Corporation 2024 by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Leadership transitioned in July 2025, with Mieko Nemoto appointed President and Representative Director, continuing family control. The company has never raised external funding and operates as a private, founder-family-controlled enterprise with no public listing.

Name

Nemoto & Co.

Legal name

根本特殊化学株式会社

Website

https://nemoto.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nemoto & Co., Ltd. is a Japanese specialty inorganic materials company founded in 1941 that develops phosphorescent pigments (LumiNova), specialty phosphors, gas sensors, and stress-luminescent materials for safety, security, and health applications, serving enterprise customers globally through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Functional Materials

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (32518)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Pigments & Dyes (IMAEAHAJ)

Keywords

• Phosphorescent pigments
• Gas sensors
• Specialty phosphors
• Safety signage
• Functional materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Functional Materials Sales: Sale of phosphorescent pigments (LumiNova series), specialty phosphors, and other functional materials to industrial customers.
2. Gas Sensor Products: Sale of various gas sensors including contact combustion, electrochemical, and thermal conduction types, as well as alarm devices and modules.
3. Processed Products: Semi-processed materials including LumiNova sheets, ceramics, pellets, and plastic chains for various applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nemoto & Co. manufactures and sells specialty inorganic functional materials centered on its proprietary LumiNova long-afterglow phosphorescent pigments, specialty phosphors, and a portfolio of gas sensors (catalytic combustion, electrochemical, and thermal conduction types). The company also produces processed products such as LumiNova safety signs, Lumipearl light-diffusion pigments, stress-luminescent materials, watch components, and operates life-sciences contract research services through its subsidiary Nemoto Science.

Product overview

Nemoto & Co., Ltd. is a technology development company group that leverages core inorganic materials technologies in the fields of Safety, Security, and Health. The product portfolio centers on the LumiNova phosphorescent pigment series (including G/GLL, BG/BGL, R-300, V-300 variants), high-performance PL safety signs, and specialty phosphors spanning UV to IR wavelengths for lighting, security, LED, scintillator and medical applications. The company also manufactures gas sensors using catalytic combustion, electrochemical, and thermal conduction detection principles for consumer alarms, industrial alarms, environmental measurement, and fuel cell applications. Supporting offerings include watch manufacturing services, Lumipearl light-diffusion materials, stress-luminescent materials for structural analysis, and life sciences contract research services through Nemoto Science Co., Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LumiNova: Long afterglow phosphorescent pigment series launched in 1993, providing 10 times brighter and 10 times longer afterglow than conventional pigments, with excellent light fastness and applications in safety markings, textiles, and various consumer products
• Lumipearl
• N夜光 (N-Yako)

Products and services

• LumiNova Phosphorescent Pigment Series Long afterglow phosphorescent pigments invented by Nemoto in 1993, providing 10x brighter and 10x longer glow than conventional ZnS-based pigments. Sold in G/GLL (green), BG/BGL (blue-green), R-300 (orange-red), and V-300 (violet) variants to industrial formulators and manufacturers.
• LumiNova PL Safety Signs High-performance photoluminescent safety markings and signs under the N夜光 (N-Yako) brand, including indoor/outdoor S50 and S200 grade signs, tsunami evacuation signs, and Safety Way Guidance System products for safety and wayfinding applications.
• Specialty Phosphors Phosphor materials covering UV (350nm) to IR (985nm) wavelength range with multiple emission colors (blue, green, yellow, red, white), used in security, LED, lamps, scintillators, and special lighting applications.
• Watch Components Manufacturing Watch component development and processing services for domestic and international watch manufacturers, the founding business of Nemoto since 1941.
• Lumipearl Light-Diffusion Pigment Light-diffusion pigment made from high-purity special calcium carbonate for clear resins, providing a frosted appearance with excellent weather resistance for lighting covers, cosmetic bottles, and sign boards.
• Stress-Luminescent Materials Inorganic functional materials that emit light when subjected to external stress, used for visualizing stress concentration, crack propagation in structures, automotive collision testing, and sports apparel applications. International standard ISO 8065:2024.
• Catalytic Combustion Gas Sensors Gas sensors for detecting combustible gases using catalytic combustion principles, deployed in gas leak alarms, water heaters, and fuel cells.
• Electrochemical Gas Sensors Gas sensors with high selectivity for detecting toxic gases, used in various consumer and industrial gas detection alarms.
• Thermal Conduction Gas Sensors Gas sensors detecting various gases via thermal conduction principles, adopted for utility tunnels, gas pipelines, and incubators.
• Gas Sensor Alarm Devices Consumer alarms (NAP-505), industrial alarms (NCP-170, NAP-55S), and underground parking alarms (NAP-550) for gas detection in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
• Gas Sensor Measurement Instruments Disaster response instruments (NE4-H2S), water quality monitors (NE4-03), combustion exhaust analyzers (NE4-NH3), and breath check devices (NAP-201) for specialized detection applications.
• Life Sciences Contract Research Services Contract testing services for pharmacokinetic studies and formulation testing in new drug development and generic drug development, operated by subsidiary Nemoto Science Co., Ltd.

