BECS

What BECS does

BECS株式会社 (BECS Inc.) is a privately held Japanese materials company founded in June 2023 and headquartered in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, with stated capital of 40 million JPY including reserves. The company develops and commercializes 'kamimol', a paper-based plastic alternative formulated by combining plant fibers with proprietary additives and solvents so the fibers entangle in a manner that satisfies the regulatory definition of paper. The critical technical breakthrough is that kamimol can be processed on standard plastic injection molding machines without modification, enabling complex molded shapes that traditional paper cannot achieve, while remaining recyclable through existing paper recycling streams. A water-resistant KB grade extends the material to wet and outdoor environments without sacrificing paper recyclability, and a second material, 'あっぷるん' (Apprun), co-developed with ANA Holdings from upcycled in-flight magazine fibers, is currently deployed in promotional airplane mini models at children's coloring events.

The company's revenue model spans four streams: sale of kamimol pellets customized to manufacturer specifications, contract injection-molded products across categories including daily goods, automotive parts, building materials, and cosmetics containers, extruded products with elastomer-like flexibility, and consulting on environmentally conscious materials. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines direct sales to molding manufacturers with channel sales through Kyoraku Co., Ltd., a leading plastic processor that became a capital and business partner in June 2025. BECS also participates in the Marubeni Chemix 'DO WHAT WE CAN' circular economy consortium and markets primarily through sustainability-focused industry exhibitions (Paper Processing Technology Exhibition 2026, Fuji-no-kuni Cellulose Circular Economy International Exhibition, EcoPro 2024, UPDATE EARTH 2025) and earned media in packaging, chemical, and paper industry publications.

The customer base is concentrated in a small number of named enterprise relationships, most notably ANA Holdings and the Kyoraku partnership, with limited disclosed commercial scale. BECS has earned the 2025 Sustainable Selection one-star recognition and a 2024 InnoVation Generation Award nomination from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and holds a pending patent on the Apprun formulation. The company is led by Representative Director Yamamoto Shohei, with no disclosed headcount and no disclosed revenue.

Name

BECS

Legal name

BECS株式会社

Website

https://b-ecs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BECS is a Nara, Japan-based materials company founded in 2023 that develops and sells 'kamimol', a paper-based plastic alternative moldable on standard injection machines, serving Japanese manufacturers pursuing zero-plastic and carbon-neutral product strategies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Materials and Bioplastics

NAICS

All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199), Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (32619)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Plant-based materials
• Paper-based bioplastics
• Injection molding materials
• Sustainable composites
• Circular economy materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Nara

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Raw material (pellet) sales: BECS manufactures and sells kamimol pellets formulated to meet specific property requirements of molding manufacturers. The pellets are designed for use in standard plastic injection molding equipment.
2. Injection molded products: BECS provides injection molded products made from kamimol material for various applications including daily goods, automotive parts, building materials, and cosmetics containers.
3. Extruded products: BECS offers extruded products including tubes and pipes with elastomer-like flexibility through specialized formulation design. Custom profile extrusion is also available.
4. Environmental material consulting: BECS provides consulting services on environmentally conscious materials, transferring their expertise to clients to help them implement paper-based solutions independently.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BECS develops and manufactures "kamimol," a paper-based, zero-plastic molding material made from plant fibers and proprietary additives that can be processed on standard plastic injection molding machines. The company sells raw pellets, finished injection-molded products, and extruded products to manufacturers in sectors such as daily goods, automotive parts, building materials, and cosmetics packaging, and also provides consulting on environmentally conscious paper-based materials.

Product overview

BECS offers 'kamimol', a paper-based plastic alternative that can be processed using standard plastic molding equipment. The product portfolio includes two main material grades: KA grade (water-soluble, standard) and KB grade (water-resistant). In 2025, BECS launched 'あっぷるん' (Apprun), a new upcycled material developed with ANA Holdings using in-flight magazine as raw material. The company provides three service offerings: raw material (pellet) sales, injection molded products, and extrusion molded products, enabling manufacturers to produce plastic-free products without investing in new machinery. Additional products include paper badges made from kamimol material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kamimol: A paper-based, zero-plastic new material developed by BECS that can be molded using conventional plastic injection molding machines. kamimol is made from plant-derived cellulose and alcohol-based additives, fits into existing paper recycling streams, and enables complex shapes previously impossible with paper.
• あっぷるん (Apple Run)
• kamimol KB (耐水グレード)
• 紙バッジ (Paper Badge)

