What Funabori Rubber Co. does

Funabori Rubber Co. (船堀ゴム株式会社) is a Japanese rubber products company founded in 1959 in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, specializing in industrial finger cots used for finger protection during precision assembly, inspection, and handling work. Its product portfolio spans general-purpose finger cots (rolled, thin, and sulfur-free variants), functional finger cots for specialized applications, and — since a 2013 agency agreement with its parent — business-use condoms sourced from Okamoto Inc. The company's core technology base rests on two patent families filed in the early 1990s: a corrosion-resistant finger cot manufacturing method and a pinking (fraying) prevention method for finger cots and similar products.

Following its 2012 acquisition by Okamoto Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary and the May 2024 transfer of all manufacturing operations to Okamoto, Funabori now operates primarily as a domestic sales and distribution entity. It sells through a small set of Japanese trading companies — Hanaki Shoji, Hirama Rubber Equipment, Kokugo, and Nabebayashi — serving industrial and manufacturing customers in the Kanto region. With ¥10 million in stated capital, three directors, no digital infrastructure, and a footprint limited to Japan, the business is a tightly scoped B2B distribution arm rather than an independent growth-stage manufacturer.

Name

Funabori Rubber Co.

Legal name

船堀ゴム株式会社

Website

https://funaborigomu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Funabori Rubber Co. (船堀ゴム株式会社), founded in 1959 in Tokyo, manufactures and distributes industrial rubber finger cots in Japan. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Okamoto Inc., it outsources production to its parent and sells through four Japanese trading distributors serving Kanto-region manufacturing customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Rubber Products

NAICS

Rubber Product Manufacturing (3262), All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (326299)

SIC

Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Molded & Extruded Industrial Rubber Parts (Custom Components) (IMANALAG)

Keywords

• Industrial finger cots
• Rubber protective equipment
• Latex finger cots
• Industrial rubber products
• Functional finger protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Edogawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel

Core offering

Funabori Rubber Co. (船堀ゴム株式会社) manufactures and sells industrial finger cots (rubber protective finger covers) used across manufacturing and assembly operations. The company also functions as a sales agent, distributing business-use condoms on behalf of its parent company Okamoto Inc. Production of finger cots was transferred to Okamoto in 2024.

Product overview

Funabori Rubber Co. operates as a specialized manufacturer and distributor of industrial finger cots and rubber products. The core product line consists of three main categories: industrial/general-purpose finger cots (including wound, thin, and sulfur-free variants), functional finger cots for specialized applications, and business-use condoms distributed on behalf of parent company Okamoto Inc. The company functions as a manufacturing and sales organization, with finger cot production having been transferred to Okamoto Inc. in 2024 while maintaining sales operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• パール工業用指サック: Industrial finger cots product line

Products and services

• Industrial Finger Cots (一般作業用指サック)

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Okamoto Inc. (オカモト株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2013Commissioned sales contract for commercial condoms and related products; Funabori handles sales operations for Okamoto's commercial condom products
• Okamoto Inc. (オカモト株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2012Became a wholly-owned subsidiary through 100% share acquisition; production operations transferred to Okamoto's facilities; business now operates as part of Okamoto Group
• Central Latex Technology Research Association (中央ラテックス技術研究会)minorOthersIndustry association membership for latex technology research and development collaboration

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Nitta Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of industrial rubber products including belts, hoses, and specialty elastomer components. Overlaps with Funabori's industrial customer base in Japan.
• Tigers Polymer Corporation: Japanese industrial rubber products manufacturer serving automotive, construction, and general industrial markets with hoses, sheets, and molded rubber goods.
• Okamoto Inc. Parent company of Funabori since 2012 and Japan's largest specialty rubber products manufacturer. Direct overlap in industrial rubber products, with Okamoto now also responsible for Funabori's manufacturing operations.
• Nichirin Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of rubber hoses and industrial rubber components serving automotive and industrial markets. Comparable in industrial rubber processing capabilities and Japanese customer base.
• Sumitomo Rubber Industries: Major Japanese rubber products conglomerate with diversified industrial rubber portfolio. Competes broadly with Funabori's parent Okamoto and overlaps in industrial rubber component markets.
• Bando Chemical Industries: Japanese industrial rubber products manufacturer specializing in power transmission belts, hoses, and rubber-related industrial components — comparable industrial customer base.

Regional players

• Marugo Rubber Industries: Japanese specialty rubber manufacturer of molded industrial rubber products. Regional competitor serving Japan domestic industrial customers with comparable product categories.

Direct peers

• Hap Co., Ltd. (Korea): Korean manufacturer specializing in finger cots and cleanroom consumable rubber products — among the closest direct competitors to Funabori's core product line globally.
• Safety Flex Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of industrial finger cots and rubber protective products. Direct competitor in the same product niche serving Japanese industrial precision-assembly customers.
• Showa Denki Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of industrial rubber and plastic products, including protective and consumable items for industrial manufacturing. Closely comparable in product category and customer base (Japanese industrial buyers).

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Funabori Rubber Co.