What Lab does

株式会社lab (Lab Inc.) is an Osaka-based Japanese design firm offering one-stop services from creative branding through construction completion. Incorporated on August 8, 2012 as a spin-off of the design division of 株式会社GERA (itself tracing back to GERA PROJECT established in 2002), the company is led by Representative Director 小林裕知 (Kobayashi Hirotomo). Lab operates a single headquarters in Osaka's Nishi-ku district and holds a first-class architect office registration and general construction industry license from Osaka Prefecture, enabling it to deliver architectural design, interior design, construction supervision, and FFE procurement services. Its core service portfolio spans branding, naming and logo design, web design, architectural and space design, BIM modeling, furniture/FFE procurement, and construction management, primarily serving hospitality, hotel, healthcare, commercial/office, and FFE clients in the Kansai region of Japan.

The company's technology stack centers on Building Information Modeling using Autodesk Revit and Graphisoft ARCHICAD for architectural and interior design documentation. Lab monetizes through four distinct streams: professional design services (project-based, quote-driven contracts), hardware sales of TOOU Italian furniture via an owned e-commerce storefront, wellness supplement sales under the RETOX sub-brand, and transaction-fee revenue from the スマート工事部 (Smart Construction Department) contractor matching service launched in 2021. Beyond its core design business, Lab has built a portfolio of wholly-owned sub-brands—TOOU (exclusive Japanese agency rights acquired 2016), RETOX (launched 2021), and スマート工事部 (launched 2021)—representing both vertical diversification and platform experimentation. Marketing is primarily portfolio-driven through the lab-jp.com website and Instagram/Facebook social channels, with no paid advertising disclosed.

Lab's revenue, headcount, and detailed financials are not publicly disclosed. The company's only known external capital event is a 2017 third-party share allotment to 株式会社MIJ.HD for an undisclosed amount intended to strengthen the corporate foundation; no subsequent funding rounds have been recorded. Customer concentration is distributed across named enterprise clients in hospitality (蟻月, 博多もつ鍋, 一献三菜), hotels (DAIWA ROYNET HOTEL Yokohama), healthcare (林病院, 東洋病院), and fitness (LifeFit鶴舞), with project-based engagement models implying episodic rather than recurring revenue.

Name

Lab

Legal name

株式会社lab

Website

https://lab-jp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

株式会社lab is an Osaka-based Japanese design firm offering one-stop services from branding and architectural design through construction management, primarily serving hospitality, healthcare, hotel, and commercial clients in the Kansai region, with sub-brands in furniture agency (TOOU), wellness supplements (RETOX), and contractor matching (スマート工事部).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Comprehensive design services including branding, naming, logo development, web design, architectural design, space design, and FFE (Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment) planning and procurement
2. Furniture Sales (TOOU Agency): Sales of Italian furniture brand TOOU products including chairs, stools, and other interior furniture items through e-commerce and direct sales
3. RETOX Wellness Products: Wellness brand RETOX operating recovery supplement business for athletes and health-conscious consumers
4. Smart Construction Matching Service: Contractor matching service connecting customers with specialized construction professionals based on project requirements and budget

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

株式会社lab (Lab) is a comprehensive design firm offering one-stop services from creative branding through construction completion. The company provides architectural design, interior/space design, branding, naming and logo design, web design, furniture/FFE procurement, BIM modeling, and construction management. It also operates sub-brands including TOOU (exclusive Japanese distributor of Italian furniture), RETOX (wellness/recovery supplements), and スマート工事部 (contractor matching service).

