What AppliCraft does

AppliCraft Co., Ltd. (株式会社アプリクラフト) is a Shibuya, Tokyo-based value-added software reseller, technical integrator, and training services firm operating exclusively in the Japanese market. The company is the authorized Japanese distributor for McNeel's Rhinoceros 3D NURBS modeling platform and its plugin ecosystem, including Grasshopper (visual algorithmic/parametric design), VisualARQ (parametric BIM), Lands Design (landscape architecture), Bongo (animation), CADtools (Adobe Illustrator CAD plugin), and DATAKIT's CrossCad/CrossManager CAD data translation products supporting 30+ formats (CATIA, SolidWorks, Inventor, Revit, IFC, STEP, JT, Parasolid, etc.). Underlying technology comprises third-party commercial software that AppliCraft localizes, distributes, trains on, and extends via proprietary consulting and commissioned services.

The business generates revenue across four streams: (1) software distribution through perpetual licenses, annual maintenance subscriptions, and educational licenses sold via a proprietary e-commerce shop (ac-online.shop) and authorized resellers (株式会社Too, ディプロス株式会社, 株式会社システムクリエーター); (2) training and certification courses — both McNeel-certified Level 1/2 and specialized curricula (Rhino, Grasshopper, SubD, jewelry, architectural, product modeling, CADtools, VisualARQ, Lands Design, rendering) — delivered online via Zoom and in-person at the Tokyo training room, with course fees ranging from ¥5,500 to ¥132,000; (3) AppliCraft Premium Services encompassing paid technical support, custom training, modeling consulting, commissioned design work (e.g., injection molding tooling for jewelry), and custom software development; and (4) ancillary X-ray CT non-destructive inspection services for reverse engineering and quality control. The company maintains 1–10 employees and serves customers including architectural firms (Nikken Sekkei, 竹中工務店 Takenaka Corporation), manufacturers (近鉄車輛), designers, jewelry designers, educational institutions (広島工業大学), and individual practitioners across Japan.

Name

AppliCraft

Legal name

株式会社アプリクラフト (AppliCraft Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://applicraft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AppliCraft Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-based value-added reseller and technical services firm that exclusively distributes McNeel's Rhinoceros 3D CAD ecosystem and complementary plugins (Grasshopper, VisualARQ, CADtools, DATAKIT translators) in Japan, providing local sales, certified training, premium consulting, and commissioned modeling services to architects, product designers, and jewelry designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Akasaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Sales: AppliCraft distributes Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, CADtools, VisualARQ, Lands Design, Bongo, iRhino 3D, Zoo, DATAKIT products (CrossCad plugin and CrossManager standalone), and various other plugins in Japan as the exclusive distributor. Revenue is generated through perpetual licenses, annual maintenance/support subscriptions, and educational licenses. The company also sells via an online shop and through authorized resellers.
2. Training and Seminars: The company operates a comprehensive training program including Rhino/GH introductory courses, McNeel-certified level 1 and 2 courses, SubD, product modeling, architectural modeling, jewelry modeling, CADtools, VisualARQ, Lands Design, and rendering training. Courses are offered online and in-person at the Tokyo training room, with course fees ranging from ¥5,500 to ¥132,000 per course.
3. Premium Services (Consulting & Custom Development): AppliCraft offers paid technical support, custom training programs, modeling consulting and commissioned design/modeling work, and custom software development under the AppliCraft Premium Service umbrella. This includes design and modeling commissioned work (e.g., injection molding tooling design support) and specialized program development.
4. X-ray CT Non-Destructive Inspection Service: The company offers non-destructive inspection services using X-ray CT scanning technology, supporting reverse engineering, quality control, and design validation workflows for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AppliCraft is the authorized Japanese distributor of Rhinoceros 3D CAD and its ecosystem of plugins (Grasshopper, VisualARQ, Lands Design, Bongo, CADtools, CrossCad/CrossManager). The company sells software licenses and maintenance subscriptions, runs paid training and certification programs, delivers custom plugin and script development for the Rhino/Grasshopper platform, and operates an X-ray CT non-destructive inspection service.

Product overview

AppliCraft is a Japanese software reseller and technical services company specializing in 3D CAD and design tools. The product portfolio centers on McNeel Rhinoceros as the core 3D NURBS CAD platform, with the Grasshopper visual programming plugin for algorithmic/parametric design. Add-on modules include VisualARQ for architectural BIM, Lands Design for landscape architecture, and Bongo for animation. Illustrator plugins (CADtools, ControlFreak, CADpatterns, DwellSymbols) extend Adobe Illustrator with CAD functionality. Data translation products include CrossCad and CrossManager for cross-CAD format conversion, IFC-VAX for BIM exchange, and QuickBOM for bill of materials. The company also provides training courses, premium technical support, and modeling consultation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rhinoceros (Rhino)
• Grasshopper
• VisualARQ
• Lands Design
• Bongo
• CADtools for Adobe Illustrator
• CrossCad/CrossManager
• Rhinoceros Training and Certification Programs
• Custom Plugin and Script Development
• X-ray CT Non-Destructive Inspection Service

