What Meditrek does

MEDI TORECK Co., Ltd., operating commercially as Meditrek, is a Yokohama-based Japanese micro-cap manufacturer of "meruru," a single physical device for inserting and removing soft and colored contact lenses without fingertip contact. Founded in June 2013 by Kazuko Saito — a woman with no prior manufacturing experience who spent three years developing the product — the company remains founder-led and operates with five employees and ¥10 million in registered capital. The meruru device comprises three components: a silicone stick (62mm length, 6mm width) that picks up the lens via suction-adhesion, polycarbonate-and-silicone tweezers (75mm length, 20mm width) with a trumpet-shaped tip for precision insertion and removal, and an ABS resin storage case (8cm × 3.5cm × 2.5cm). The product is manufactured in Japan, sold in Clear and Pink variants at a recommended retail price of ¥2,017 (tax-inclusive), and is protected by Japanese Patent No. 5208320 and Design Registration No. 1454936.

Meditrek operates a product-led, direct-to-consumer go-to-market. In Japan, distribution combines owned storefronts on Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping with physical retail placement across major chains including Don Quijote, Menicon Miru, Ace Contact, Megane Super, and Bic Camera, supplemented by Amazon. International sales are handled manually through PayPal email invoicing with Japan Post shipping (International e-Packet and EMS). Marketing is content-driven: the company website (meruru.biz) carries product information, how-to-use guides, and third-party bacteria-test results, while a YouTube channel hosts instructional videos. No paid advertising, no app, no B2B channel, and no disclosed external funding or partnership relationships exist in the source material.

The company targets two consumer personas: (1) contact lens wearers who experience difficulty inserting or removing soft and colored lenses with their fingers — particularly relevant for lens hygiene and fingernail-related eye-damage risk — and (2) hygiene-conscious users who cannot reliably wash their hands before lens handling, a positioning the company has emphasized in the context of COVID-19. The company has reported cumulative shipments of 300,000 units by 2020 and 400,000 units by 2022. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time unit sales with no subscription, service, or aftermarket component.

Name

Meditrek

Legal name

MEDI TORECK Co.,Ltd.

Website

https://meruru.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Meditrek (MEDI TORECK Co., Ltd.) is a Yokohama-based Japanese manufacturer of meruru, a single physical device that lets users insert and remove soft and colored contact lenses without fingertip contact. The five-employee, founder-led company sells the ¥2,017 unit to individual Japanese contact lens wearers via Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon, and major retail chains, with limited international sales via PayPal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contact Lens Accessories

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Contact lens tools
• Soft contact lens accessories
• Lens insertion device
• Eye hygiene products
• Contact lens applicator

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. meruru Device Sales: One-time sale of the meruru contact lens insertion/removal tool set (stick, tweezers, and case). Revenue generated through direct online stores (Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping), marketplace platforms (Amazon), and physical retail distribution nationwide. International sales via PayPal invoice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Meditrek manufactures and sells meruru, a dedicated physical tool set for inserting and removing soft and colored contact lenses without fingertip contact. The product is sold as a single retail set comprising a silicone lens pickup stick, silicone-tipped polycarbonate tweezers, and an ABS resin storage case, available in Clear and Pink colors at 2,017 JPY (tax inclusive). The product is manufactured in Japan, protected by two patents and a design registration, and sold directly to consumers via e-commerce and physical retail.

Product overview

Meditrek (メディトレック株式会社) offers meruru, a single-product portfolio consisting of a soft contact lens insertion and removal tool. The product is a physical device that enables users to handle contact lenses without their fingertips touching the lens, addressing hygiene concerns. The product portfolio includes the main meruru device composed of a stick and tweezers, plus a dedicated carrying case. Available in two colors (Clear and Pink), manufactured in Japan, priced at 2,017 yen (tax included).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• meruru (メルル): Soft contact lens insertion and removal tool that allows users to insert and remove contact lenses without touching them with fingertips.

Products and services

• meruru (ソフト/カラーコンタクトつけはずし器具) Physical device set that allows users to insert and remove soft contact lenses and colored contact lenses without fingertips touching the lens. Includes a silicone stick (meruru Stick, 62mm x 6mm), polycarbonate and silicone tweezers with trumpet-shaped knobbed tip (meruru Tweezers, 75mm x 20mm), and a dedicated ABS resin storage case (8cm x 3.5cm x 2.5cm). Available in Clear and Pink colors at a retail price of 2,017 JPY (tax inclusive). Manufactured in Japan. Target users are individual soft and colored contact lens wearers who have difficulty with fingertip insertion/removal or who want hygienic lens handling.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Alcon: World leader in eye care with a broad contact lens (DAILIES, Air Optix) and lens care (Opti-Free) portfolio. Comparable to Meditrek through shared end-customers and an overlapping focus on hygienic contact lens handling.
• Menicon: Japan's largest domestic contact lens manufacturer and lens-care solutions provider. Menicon operates the Menicon Miru retail chain which stocks meruru, but also sells a much broader portfolio of contact lenses, care solutions, and lens accessories that overlap with Meditrek's end-user base.
• Johnson & Johnson Vision: Sells Acuvue contact lenses and complementary lens care products. Targets the same contact lens wearer base as Meditrek and possesses the scale and marketing budget to extend into adjacent lens-accessory categories.
• Bausch + Lomb: Global vision-care major offering contact lenses, lens care solutions, and OTC eye health products. While Bausch + Lomb does not market a direct meruru equivalent, its Biotrue and Renu lens-care lines serve the same contact lens wearer demographic with hygiene-positioned products.
• CooperVision: Major global contact lens manufacturer with brands like Biofinity and clariti. Serves the same consumer segment and could plausibly develop or acquire a meruru-equivalent product as part of its lens care ecosystem.

Others

• EyeBuyDirect: Online retailer of prescription eyewear and contact lenses. Comparable through shared customer demographics (contact lens wearers seeking hygiene accessories) but does not manufacture or sell insertion/removal tools.
• Welly: While focused on first aid and eye care, Welly's consumer health positioning around personal hygiene connects thematically with meruru's hygiene-driven value proposition, though they are not a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• AOS Optical (AOS Korea): Korean optical products manufacturer producing contact lens cases, inserter tools, and related accessories for Asian and global markets—a closer functional peer to meruru's specific use case than the contact-lens majors.

Regional players

• Hubble Contacts: US-based direct-to-consumer contact lens subscription brand. While geographically and structurally different (US market, subscription model), Hubble shares Meditrek's focus on serving mainstream soft contact lens wearers through alternative channels.

Direct peers

• DMV Corporation: DMV Corporation manufactures a well-known range of contact lens inserter and remover tools (e.g., DMV 45, DMV Ultra), directly competing with meruru in the same niche of contact lens handling accessories for both hard and soft lens wearers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Meditrek