Product overview

株式会社lab (Lab) is a comprehensive design firm offering one-stop services from creative design to construction. The company operates across multiple service areas including branding, naming/logo design, web design, architectural design, space/interior design, furniture/FFE, BIM services, and construction management. Lab has developed a portfolio of sub-brands and specialized services: TOOU (exclusive Japanese distributor of Italian furniture), RETOX (wellness/supplement brand), and スマート工事部 (contractor matching service). The company primarily serves commercial clients in the restaurant, hotel, medical, office, and residential sectors across Japan, with a focus on design-driven projects that integrate creative vision with construction execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RETOX: Wellness brand focused on natural immunity activation, producing and selling recovery supplements for athletes and health-conscious individuals.
• スマート工事部 (Smart Koji-bu)
• TOOU

Products and services

• Branding and Marketing Services Comprehensive branding services including market positioning, brand strategy development, and promotional campaigns for commercial clients seeking differentiation and lasting brand value.
• Naming and Logo Design Brand naming and visual identity design services including logotypes (wordmarks), logo marks (symbols/icons), naming strategy, pronunciation guidance, and comprehensive brand identity development.
• Web Design Services Website design and development services including WordPress-based solutions, e-commerce functionality, omnichannel strategy consulting, and website role definition for commercial clients.
• Architectural Design Architectural exterior and common area design services covering facade design, exterior structures, entrances, and shared spaces for various building types including RC, ALC, and wooden construction.
• Space and Interior Design Interior space design for retail stores, restaurants, offices, residential properties, hotels, and mixed-use facilities, including brand reflection strategies and space planning tailored to specific business models.
• Furniture and FFE Services Furniture procurement, custom furniture design and manufacturing, and installation services covering FFE planning for retail stores, hotels, offices, and residential projects.
• Promotion Tool Design Design services for business cards, shop cards, brochures, flyers, posters, menus, packaging, and novelty items, ensuring promotional materials align with overall brand identity.
• BIM Services
• Construction and Interior Management
• TOOU Italian Furniture Distribution
• RETOX Wellness Supplements
• スマート工事部 (Smart Construction Department)

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TOOU (Italian Furniture Brand)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTOOO is an Italian furniture brand for which Lab serves as the Japanese exclusive agent. Lab handles all sales, distribution, and marketing of TOOU products in Japan, including participation in trade shows such as the Shanghai Exhibition in 2017.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Vitra: Swiss designer furniture and lighting brand. Comparable to TOOU on curated designer furniture distribution and brand identity, though operated independently rather than as an agency.
• Cassina: Italian contemporary furniture brand (part of Haworth Lifestyle). Functions as a product peer to Lab's TOOU agency business — both bring high-design Italian furniture to Japanese design-conscious customers.
• Kartell: Italian contemporary designer furniture and homeware brand. Peer to TOOU on contemporary Italian design furniture for indoor/outdoor use and design-led consumer markets.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm offering branding, space planning, interior design, and FFE across sectors. Much larger and broader than Lab, but operates in the same integrated design-services category.
• 乃村工藝社 (Nomura Co., Ltd.): Major Tokyo-listed Japanese commercial space design and construction firm serving retail, hospitality, and corporate clients. Overlaps with Lab across space design, FFE, and construction management, but operates nationally with much broader scale and resources.

Direct peers

• Rockwell Group: Architecture and design firm specializing in hospitality, entertainment, and branded environments. Directly comparable to Lab on integrated creative-to-construction delivery for experience-led commercial clients.
• HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates): Global hospitality interior design firm offering branding-through-F&E integrated services for hotels and resorts. Directly comparable to Lab's hospitality-heavy mix of branding, space design, and FFE.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Internationally recognized hospitality, residential, and retail design firm with an integrated product-and-space approach. Comparable to Lab on the integration of interior design with branded environments.
• 丹青社 (Tanseisha Co., Ltd.): Tokyo-listed Japanese commercial space design and construction firm offering integrated branding, interior, and environmental design. Directly comparable to Lab on one-stop design-to-construction services for commercial clients, though at much larger scale.
• スペース (Space Co., Ltd.): Japanese commercial space design firm with comparable integrated design, branding, and interior services for retail and corporate clients. Closely aligned to Lab on service scope and target verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/retox_jp
• Facebookfacebook.com/lab.co.ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/lab.co.ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Lab