What Kodo does

KODO CO., LTD. is an independent Japanese non-ferrous metals trading company founded in 1954 in Tokyo, specializing in the supply, processing, and recycling of copper, brass, phosphor bronze, copper alloys (including beryllium copper and titanium copper), aluminum, stainless steel, and specialty metals such as Kovar, permalloy, and titanium. The company operates as a 'large company' (大会社) under the Japanese Companies Act with 242 employees, 790 billion JPY in annual sales for FY July 2024 – June 2025, and 56,944 tons of annual non-ferrous metal handling volume across 24 domestic and 7 overseas locations spanning China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

The core technology stack is physical rather than digital: KODO runs a self-contained resource recovery and recycling system that integrates procurement, processing, logistics, and scrap recovery, with proprietary in-house capabilities including a 5-type metal cleaning system (drum-type magnetic separator, critical cleaning, and manual separation), burr-free slitting, irregular cutting, leveling, and shearing. Products are delivered in plates, strips, wires, bars, tubes, and foils, with custom processing for applications such as busbars, connectors, lead frames, springs, and semiconductor components. The company holds ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications across most domestic bases.

KODO generates revenue through three transaction-fee streams: non-ferrous metal sales (the primary driver), metal processing services, and metal recycling/resource recovery. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, with sales representatives visiting factory purchasing, technical development, and design departments to manage 20–50 existing accounts each. The customer base spans automotive (primary), electronics and IT, aerospace, and general manufacturing. The headquarters relocated from Shiodome City Center to Akasaka Green Cross in Tokyo's Minato-ku in December 2024.

Name

Kodo

Legal name

KODO CO., LTD.

Website

https://kodo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KODO CO., LTD. is a Japanese independent non-ferrous metals trading company founded in 1954, supplying copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and specialty metals — along with integrated processing and recycling — to automotive, electronics, aerospace, and general manufacturing customers across Japan and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Ferrous Metals Trading

NAICS

Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510), Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers (4235), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Brokerage (Aluminum, Copper, Brass/Bronze, Lead, Zinc, Nickel) (IMAKAMAB), Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)

Keywords

• Non-ferrous metals trading
• Metal processing services
• Metal recycling services
• Copper alloy supply
• Specialty metal materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Non-ferrous Metal Sales: Sale of non-ferrous metals and special metal materials including copper, brass, phosphor bronze, copper alloys, aluminum, and stainless steel in various shapes (plates, strips, wires, bars, tubes, foils). Main revenue driver accounting for the bulk of 790 billion JPY annual sales.
2. Metal Recycling and Resource Recovery: Collection, sorting, and recycling of non-ferrous metal scrap as resources, recovered from customers and processed for resale. Forms a circular business model integrated with the sales operations.
3. Metal Processing Services: Slitting, irregular cutting, and cutting processing of metal strips. Processing services provided through nationwide logistics and recycling centers, including slitting, leveling, shearing, and irregular cutting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KODO is an independent general trading company that supplies a comprehensive range of non-ferrous and specialty metal materials — copper, brass, phosphor bronze, copper alloys, aluminum, stainless steel, and nickel/titanium alloys — in plates, strips, wires, bars, tubes, and foils. It complements this supply with in-house metal processing services (slitting, leveling, shearing, irregular cutting, burr-free slitting, plating) and a self-contained recycling and resource-recovery system that procures metal scrap, sorts and recovers raw materials, and supports customers in waste disposal.

Product overview

Kodo is an independent general trading company specializing in non-ferrous metals and special metal materials. The company operates as a single unified offering combining metal material supply with processing and recycling services. The core portfolio includes copper materials (oxygen-free copper, tough pitch copper, phosphorus deoxidized copper), brass, phosphor bronze, copper alloys (nickel silver, beryllium copper, titanium copper), aluminum materials, stainless steel, and specialty iron/nickel alloy products. These are complemented by metal processing services (slitting, leveling, shearing, irregular cutting, cleaning) and an integrated metal recycling/resource recovery system. The company supplies various forms including plates, strips, wires, bars, tubes, and foils, with capabilities for special processing like plating and stepped shapes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copper Materials (銅素材)

Quantifiable outcome

• 56,944 tons of non-ferrous metals handled annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DOWA Holdings: Japanese non-ferrous metals and recycling company with integrated operations in copper, zinc, precious metals and electronic materials recycling. Closest direct peer to Kodo given the parallel business model of trading plus integrated scrap/recycling recovery.
• Aurubis AG: European copper smelter and recycler producing cathodes, wire rod and copper products from primary and secondary feedstock. Closely mirrors Kodo's integration of non-ferrous metals trading with recycling and recovery operations.
• Wieland Group: Global copper and copper alloy products manufacturer and distributor (rolled, extruded, tube). Direct competitor in copper alloy strips, sheets and specialty alloys serving electronics, automotive and industrial markets comparable to Kodo's core copper product lines.
• Luvata: Global manufacturer of copper products and specialized metal solutions for automotive, electronics and renewable energy. Directly comparable to Kodo's specialty copper alloy offerings and end-market exposures.
• KME Group: European copper and copper alloy semi-finished products manufacturer. Directly comparable to Kodo in copper alloy strips, brass and specialty copper products distribution to industrial and OEM customers.

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Metal Mining: Japanese non-ferrous metals producer focused on copper, nickel, zinc and precious metals mining/smelting. Adjacent peer with overlapping customer base in copper materials but more upstream/primary orientation than Kodo.
• Mitsubishi Materials: Large Japanese integrated non-ferrous metals group with smelting, processing and trading across copper, aluminum and rare metals. Comparable to Kodo in copper and aluminum product offerings but operates at vastly greater scale and includes upstream smelting and downstream fabrication.
• Furukawa Electric: Japanese non-ferrous metals and cables company with copper fabrication focus. Comparable overlap with Kodo in copper materials and electronics applications, though Furukawa is far larger and more vertically integrated into finished cable products.
• Mitsui Mining & Smelting: Japanese sogo-shosha-affiliated non-ferrous metals company (三井金属) with mining, smelting, electronic materials and trading. Highly comparable business mix in non-ferrous metals distribution and processed products, with broader vertical integration than Kodo.

Emerging players

• Diehl Group: German manufacturer with copper and brass products division. Comparable in copper alloy materials and recycling integration but operates within a broader industrial conglomerate (defense, metering, aerospace).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Kodo