Quantifiable outcome

• LumiNova provides 10 times brighter and 10 times longer afterglow compared to conventional ZnS-based phosphorescent pigments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nemoto Portugal - Quimica Fina, Unipessoal, Lda.coreOthersWholly-owned subsidiary in Pombal, Portugal, serving as part of the Nemoto Group's European operations.
• LumiNova AG SwitzerlandcoreOthersSubsidiary in Teufen, Switzerland, managing the LumiNova brand operations in Europe.
• NEMOTO (Europe) B.V.coreOthersRegional headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, overseeing European business activities.
• Dalian Nemoto New Materials Co., Ltd.coreOthersManufacturing and sales subsidiary in Dalian, China for new materials development.
• Shanghai Nemoto Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.coreOthersSales and engineering subsidiary in Shanghai, China for gas sensor products. Co-exhibited at Sensor China Expo 2024.
• Nemoto Lumi Products (Shenzhen) Ltd.coreOthersManufacturing subsidiary in Shenzhen, China for luminescent products.
• Nemoto Precision (HK) Ltd.coreOthersOperations subsidiary in Sheung Shui, Hong Kong for precision components.
• 株式会社ネモト・サイエンス (Nemoto Science Co., Ltd.)coreOthersSubsidiary in Ibaraki, Japan providing contract research services for drug development, pharmacokinetics studies, and formulation testing.
• 株式会社ティー・エヌ・テクノス (T.N.Technos Co., Ltd.)coreOthersDomestic subsidiary in Ibaraki and Kanagawa, Japan supporting technology operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M Company: Global diversified industrial company with significant safety, retroreflective, and specialty materials businesses, including photoluminescent films and safety signage. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping safety-products offerings and channel reach into Nemoto's industrial and building-safety end markets.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Group: Large Japanese diversified chemical manufacturer with extensive specialty chemicals, performance materials, and industrial gas segments. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in specialty inorganic materials and industrial chemicals, with the scale to compete across Nemoto's end markets.
• Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. Major Japanese specialty chemical company with strengths in rare-earth-based materials, silicones, and functional inorganic materials. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Japanese specialty inorganic chemistry with adjacent technology platforms to Nemoto's aluminate-based phosphors.
• Honeywell International Inc. Global industrial conglomerate with a large gas detection and safety products portfolio (Honeywell Analytics) and significant safety-signage offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same end customers (industrial safety, building safety) with overlapping sensor and safety-marker products.
• Nichia Corporation: Japanese leader in LED phosphors and specialty inorganic luminescent materials, including rare-earth and aluminate-based chemistries. Comparable as a major Japanese phosphor/functional materials incumbent whose specialty phosphor and luminescent technology portfolio overlaps with Nemoto's LumiNova and specialty phosphors.
• Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA: German safety and medical technology company with a major gas detection and respiratory protection product line. Comparable as a broad European incumbent serving industrial and consumer gas safety markets with sensor and alarm products.

Direct peers

• GloTech International, LLC: US-based manufacturer of photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) pigments, films, and safety signs. Directly comparable to Nemoto's LumiNova pigment and safety-sign business as a specialty phosphorescent pigment and safety-signage producer serving similar end-use applications.
• Sensirion AG: Swiss manufacturer of high-precision gas, flow, and environmental sensors based on CMOSens technology. Comparable as a Switzerland-headquartered sensor specialist with a direct subsidiary footprint near Nemoto's European operations, competing in industrial and environmental gas detection.
• Radiant Color NV: European manufacturer of high-performance phosphorescent and fluorescent pigments for safety, graphic arts, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to Nemoto's LumiNova pigment business in the European photoluminescent pigment market.
• Figaro Engineering Inc. Japanese gas sensor manufacturer specializing in semiconductor, electrochemical, and catalytic combustion sensors for gas detection. Directly comparable as a Japanese specialty sensor company serving consumer, industrial, and environmental safety markets with multiple detection principles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/NemotoGroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/nemoto_official

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Nemoto & Co.