PropGene

What PropGene does

PropGene Inc. (株式会社プロップジーン) is a privately held Japanese clinical testing laboratory and at-home diagnostic test kit operator, founded in January 2004 as a spin-off from SRL (now H.U. Group Holdings) and headquartered in Koenji, Suginami-ku, Tokyo. The company holds registered hygiene testing facility status (License No. 28杉保衛医第466号) and ISO 9001:2015 certification, enabling it to perform regulated clinical specimen testing and quality-managed product distribution.

PropGene's core technology platform centers on a proprietary gene chip testing system — assembled in-house — covering disease-related regions for dementia, autism, and other conditions not offered by competing labs. Its product portfolio spans (i) DTC at-home test kits sold via the PropLine Store (health.ocnk.net) covering genetic, cancer risk (urine diacetyl spermine), oxidative stress (urine 8-OHdG), gut flora (Flora Scan via Primedica), STD, and DNA paternity tests; (ii) real-time PCR and antigen SARS-CoV-2 testing at the Koenji lab, historically under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's free testing program (2022–May 2023); (iii) third-party distribution of SERO AS (Norway) quality control serum products for clinical laboratories, initiated March 2024 across a 161-item catalog; and (iv) a proprietary microbe-processed biofilter for water treatment.

PropGene generates revenue through unit-priced DTC kit sales, professional services fees for clinical specimen analysis, and B2B distribution of SERO control products, with go-to-market executed through the PropLine Store e-commerce front, a physical testing site at its Koenji headquarters, partnerships with industry bodies (Japan DNA Advisor Association), and downstream reselling to clinical laboratories. The founder and President, Ryuji Kawaguchi (Doctor of Engineering), leads the company with a small advisory bench that includes emeritus medical professors and a designated medical supervisor for the hygiene testing facility.

Name

PropGene

Legal name

株式会社プロップジーン

Website

https://pgi.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PropGene is a privately held Tokyo-based clinical testing laboratory and DTC at-home test kit operator, offering proprietary gene chip diagnostics, PCR/antigen testing, and SERO quality control product distribution to consumers, clinical labs, and government testing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. At-Home Test Kit Sales: PropGene operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (PropLine Store) selling various at-home test kits including genetic tests, cancer marker tests, oxidative stress tests, gut flora tests, STD tests, and DNA paternity tests. Revenue is generated through one-time kit sales with analysis services included.
2. Registered Hygiene Testing Laboratory Services: As a registered hygiene testing facility (28杉保衛医第466号), PropGene performs clinical specimen testing including PCR and antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2, with fees for analysis services.
3. SERO Quality Control Product Distribution: Since March 2024, PropGene has been selling SERO quality control serum products (manufactured in Norway since 1963) for clinical laboratory and registered hygiene testing facility quality assurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PropGene operates a registered hygiene testing facility in Tokyo that sells at-home genetic and health test kits directly to consumers via its PropLine Store e-commerce platform, covering DNA paternity tests, cancer risk screening (urine diacetyl spermine), oxidative stress (urine 8-OHdG), gut flora analysis, STD tests, and COVID-19 PCR tests. The company also conducts proprietary gene chip testing for conditions such as dementia and autism, performs on-site COVID-19 PCR/antigen testing under Tokyo's government-sponsored program, distributes SERO third-party quality control serum products to clinical laboratories, and manufactures proprietary water-treatment bio-filters.

Product overview

PropGene is a registered hygiene testing facility (28杉保衛医第466号) offering a portfolio of genetic testing, cancer screening, and quality control products. The core offering includes home-based testing kits sold via PropLine Store (e-commerce platform) covering genetic tests, tumor/cancer marker tests, DNA paternity testing, STD tests, and COVID-19 PCR tests. Additional products include urine-based cancer risk screening (diacetyl spermine measurement) and oxidative stress testing (8-OHdG), gut flora analysis (Flora Scan), and SERO quality control products for clinical laboratories. The company also performs gene chip testing for dementia, autism, and other disease-related genetic regions, and manufactures proprietary water treatment biofilters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• プロップラインストア (PropLine Store): Online store for home testing kits including genetic tests, cancer tests, infectious disease tests, and DNA paternity tests.
• SERO
• マイセルフ遺伝子検査 (MySelf Genetic Test)

