What IMP does

IMP Co., Ltd. (有限会社 IMP) is a Kyoto University spin-off venture founded on March 22, 2005, headquartered in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, Japan, that designs, manufactures, and sells specialized equipment for the characterization and handling of granular materials and powders, particularly micro- and nano-sized particles. The company maintains an R&D laboratory embedded within Kyoto University's Katsura Campus (RoHM Memorial Hall, Room 312), institutionalizing its academic roots. Its flagship product is the Dynamic Powder Flow Tester, co-invented with Kyoto University Graduate School researchers (Shuji Matsusaka, Hiroaki Masuda, Yanbin Jiang), with patent applications filed domestically and internationally through Kyoto University. The portfolio also includes electrostatic charge meters with Faraday cups, high-precision powder feeders (including an electric-field-controlled dispersion variant with international patent pending), an ultra-comminution particle shear feeding device for de-agglomeration, and microsphere external-diameter and shape sorting devices.

The company generates revenue through two streams: one-time sales of specialized testing and powder-handling equipment to B2B customers, and contract testing services covering flowability testing, adhesive strength distribution measurement, and electrostatic property evaluation (cascade and centrifugal contact methods). It serves powder-handling-intensive industries — toner and electrophotography, pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and advanced materials manufacturers — as well as corporate and academic R&D laboratories developing functional micro- and nano-particles. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, with direct enterprise sales, custom quotations, technical presentations at industry exhibitions such as Powder Expo Osaka and Powdertex Tokyo, and a Yahoo! Shopping storefront for peripheral consumer products like stainless hoppers. A channel partnership with Sojitz Machinery Co., Ltd. supports equipment distribution, and relationships with JST and various Japanese venture-support institutions provide development and funding support. Representative Director Masatoshi Yasuda leads the company; no revenue, headcount, or external funding rounds are publicly disclosed.

Name

IMP

Legal name

有限会社は ＩＭＰ

Website

https://imp-co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IMP is a Kyoto University spin-off that manufactures specialized equipment and contract testing services for characterizing and handling micro- and nano-sized powders, serving B2B customers in toner, pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and advanced materials industries and R&D laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ikoma

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of powder characterization and testing equipment including Dynamic Powder Flow Tester, Electrostatic Charge Meter, and precision powder feeders. B2B transactions with industrial customers requiring specialized measurement devices.
2. Contract Testing Services: Powder characterization testing services including powder flowability testing, adhesive strength distribution measurement, electrostatic property testing (cascade method and centrifugal contact method).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

IMP manufactures and sells precision equipment for testing and handling granular materials and powders, including the Dynamic Powder Flow Tester, Electrostatic Charge Meter & Faraday Cup, High Precision Powder Feeders (including electric field controlled variants), Particle Shear Feeding Devices, and Microsphere Sorting Devices. The company also provides contract powder characterization testing services covering flowability, adhesive strength distribution, and particle charging characteristics for micro and nano-sized particles.

Product overview

IMP is a Kyoto University spinoff company (京都大学発ベンチャー) that manufactures precision powder testing and handling equipment. The core product portfolio centers on the Dynamic Powder Flow Tester, developed by inventors from Kyoto University, complemented by electrostatic charge measurement devices, high-precision powder feeders, and microsphere sorting equipment. The company also provides contract testing services including flowability testing, adhesive strength distribution analysis, and particle charging characteristic tests. The products work together as a comprehensive suite for powder characterization and handling, targeting industries requiring precise control of fine particles such as toner manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dynamic Powder Flow Tester (粉粒体流動性試験装置) A powder flowability testing device for evaluating the flow characteristics, adhesion, and electrostatic properties of fine particles, developed in collaboration with Kyoto University Graduate School researchers.
• Electrostatic Charge Meter & Faraday Cup (帯電量測定装置) Device for measuring the electrostatic charge properties of particles using a Faraday cup system.
• High Precision Powder Feeder (超微量定量供給装置) Ultra-precise micro-quantity powder feeding/supply device for controlled dispensing of fine particles.
• High Precision Powder Feeder by Electric Field Control (電界制御粒子分散供給装置) Particle dispersion and feeding device controlled by electric field; international patent applications pending.
• Ultra-Comminution Particle Shear Feeding Device (超解砕式粒子剪断供給装置) Particle shearing and feeding device with ultra-comminution capability for processing agglomerated powders.
• Microsphere External Diameter Sorting Device (微小球体外径選別装置) Sorting device for classifying microspheres by external diameter for precise size separation.
• Microsphere Shape Sorting Device (微小球体形状選別装置) Sorting device for classifying microspheres by shape characteristics.
• Contract Powder Characterization Testing Services (粉粒体特性の各種受託測定) Contract testing services for powder characterization, including adhesive strength distribution analysis, vibration-tube flowability testing, cascade particle charging testing, and centrifugal contact particle charging testing, targeted at industrial customers and R&D institutions needing powder property evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully handles JIS powder test materials with average particle diameter 1.2μm and maximum 20μm with strong aggregation properties

