Nagara

What Nagara does

Nagara (株式会社ナガラ) is a privately held Japanese precision mold manufacturer headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, with a secondary production facility in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture. Founded in 1989, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of metal molds and related equipment, with four interconnected service lines: core mold and equipment design/manufacturing, reverse engineering for mold reproduction and improvement, thick-plate press manufacturing, and on-site technical support via supervisor (SV) dispatch. It also markets a small line of branded 'Nagara Original Tool' products.

Underlying capability is built around advanced CNC machining, including Okuma 5-axis machining centers (MCR-A5CII) deployed across both plants and an Okuma MB-66VB vertical machining center. Quality systems include structured QC conferences, Technical Information Management Certification from the Japan Die & Mold Industrial Association, and Business Continuity Plan certification from METI. Two senior practitioners hold the industry's highest credentials: Takehara Kenji as a Senior Mold Master (one of only ~19 in Japan) and Mizuno Kei as a certified Mold Master (one of only ~36).

The business model is project-based B2B: customers commission molds for small-lot production runs typical of the automotive and broader industrial manufacturing sectors, with revenue recognized per project and complemented by reverse-engineering and dispatch services. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales supplemented by participation in industry exhibitions such as INTERMOLD (Osaka and Nagoya). The company is founder/management-owned (Chairman Hayase Minoru, President Takehara) with no disclosed external shareholders, ~100–200 employees, and a regional footprint concentrated in the Chubu region of Japan.

Name

Nagara

Legal name

株式会社ナガラ

Website

https://nagara.gr.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nagara (株式会社ナガラ) is a privately held Japanese precision metal-mold design and manufacturer founded in 1989 and headquartered in Nagoya. It serves automotive and industrial manufacturers across the Chubu region via mold production, reverse engineering, thick-plate press fabrication, and on-site technical dispatch services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mold Design and Manufacturing: Core business providing mold design, manufacturing, and related equipment. Services include small-lot production using molds.
2. Reverse Engineering Services: Reverse engineering services for mold reproduction and improvement
3. Technical Support and SV Dispatch: Technical support services including supervisor (SV) dispatch to client sites
4. Original Tooling Products: Original tool products manufactured in-house

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nagara is a mold design and manufacturing company that produces precision dies/molds and related equipment for industrial manufacturers. Its core business covers mold and related equipment design and manufacturing, supported by reverse engineering services, thick-plate press manufacturing, on-site technical support (SV dispatch), and a small line of in-house original tool products. Production runs from two facilities: the headquarters factory in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and the Mie factory in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.

Product overview

Nagara is a mold design and manufacturing company headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The company operates as a single unified manufacturing business with four interconnected service offerings: mold and related equipment design and manufacturing (its core business), reverse engineering services, thick plate press manufacturing, and technical support/SV dispatch services. Additionally, the company offers original tool products branded under its own name. The company has two manufacturing facilities (headquarters factory and Mie factory) and serves primarily industrial manufacturing clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mold and Related Equipment Design and Manufacturing (金型及び関連機器の設計・製造) End-to-end design and manufacturing of precision molds and related equipment, including small-lot production using molds. Targeted at industrial manufacturers, particularly automotive parts makers and general industrial firms.
• Reverse Engineering (リバースエンジニアリング) Service for analyzing and recreating existing products or components. Intended for industrial customers needing mold reproduction, legacy part replication, or design improvement.
• Thick Plate Press Manufacturing (厚板用プレス製造) Manufacturing services for presses designed for thick-plate processing. Serves industrial customers requiring specialized heavy-duty press equipment.
• Technical Support / SV Dispatch (技術支援・SV派遣) On-site technical support and dispatch of specialist engineers (SV) to assist clients with mold manufacturing and related operations. Targeted at industrial manufacturers using Nagara-built molds.
• Nagara Original Tool Products (ナガラオリジナル工具製品) In-house branded original tool products developed and manufactured by Nagara. Sold as standalone tool items to industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Selected as one of top 30 out of 3000 companies in METI Mikata Project 2025

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 日本ユニシス・エクセリューションズ株式会社 (Nihon Unisys Solutions)coreTechnology or IntegrationCAD/CAM software partnership. UEL Forum 2019 panel discussion participant. Technical collaboration including new employee exchange programs. User visits and factory tours conducted regularly.
• TDECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSame-industry peer company. Factory tours and opinion exchange meetings conducted between mid-career employees of both companies.
• 長良会 (Nagara Kai - Cooperative Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative association of partner companies. Regular general meetings held with 36 member companies (as of 2024). Sales presentations and gratitude reports shared.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yamawa Manufacturing: Long-standing Japanese precision tool maker (threading, taps, dies) with manufacturing operations and Master-certified engineering talent. Similar SME-style precision manufacturing DNA and customer overlap with mold-using industries.
• Union Tool Co. Japanese precision cutting tool manufacturer with global footprint. Comparable to Nagara as a Japan-based precision tooling company serving industrial manufacturing customers with similar SME/quality-certification-driven positioning.
• Sodick: Japanese manufacturer of EDM machines and precision molds/tooling with global operations. Directly comparable to Nagara as a Japan-based precision mold and die maker serving industrial manufacturers.
• Fuji Die Co., Ltd. Tokyo-listed Japanese precision mold components and die-making company. Compares directly with Nagara on precision mold manufacturing capability, customer base overlap, and Japanese SME mold-maker positioning.

Broad incumbents

• DMG MORI: Global machine tool manufacturer with strong Japanese heritage. Provides 5-axis machining centers used in mold manufacturing and competes for talent and customer share in the precision manufacturing market.
• Misumi Group: Large Japanese industrial components and mold-base catalog distributor/manufacturer. Comparable to Nagara as a Japan-based mold-related industrial supplier, though operating at much larger scale as a broader portfolio player.
• Brother Industries: Japanese diversified industrial manufacturer with machine tool and industrial equipment divisions. Overlaps with Nagara in industrial machinery end markets and Japanese manufacturing customer base.
• Makino Milling Machine Co. Japanese machine tool builder specializing in machining centers and EDM. Provides the type of equipment Nagara uses and serves overlapping industrial customers; a broader incumbent in the mold tooling supply chain.
• Amada Co., Ltd. Major Japanese metalworking machinery manufacturer with global operations. Serves similar industrial manufacturing customers with overlapping fabrication/forming technology, though at greater scale and broader portfolio.

Others

• Okuma Corporation: Japanese machine tool manufacturer whose 5-axis CNC equipment Nagara uses. While not a direct competitor, Okuma sits in the mold-manufacturing supply chain and defines the technology capability frontier for Nagara.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Nagara