Products and services

• kamimol raw material pellets Paper-based, zero-plastic molding pellets formulated from plant fibers and proprietary additives, sold to molding manufacturers for use on standard plastic injection molding machines.
• kamimol KB Grade (耐水グレード / water-resistant grade) Water-resistant variant of the kamimol pellet material that retains shape when submerged, enabling use in water-adjacent and outdoor environments while remaining compatible with paper recycling streams.
• あっぷるん (Apprun) upcycled paper material World-first upcycled paper material derived from ANA Holdings' in-flight magazine 'Tsubasa no Ohkoku,' offering plastic-like molding flexibility and paper-recycling compatibility, developed jointly with ANA Holdings.
• kamimol Paper Badge (紙バッジ) Plastic-free paper badge products made from kamimol material, usable as badges or magnets for novelty items, promotional products, and event merchandise with a printable surface.
• Injection molded products (射出成型品) Contract manufacturing and supply of injection-molded products using kamimol material, applicable to daily goods, automotive parts, building materials, and cosmetic containers.
• Extrusion molded products (押出成形品) Manufacturing and supply of extrusion-molded kamimol products such as tubes and pipes with elastomer-like flexibility, including custom profile extrusion in various shapes.
• Environmental material consulting Consulting services that transfer BECS's paper-based materials expertise to clients, helping them independently implement paper-based solutions in their product lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• kamimol reduces petroleum resource consumption and CO2 emissions compared to conventional plastic production
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• キョーラク株式会社 (Kyoraku Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2025Capital and business partnership to accelerate product development using kamimol. Kyoraku is a leading plastic processing company providing advanced molding technology. Partnership encompasses: 1) Sales expansion of kamimol products through Kyoraku's broad sales channels; 2) Application development tailored to Kyoraku and customer needs; 3) New product development utilizing Kyoraku's superior molding technology.
• ANAホールディングス (ANA Holdings)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2025Joint development of the new 'あっぷるん' upcycled material using in-flight magazine '翼の王国' (Tsubasa no Ohkoku) as raw material. The project originated from a cabin crew member's proposal through ANA's employee business contest. The resulting material is used for original airplane mini models distributed at children's coloring events nationwide.
• 丸紅ケミックス株式会社 (Marubeni Chemix Co., Ltd.)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Participation in the 'DO WHAT WE CAN' consortium organized by Marubeni Chemix. BECS provides its unique paper technology to contribute to the consortium's development. The consortium aims to serve as a hub for circular economy initiatives, combining processing technologies and solutions from member companies to create new value.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Ecovative Design: Ecovative Design (USA) grows mycelium-based packaging and materials as biodegradable alternatives to plastics and polystyrene. It is an emerging player in the natural-material plastic-replacement space with overlapping sustainability positioning, though it uses a different underlying technology (mycelium vs. plant fiber).
• Notpla: Notpla (UK) is an emerging player developing seaweed-based, fully biodegradable packaging materials and films. It is a thematically comparable emerging player in the plant-/natural-material plastic replacement space, with a narrower product focus but similar sustainability and circular-economy positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Chemical: Mitsubishi Chemical Group is one of Japan's largest chemical companies with bio-based engineering plastics and biopolymer offerings targeting automotive, packaging, and consumer goods. It is a broad incumbent comparable in the Japanese sustainable materials space, with much greater scale, R&D resources, and customer reach than BECS.
• Kaneka: Kaneka is a major Japanese chemical manufacturer with a portfolio that includes PHBH (Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer), a plant-based bioplastic for injection molding and film applications. It is a relevant incumbent comparable in the Japanese bioplastics space, with greater scale and broader product lines but the same end-goal of replacing conventional plastics.

Direct peers

• Plantic Technologies: Plantic Technologies (Australia) produces plant-starch-based bioplastic materials for injection molding, sheet extrusion, and thermoforming in packaging applications. It is a direct peer in the plant-derived pellet/material space, with similar focus on recyclability and end-of-life sustainability.
• NatureWorks: NatureWorks is the world's largest PLA (polylactic acid) bioplastic manufacturer, producing plant-based resin pellets used in injection molding, extrusion, and fiber applications. It is the most direct global comparable to BECS in selling plant-derived feedstock pellets that replace conventional plastics, with overlapping customer types across packaging and consumer goods.
• Danimer Scientific: Danimer Scientific is a US-based producer of PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) bioplastics from plant oils, marketed under the Nodax brand for injection molding and extrusion applications. It is a direct comparable in commercializing plant-derived biodegradable pellet materials designed to replace conventional plastics.
• FKuR Kunststoff: FKuR is a German specialty compounder that develops and distributes bio-based and biodegradable plastic compounds for injection molding, extrusion, and film applications. It is a direct peer in formulating plant-based pellet materials that serve as drop-in alternatives to conventional plastics.
• Novamont: Novamont (Italy) is a leading producer of Mater-Bi, a family of bioplastics made from plant starches and biodegradable polyesters. It is a direct comparable to BECS in developing plant-based pellet materials that can be processed on conventional plastics equipment and serve packaging, retail bags, and molded goods applications.
• TotalEnergies Corbion: TotalEnergies Corbion is a 50/50 joint venture producing PLA resins from sugarcane for use in injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing. It is a direct peer in the plant-based, drop-in bioplastic pellet space serving manufacturers seeking conventional-equipment-compatible plastic alternatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 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 BECS