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kyoto University Particle Engineering DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership with Kyoto University Particle Engineering Department. Core technology invented by university researchers with patent applications filed through Kyoto University. Company maintains research lab at Kyoto University Katsura Campus.
• Sojitz Machinery Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner link on company website, suggesting distribution or business relationship for machinery/equipment sales.
• Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner link, suggesting potential funding or support relationship for technology development.
• Kyoto City Venture Evaluation CommitteeminorOthersListed as partner link - likely a municipal support organization for venture companies.
• Kyoto University Katsura Venture PlazaminorOthersListed as partner link - a venture support facility at Kyoto University Katsura Campus where the company maintains a research laboratory.
• Osaka Industry Creation MuseumminorOthersListed as partner link - a business support organization for companies in Osaka region.
• Japan Institute of Invention and InnovationminorOthersListed as partner link - a national organization supporting invention and innovation activities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Micromeritics Instrument Corporation: Specialist manufacturer of powder and particulate characterization instruments (e.g., flowability, surface area, density). Closely comparable to IMP's niche in dedicated powder-handling test equipment for industrial and research customers.
• Freeman Technology (Freeman Technology Ltd, part of Micromeritics): Developers of the FT4 Powder Rheometer, a dynamic powder flow tester used to characterize flowability, shear, and bulk properties — the most direct functional competitor to IMP's Dynamic Powder Flow Tester.

Emerging players

• Bettersize Instruments: Chinese-origin manufacturer of laser diffraction particle size analyzers and powder characterization equipment. Comparable niche focus on industrial powder characterization serving similar end markets.
• TSI Incorporated: US-based precision measurement instruments including aerosol and particle counters/charge analyzers. Comparable to IMP's electrostatic/charge measurement product line for particle characterization applications.
• Horiba Scientific: Scientific instruments division of Horiba offering particle characterization (e.g., laser diffraction analyzers). Comparable to IMP in providing particle-level measurement solutions for R&D and quality control in powder-handling industries.

Broad incumbents

• Shimadzu Corporation: Major Japanese scientific instrument manufacturer with broad analytical and measurement product lines. Comparable to IMP in offering precision measurement instruments to Japanese industrial and research customers, though across a much wider portfolio.
• Anton Paar: Austrian precision instrument maker with a growing powder and surface characterization portfolio (e.g., particle sizing, rheology). Comparable as a high-precision materials measurement vendor addressing similar industrial QA and R&D use cases as IMP.
• Malvern Panalytical: Global leader in particle characterization and material measurement instruments, offering laser diffraction particle sizing, rheology, and image analysis. Comparable to IMP as a powder/particulate characterization equipment vendor serving industrial and pharmaceutical customers, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Hosokawa Micron Corporation: Japanese-headquartered specialist in powder and particle processing technology, including classification, mixing, drying, and measurement. Comparable to IMP as a powder-handling technology supplier serving the same Japanese industrial customer base.

Regional players

• Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH: German specialist in powder processing and particle engineering, including fluid bed and spray granulation technologies. Comparable to IMP as a powder-handling technology specialist addressing advanced materials, pharma, and food applications in adjacent (process) stages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 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 IMP