Freele

What Freele does

Freele (株式会社フリール, operating as Freeill) is a Japanese medical logistics company that rents mobile CT and MRI vehicles to hospitals, clinics, corporations, municipalities, and research institutions on flexible terms ranging from 2 hours to multi-month engagements. Founded in June 1992 as Japan's first mobile medical examination service company, the firm pioneered the vehicle-mounted imaging category in Japan and has held multiple industry firsts: Japan's first helical CT vehicle (1995, with Toshiba/Canon), Japan's first 1.5T superconducting MRI vehicle (2000, world's smallest class), and Japan's first Philips 1.0T MRI vehicle (2003). The fleet comprises 12 CT vehicles (16-slice or 32-slice scanners), 7 MRI vehicles (1.5T systems), one combined gastric/chest screening vehicle, and one dedicated chest screening vehicle, supported by 8 regional technical centers across Japan. Differentiated engineering features include world's-smallest-class vehicle dimensions (CT at 9.2–10.2m length, MRI at 11.6–12.6m length, both 2.5m wide and 3.8m tall), barrier-free power-gate access for stretcher and wheelchair patients, and DICOM-compliant image output via DVD-R and hospital network integration.

The business operates four service lines: Medical Examination Support (rental to institutions lacking CT/MRI equipment), Health Screening Support (mobile lung cancer and brain dock screenings for corporations and municipalities), Substitution Support (replacement vehicles during customer equipment upgrades, typically 6 days to 1 month), and Research Support (university epidemiological studies and animal research). Pricing is quote-based, with usage-based billing for short-term rentals and monthly subscriptions for recurring deployments; bundled technical support includes radiologic technologists and radiology reading services. The customer base features multi-year relationships — Sato Clinic has used bimonthly CT rental for 8 years, Noda Kousei Clinic has rented MRI for over 10 years, and Keiwa Hospital performs 24 MRI examinations per day under monthly rental.

Freele is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MC Healthcare Group (since April 2024), having previously been under ORIX Group ownership from May 2013. The company operates under Representative Director Sakane Mutsuaki (坂根睦章). No public listing, venture financing, or revenue disclosure is present in available data. GTM motion combines direct enterprise field sales (site visits, vehicle demonstrations, conference participation) with direct-to-consumer workplace screening delivery for corporate health insurance associations and occupational health organizations.

Name

Freele

Legal name

株式会社フリール

Website

https://freeill.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Freele (株式会社フリール, DBA Freeill) is a Japanese medical logistics company, founded 1992, that rents mobile CT and MRI vehicles — 12 CT and 7 MRI in fleet plus screening vehicles — to hospitals, clinics, corporations, municipalities, and universities on flexible 2-hour-to-multi-month terms. It is a subsidiary of MC Healthcare Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Medical Imaging Services

NAICS

Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Imaging Services (HLAFAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Portable, Mobile & Point-of-Care Imaging Systems (HLAHABAL)

Keywords

• Mobile CT rental
• Mobile MRI rental
• Medical imaging services
• Mobile diagnostic vehicles
• Healthcare equipment leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Takasaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medical Equipment Rental (CT/MRI Vehicles): Rental of CT and MRI equipped vehicles to medical institutions for clinical diagnostics, health screenings, equipment replacement during upgrades, and research purposes. Rental periods range from 2 hours to multiple months, with flexibility for extension or early termination. The rental includes technical support services such as technologists for imaging and radiologist reading services.
2. Technical Support Services: Accompanying technical support services including radiologic technologists for image capture and radiology specialist reading services for diagnostic interpretation. These services are bundled with equipment rental.
3. Outsourced Reading Services: Outsourcing of radiology reading services for health screening organizations and corporate health programs using the mobile CT/MRI vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Freele rents mobile CT and MRI examination vehicles to medical institutions, health screening organizations, corporations, and research institutions across Japan. The company operates Japan's first and largest fleet of compact mobile imaging vehicles, providing flexible rental terms from 2 hours to multi-month arrangements, bundled with technical personnel including radiologic technologists and radiology reading services.