Quantifiable outcome

• AppliCraft enables designers to create complex free-form surfaces with NURBS precision that would be difficult or impossible with conventional CAD approaches
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• 株式会社ToomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 December 2023株式会社Too is an authorized Rhino reseller and training partner in Japan (Tokyo and Nagoya offices), offering in-person and online Rhino training. AppliCraft co-markets with Too on seminars and events, including the Rhino 8 Latest Feature Strategy Seminar.
• Robert McNeel & AssociatescoreTechnology or IntegrationAppliCraft is the authorized Japanese distributor and value-added reseller for Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and related McNeel products including Bongo, iRhino 3D, and Zoo. The company also provides McNeel-certified training programs (Level 1 and Level 2) and supports the Rhino trainer qualification system in Japan.
• DATAKIT (Datakit)coreTechnology or IntegrationAppliCraft distributes DATAKIT's CrossCad (Rhino plugin) and CrossManager (standalone) data translation products in Japan. These products enable import/export between Rhino and 30+ CAD formats including CATIA, SolidWorks, Inventor, Revit, IFC, STEP, IGES, and others.
• Hot Door (CADtools Developer)coreTechnology or IntegrationAppliCraft distributes Hot Door's CADtools and other Illustrator plugin products (ControlFreak, CADpatterns, DwellSymbols) in Japan.
• VisualARQ / Asuni (BIM Plugin Developer)coreTechnology or IntegrationAppliCraft distributes the VisualARQ parametric BIM plugin for Rhinoceros in Japan. VisualARQ provides walls, curtain walls, beams, columns, openings, stairs, and BIM workflows within Rhino.
• Lands Design / AsunicoreTechnology or IntegrationAppliCraft distributes Lands Design, a landscape and gardening design plugin for Rhinoceros, in Japan.
• ディプロス株式会社 (Dipross Corporation)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Rhino reseller and training partner in Nagoya, offering in-person and online McNeel-certified Level 1 and Level 2 Rhino training courses.
• 株式会社システムクリエイター (System Create)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Rhino reseller and online training partner based in Osaka.
• 合同会社Triple Bottom Line (Triple Bottom Line LLC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner，合同会社Triple Bottom Line, led by designer Goji Yanagisawa, provides computational design training and consulting using Rhino and Grasshopper. Collaborates with AppliCraft on seminars and educational content.
• 株式会社ラトルズ (Rutles)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAppliCraft co-authors and publishes Rhino/Grasshopper reference books with Rutles. Books published include 'Rhino × Grasshopper All in 1 Perfect Reference', 'Computational Modeling', and 'Mac de Hajimeru Rhinoceros'.
• SUDARE TECHNOLOGIES株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSUDARE TECHNOLOGIES develops and maintains Rhino.Inside.Revit documentation and updates, which AppliCraft publishes on its support website. They also create the EEL structural analysis software for Rhino/Grasshopper.
• 有限会社は Livingston CG (Living CG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLiving CG is a Lumion and Rhino user that organizes free online seminars on design DX topics combining Matterport scanning with Rhinoceros. AppliCraft co-promotes these events.
• ArchiFuture実行委員会 (ArchiFuture Executive Committee)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAppliCraft has been an annual sponsor of the ArchiFuture conference (since at least 2015), a major architectural design event in Japan, showcasing VisualARQ, Lands Design, and Grasshopper capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dassault Systèmes: Dassault Systèmes sells CATIA, SolidWorks, and other CAD/PLM platforms that compete with Rhino in product design and manufacturing. AppliCraft actually distributes DATAKIT translators that enable Rhino-to-CATIA/SolidWorks data exchange, positioning Dassault as both a competitor in upstream CAD and an indirect ecosystem participant.
• Autodesk: Autodesk is the dominant incumbent in CAD and BIM software (AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Fusion 360) and competes with Rhino/Grasshopper in architecture, product design, and manufacturing CAD. As a broad incumbent, Autodesk offers overlapping capabilities but does not specialize in free-form NURBS or parametric Grasshopper workflows the way AppliCraft's portfolio does.

Others

• Robert McNeel & Associates: The principal software developer of Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. Not a peer in the competitive sense but rather the upstream supplier whose products AppliCraft distributes; included because it is the most directly relevant entity for understanding AppliCraft's economics and risks.

Emerging players

• Vectorworks: Vectorworks is a CAD/BIM platform widely used in architecture and landscape design — overlapping directly with VisualARQ and Lands Design, two plugins AppliCraft distributes for Rhino. Competes for the same Japanese architectural customer base but is a different platform rather than a Rhino-compatible tool.
• Bricsys: Bricsys develops BricsCAD, a DWG-based alternative CAD platform. It is an emerging player overlapping with Rhino in general CAD use cases for architects and product designers, though it does not compete in free-form NURBS modeling or Grasshopper-style parametric workflows.

Regional players

• Too Corporation (株式会社Too): Too Corporation is both an AppliCraft partner (authorized Rhino reseller in Tokyo and Nagoya) and a long-standing Japanese distributor of design, graphics, and 3D software including Adobe products. Comparable as a Japan-based design software distributor with overlapping customer base, though it operates at larger scale and broader portfolio than AppliCraft.

Direct peers

• SimplyRhino (UK): SimplyRhino is the authorized UK and Ireland distributor for McNeel's Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and related plugins. Operates the same business model as AppliCraft: software distribution + authorized training + premium support services for the Rhino ecosystem, making it the closest functional peer.
• McNeel Europe: McNeel's European subsidiary that supports Rhino/Grasshopper distribution and training in Europe alongside independent resellers. Direct structural peer in terms of offering the same product set, though it operates as the principal's own subsidiary rather than an independent VAR.
• Proesvar / Rhino3D.EU: Proesvar is the authorized French and European distributor for McNeel Rhinoceros products. Operates the same distribution + training + consulting model as AppliCraft in a different European geography, making it a direct peer for the regional Rhino reseller business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/applicraft
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWUI3UfUGWMzhU8UAuLL0dQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AppliCraft

Compliance1 record

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 AppliCraft