What Smach does

Smach Co., Ltd. (スマック株式会社) is a privately held Japanese power-electronics company headquartered in Otsu, Shiga. Founded in 2003 as an internal venture of Panasonic (Matsushita) and operating independently since a 2013 management buyout, Smach focuses on energy-efficient motor drive control technology, anchored by its Universal Inverter Driver — a semiconductor-based motor driver capable of controlling brushless DC, induction, and other motor types with high voltage/current capability and proprietary motor-parameter online identification for high-efficiency, high-precision control.

The product portfolio centers on development tools (Universal Inverter Driver and Motor Testing Systems, including the MCAT automatic measurement capability for integration into customer test benches), technology development services for power electronics, custom mass production supply of inverters and converters, and motor testing services run from the company's Motor Evaluation Center. Adjacent offerings include mass-production base inverter products and a compact LED stroboscope. The Universal Inverter Driver supports GUI-based control software (S2C) and RS232C/RS485/CAN communication for integration into industrial development workflows.

Commercial activity operates exclusively within Japan across three primary verticals — automotive, home appliance, and heavy industry manufacturers — using direct B2B sales with quote-based pricing, supplemented by annual participation in the TECHNO-FRONTIER Motor Technology Expo at Tokyo Big Sight. Revenue mechanics blend hardware sales (driver units, testing equipment, custom mass production, LED stroboscopes) with professional services (motor evaluation at the in-house Motor Evaluation Center). The firm has received multiple domestic recognitions, including the 2018 Monozukuri Nippon Grand Award Excellence Prize from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, several Kansai Monozukuri New Selections, and designation as a Regional Future Driving Company by METI.

Name

Smach

Legal name

スマック株式会社

Website

https://smach.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smach is a Japanese power-electronics company, spun off from Panasonic in 2013, that designs Universal Inverter Drivers and Motor Testing Systems for automotive, home appliance, and heavy-industry manufacturers, with custom mass-production and motor-evaluation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Power Electronics & Motor Control Systems

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Power Electronics & Inverters/Converters Manufacturing (IMACAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Motor Control Centers & Motor Protection (Overload Relays, Protection, Monitoring) (IMAGACAI)

Keywords

• Power electronics
• Motor control systems
• Inverter drivers
• Motor testing equipment
• Custom power electronics

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Universal Inverter Drivers: Sale of universal inverter driver products for motor control applications
2. Motor Testing Systems: Sale of motor testing and evaluation equipment
3. Custom Mass Production Supply: Custom inverter and power electronics development and mass production supply services
4. Motor Testing Services: Motor evaluation and testing services provided at company's motor evaluation center
5. Small LED Stroboscope: Sale of compact LED stroboscope products

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Smach designs, manufactures, and supplies universal inverter drivers and motor testing systems for industrial motor control applications. The company also offers custom power electronics technology development, contract motor testing at its Motor Evaluation Center, and custom mass-production supply of motor inverters and power converters for automotive, home appliance, and heavy industry manufacturers.

Product overview

Smach is a power electronics technology company specializing in motor drive control and energy-saving solutions. Originally established as a Panasonic internal venture in 2003 and independent since 2013, the company offers a portfolio of products and services centered on Universal Inverter Drivers and Motor Testing Systems. The Universal Inverter Driver serves as the core development tool product capable of driving various motor types, while the Motor Testing System provides evaluation and testing capabilities. These core products are complemented by power electronics technology development services, motor testing services at their evaluation center, custom mass production supply for inverters and converters, and other products including small LED stroboscopes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Universal Inverter Driver Motor drive inverter capable of driving various motor types including brushless DC motors and induction motors, equipped with standard control functions and GUI operation software supporting RS232C/RS485/CAN communication. Designed for R&D engineers and motor manufacturers.
• Motor Testing System

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Professor Morimoto Shigeo (森本茂雄), Osaka Prefecture University Graduate School of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2009Professor Morimoto Shigeo from Osaka Prefecture University Graduate School of Engineering, Electrical and Information Systems, serves as technical advisor since October 2009. Collaborative research on 'motor parameter extraction method and high-efficiency/high-precision motor drive control technology' was selected for '2018 Kansai Urban Joint Research Subsidy Project' in 2019.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oriental Motor: Japanese manufacturer of motors and motion control products including brushless DC and induction motor systems with integrated drivers. Comparable as a Japan-based, mid-sized supplier to industrial and home appliance customers with bundled motor-plus-driver offerings.
• Yaskawa Electric: Japanese global leader in motion control, motor inverters (AC drives), and servo systems. Directly comparable as a Japanese-headquartered supplier of inverter drivers targeting automotive and industrial motor control applications.
• Danfoss Drives: Focused motor drives specialist (VLT and VACON product lines) serving industrial OEMs globally. Like Smach, drives are the core product rather than a peripheral offering, making it a structurally similar mid-scale competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ABB (Drives & Motion): Global leader in industrial drives, motion control, and power electronics. The drives business directly competes with Smach's universal inverter driver in industrial motor control, though ABB operates at vastly larger scale across global markets.
• Siemens (SINAMICS Drives): Global industrial automation giant with a comprehensive low-voltage and servo drive portfolio. Competes in the same universal inverter/motor driver category, primarily targeting larger industrial OEMs.
• Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems (TMEIC): Japanese joint venture focused on industrial power electronics, drives, and large motor systems. Directly relevant comparison for industrial motor testing, high-power inverters, and mass-production drive supply.
• Fuji Electric: Japanese manufacturer of power electronics including inverters, drives, and power semiconductors. Comparable technology stack (power conversion/inverters) and similar Japanese customer base in industrial and automotive segments.
• Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley PowerFlex): Major US industrial automation supplier with the PowerFlex family of AC drives. Overlaps with Smach on universal inverter drivers used in industrial motor control applications.
• Mitsubishi Electric: Major Japanese industrial conglomerate with a large power electronics and factory automation portfolio including inverters, motors, and motor testing. Overlaps with Smach's universal inverter driver product line and motor evaluation services as part of a much broader offering.
• Hitachi Industrial (Hitachi Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/Hitachi Astemo): Japanese industrial conglomerate with significant power electronics, motors, and inverter capabilities, particularly tied to automotive electrification. Overlapping customer base and technology focus on motor drive control.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Smach