Product overview

Freele (株式会社フリール) operates Japan's first and leading fleet of medical mobile imaging service vehicles, offering a portfolio of 12 CT-equipped vehicles and 7 MRI-equipped vehicles, plus gastric/chest examination vehicles. The company provides four interconnected service lines: Medical Examination Support (for institutions without equipment), Health Screening Support (for municipalities and corporations), Substitution Support (replacement during equipment updates), and Research Support (for academic studies). Services combine mobile imaging vehicles with technical personnel and radiology reading services, enabling advanced diagnostic imaging at any location without fixed infrastructure investment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CT-Equipped Vehicles (CT搭載車) Mobile CT examination vehicles equipped with 16-slice or 32-slice CT scanners (Siemens, Canon, and Fujifilm models), providing portable computed tomography diagnostics for medical institutions, health screenings, and substitution during equipment updates. Vehicles are world-class compact (9.2m-10.2m length, 2.5m width, 3.8m height) suited for Japanese road and parking conditions.
• MRI-Equipped Vehicles (MRI搭載車) Mobile MRI examination vehicles equipped with 1.5T MRI scanners (Philips Achieva and Fujifilm ECHELON RX models), designed as world's smallest class (11.6m-12.6m length, 2.5m width, 3.8m height) for Japan's road conditions. Enables brain dock screenings and advanced diagnostic imaging with barrier-free access for stretcher and wheelchair patients.
• Gastric/Chest Examination Vehicle (胃胸部検診車) Mobile examination vehicle for combined gastric and chest health screenings, supporting comprehensive preventive health examinations at workplaces and community settings.
• Chest Examination Vehicle (胸部検診車) Mobile examination vehicle dedicated to chest health screenings, supporting lung cancer screening programs at workplaces and community settings.
• Medical Examination Support (診療支援)

Quantifiable outcome

• Keiwa Hospital achieved 24 MRI examinations per day after introducing monthly MRI rental, with stable revenue and reduced patient burden
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Nihon Kohden Corporation: Nihon Kohden is a major Japanese manufacturer of medical electronic equipment including patient monitoring and diagnostic devices. Comparable as a Japanese-headquartered medical equipment company serving hospitals, though focused on monitoring and electrophysiology rather than mobile CT/MRI rental operations.
• Medipal Holdings Corporation: Medipal Holdings is a leading Japanese pharmaceutical and medical device distributor with significant healthcare service exposure. Comparable as a healthcare value-chain intermediary in Japan serving hospitals and clinics, though focused on product distribution rather than mobile imaging rental services.
• MC Healthcare Holdings: MC Healthcare Holdings is Freele's current parent company (since April 2024), part of the Mitsubishi Corporation group, encompassing MC Healthcare, MC Medical, NHS Shizuoka, and Maixi Medical Devices (Shanghai). Directly comparable as the group consolidating Japanese medical service businesses, with potential for cross-sell synergies to Freele's customers.

Broad incumbents

• ORIX Corporation: ORIX Corporation was Freele's parent company from 2013 until April 2024 and operates one of Japan's largest equipment leasing and rental businesses, including medical equipment. Highly comparable as a major Japanese financial/operating group with healthcare equipment rental exposure and prior direct involvement in Freele's business.
• Philips Healthcare (Japan): Philips supplies the Achieva 1.5T MRI systems used in Freele's mobile MRI fleet and was the partner for Japan's first 1.0T mobile MRI vehicle in 2003. As a global imaging OEM with a strong Japanese installed base, Philips is a technology counterpart to Freele, though it focuses on equipment sales rather than mobile rental services.
• Hitachi High-Tech Corporation: Hitachi High-Tech manufactures diagnostic and analytical equipment including medical imaging systems used in Japanese hospitals. As a Japanese-headquartered imaging and measurement equipment maker, it competes in the same modalities (CT, MRI) and serves overlapping hospital customers, though via capital equipment sales rather than mobile rental services.
• Canon Medical Systems Corporation: Canon Medical Systems is a leading global manufacturer of CT, MRI, ultrasound, and diagnostic imaging systems and the successor to Toshiba Medical — Freele's long-standing technology partner since the 1995 helical CT vehicle. As the OEM whose scanners power much of Freele's fleet, Canon Medical sits in the same imaging value chain with deep technical adjacency, though it sells equipment rather than operating a rental fleet.
• Fujifilm Healthcare: Fujifilm Healthcare manufactures diagnostic imaging systems including CT and MRI, and is one of the OEMs supplying Freele's mobile fleet (ECHELON RX MRI model). Comparable as an imaging equipment manufacturer with overlap in the modality categories (CT, MRI) that Freele deploys in vehicle-mounted form.
• GE HealthCare (Japan): GE HealthCare is a major global manufacturer of CT, MRI, and other diagnostic imaging systems with a significant Japanese presence. Comparable to Freele in addressing Japanese hospitals' advanced imaging needs, though as an equipment manufacturer rather than a mobile rental operator, GE HealthCare occupies an adjacent layer of the same imaging value chain.
• Siemens Healthineers (Japan): Siemens Healthineers is a leading manufacturer of CT and MRI systems globally and one of the OEMs whose equipment is installed in Freele's mobile fleet. Comparable as a diagnostic imaging equipment manufacturer with overlapping modality portfolio (CT, MRI), though operating via direct equipment sales and service contracts rather than mobile rental operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Freele