Products and services

• MySelf Genetic Testing Kit (マイセルフ遺伝子検査) Home-based self-collection testing kits for COVID-19 PCR (saliva, RT-PCR method), STD tests (chlamydia, gonorrhea), and Hepatitis B/C antibody blood testing. Kits are sold directly to individual consumers through the PropLine Store with laboratory analysis included.
• DNA Paternity Testing (DNA親子鑑定検査) DNA paternity testing service offered in two formats: private (informal) and legal (court-admissible). Available for purchase through the PropLine Store, with sample collection and laboratory analysis included for individuals and families requiring biological relationship confirmation.
• Urine-based Cancer Risk Test (尿から、がんリスク検査) Urine-based cancer risk screening test that measures diacetyl spermine (a polyamine) with high sensitivity to support early cancer detection. Sold through PropLine Store as an at-home self-collection kit for individual consumers.
• Urine-based Oxidative Stress Test (尿から、酸化ストレス検査) Urine-based oxidative stress test measuring 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine), a substance produced when cellular DNA is damaged by reactive oxygen species. Sold through PropLine Store as an at-home kit for health-conscious individual consumers.
• Gut Flora (Bacterial Flora) Test (腸内フローラ(細菌叢)検査) Gut flora (bacterial flora) analysis test using the Flora Scan product from Primedica Co., Ltd. Allows consumers to analyze their intestinal bacterial flora distribution from home. Available through the PropLine Store.
• SERO Quality Control Products (SERO 精度管理用コントロール製品) Third-party independent quality control serum products for clinical laboratories and registered hygiene testing facilities. Product line covers 58 items for SeroNorm Immunoassay, 14 items for SeroNorm Immunoassay Liquid, 16 items for SeroNorm Cardiac Acute, and 73 items for AutoNorm Clinical Chem Liquid (161 items total). Distributed in Japan by PropGene since March 2024 as a reseller of SERO AS (Norway).
• COVID-19 PCR and Antigen Testing Service On-site COVID-19 PCR testing (saliva-based, RT-PCR method) and antigen testing performed at PropGene's Koenji, Tokyo testing site under Tokyo Metropolitan Government's free testing program. Hours: 10:00-18:00. Asymptomatic Tokyo residents can access free testing; results delivered same-day for morning samples and next-day for afternoon samples.
• Proprietary Gene Chip Testing (Dementia, Autism, and Other Disease Areas) Laboratory gene chip testing service covering disease-related genetic regions for dementia, autism, and various other conditions. Performed in-house using PropGene's proprietary, independently assembled gene chip platform — described as not available from other providers. Offered through PropGene's laboratory testing operations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Japan DNA Advisor Association (DAAJ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025PropGene supports the Japan DNA Advisor Association's genetic testing utilization seminar scheduled for December 19, 2025. PropGene actively supports this seminar which is helpful for daily genetic testing applications, and promotes participation among consumers and professionals.
• SERO AS (Norway)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2024Since March 2024, PropGene serves as the distributor in Japan for SERO AS, a Norwegian company manufacturing third-party quality control serum products since 1963. SERO products are used in hospitals and companies in over 50 countries for measurement instrument quality control.
• HECTEF (一般社法人HECTEF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropGene provides business support to HECTEF (Healthcare Technology Training and Education Foundation), a general incorporated foundation. PropGene's Medical General Advisor, Dr. Ikunoshin Sakurabayashi, serves as the representative director of HECTEF.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• H.U. Group Holdings: Parent entity of SRL Inc. and a major Japanese clinical laboratory and in-vitro diagnostics group. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same clinical testing space, offering PropGene's spin-off origin point and key competitive benchmark.
• BML Inc. Major Japanese clinical laboratory providing routine and specialized testing services to hospitals, clinics, and health-screening centers. Comparable as a broader incumbent in clinical specimen testing, though operating at significantly larger scale than PropGene.
• Sysmex Corporation: Major Japanese in-vitro diagnostics and laboratory automation company. Comparable as a broader incumbent in clinical diagnostics, with overlapping expertise in hematology, immunology, and clinical chemistry testing where SERO QC products are also used.
• LSI Medience Corporation: Major Japanese clinical reference laboratory (formerly part of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings), providing routine and esoteric clinical testing to hospitals and clinics. Comparable as a larger incumbent serving the same clinical laboratory customer base for SERO QC products.
• Takara Bio Inc. Japanese biotechnology company providing genetic testing reagents, instruments, and services for research and clinical applications. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the genetic testing and molecular diagnostics space.

Regional players

• Eurofins Scientific: Global bioanalytical testing services group operating clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical testing laboratories worldwide. Comparable as a testing services operator in the broader medical/biological testing space, though based in Europe with limited direct overlap in PropGene's Japan-focused DTC market.

Direct peers

• SRL Inc. Major Japanese clinical reference laboratory under H.U. Group Holdings, and the company from which PropGene was originally spun off in 2004. Directly comparable as a clinical specimen testing laboratory serving Japanese hospitals and clinics.
• DNA Chip Research Inc. Japanese company specializing in DNA microarray (gene chip) based genetic testing for research and clinical applications. Highly comparable to PropGene given PropGene's proprietary gene chip testing platform for dementia, autism, and other disease-related regions.
• Genesis Healthcare Co. One of Japan's leading direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, offering a broad portfolio of DTC genetic tests similar to PropGene's PropLine Store lineup. Directly comparable in product category, target consumer, and business model.

Emerging players

• Primedica Co., Ltd. Japanese microbiome and gut flora testing company whose Flora Scan product is resold by PropGene. Comparable as a niche player in the at-home microbiome testing space, with a partial product overlap via the distribution partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 PropGene