UKI

What UKI does

UKI (Yamaguchi Laboratory / 山口研究室, legal entity 株式会社うき / Uki Co., Ltd.) is a Sakai, Japan-based engineering firm specializing in measurement, control, and observation (FA) software and niche industrial hardware. Founded in 1996 as a spin-off from Kyowa Kikai Seisakusho by a founder with software development experience dating to 1985, the company has built a portfolio centered on the PointMarkerCCM product family (CCM250, CCM500, CCM800) — center rolling machines for the Japanese ironworks segment — alongside a succession of custom FA solutions, human engineering research tools, and IoT platforms (Smart IO, Smart Patrol, 番犬toto, network cameras). Its technology core combines bespoke measurement and control software with smartphone/tablet-driven remote monitoring and operation, applied across industrial automation, environmental monitoring (weather, water quality), and academic research use cases.

The company's customer base spans municipal governments (Kinki region coin-internet installations since 1998), electric power companies, hospitals, automotive and bicycle manufacturers, ironworks, universities and graduate schools, and real estate developers — reflecting a horizontal-segmentation approach built around deep technical specialization rather than vertical concentration. UKI monetizes through three channels: (1) hardware sales of proprietary CCM machines and IoT devices, (2) one-time custom software development commissions for specialized industrial and research applications, and (3) repair and maintenance services for its own products plus third-party products from Kyowa Kikai Seisakusho and YS Koki, for which it serves as the designated developer. Distribution is direct-sales-only via telephone from the Sakai office; no online store, no channel partners, and no publicly disclosed pricing exist.

In 2025, the founder opened Yamaguchi Laboratory (山口研究室) as the current operating entity, with the company's stated mission shifting from new product development to repair and maintenance of its previously developed products "as long as health permits." This positions UKI as a founder-led legacy product stewardship operation rather than an active growth business, with its ongoing relevance tied to the installed base of PointMarkerCCM and related industrial IoT hardware.

Name

UKI

Legal name

山口研究室

Website

https://uki.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UKI (Yamaguchi Laboratory) is a Sakai, Japan-based engineering firm that develops and repairs niche FA measurement/control software and IoT products (PointMarkerCCM, Smart IO, Smart Patrol) for Japanese ironworks, universities, municipal utilities, and industrial manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Software

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF), Industrial Safety, Compliance & Worker Monitoring (IMAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Industrial automation software
• IoT monitoring systems
• Center rolling machines
• Custom FA software
• Remote monitoring solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sakai

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of PointMarkerCCM series machines (CCM250, CCM500, CCM800), Smart Patrol remote control devices, Smart IO systems, network cameras, and related IoT hardware products.
2. Custom Software Development: Development of custom-order software for specialized applications including FA (measurement, control, observation), university and graduate research, enterprise production technology, and infrastructure systems.
3. Repair and Maintenance Services: Repair services for PointMarkerCCM products and other supported software products (けがき花子, 協和機械製作所 products, ワイエス工機 products). The laboratory focuses on repairing developed products to extend their operational lifespan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

UKI develops custom industrial measurement, control, and observation (FA) software alongside proprietary IoT hardware products including the PointMarkerCCM series of center rolling machines for ironworks, smartphone-based Smart IO remote monitoring platforms, and Smart Patrol remote-controlled robots. The company also produces human engineering simulation software for university and graduate-level research, environmental monitoring systems, and provides repair and maintenance services for its developed products and select third-party industrial software.

Product overview

UKI (株式会社うき / 山口研究室) is a specialized software and hardware development company with 45+ years of engineering experience, founded in 1996 and operating from Sakai, Japan. The company offers a portfolio of industrial measurement and control products centered on the PointMarkerCCM family (CCM250, CCM500, CCM800) — center rolling machines for ironworks — alongside IoT-focused solutions including Smart IO (smartphone-based remote monitoring/operation/measurement), Smart Patrol (remote-controlled robot), 番犬toto (mobile phone remote monitoring), and network cameras. Legacy products include the CF1 simple NC device and the ツインコーダ wire-type 3D measuring system. The company provides development and repair services for its own products as well as third-party industrial software (けがき花子, products from Kyowa Kikai Seiso and YS Koki). The portfolio spans industrial automation (FA), remote sensing and monitoring, human factors engineering research tools, and mobile IoT platforms, with products ranging from 1988 through the present day.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PointMarkerCCM: Center rolling machine product line (CCM250, CCM500, CCM800) for ironworks
• Smart Patrol
• Smart IO
• けがき花子
• 番犬toto

Products and services

• PointMarkerCCM250 A compact center rolling machine designed for precise alignment and rolling operations on ironwork workpieces. Repair services are available for this model.
• PointMarkerCCM500 A mid-tier center rolling machine model serving ironworking and manufacturing applications. Repair services are available.
• PointMarkerCCM800 A high-capacity center rolling machine model representing the larger end of the PointMarkerCCM product family for ironworks.
• Smart Patrol A remote-controlled robot platform enabling forward, backward, in-place rotation, and light activation via tablet or smartphone for patrol, surveillance, or inspection applications.
• Smart IO A smartphone-based IoT platform providing remote monitoring, operation, and measurement capabilities for factories and general households with real-time data collection and device control via mobile devices.
• Kegaki Hanako (けがき花子) A Windows-compatible center rolling control application for ironworks and manufacturing, sold as a software product. Developer repair services are offered.
• Banken toto (番犬toto) A cell phone-based remote monitoring system for factories and general households, enabling remote surveillance and alert notifications via mobile phone.
• Network Camera Network camera products for factory and household surveillance, enabling remote monitoring via IP connectivity.
• Twin Coder (ツインコーダ) A wire-type 3D measuring device for general industrial measurement applications.
• CF1 A simple NC (numerical control) device designed for machine tool manufacturers.
• Custom FA Software Development Bespoke software development services for FA (measurement, control, observation) systems, university and graduate-level research, enterprise production technology, and infrastructure systems. Clients engage directly to commission specialized applications.
• Repair and Maintenance Services Repair and maintenance services for PointMarkerCCM series machines, けがき花子 (Kegaki Hanako) software, and products from Kyowa Kikai Seisakusho and YS Koki. Customers contact the laboratory by telephone to request repairs.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 共和機械製作所 (Kyowa Kikai Seisakusho)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYamaguchi Laboratory's founder established 共和機械製作所 (Kyowa Kikai Seisakusho) and served as president before branching off to establish Uki Co., Ltd. The CCM500 was developed at 共和機械製作所, representing a foundational co-development relationship that led to the formation of the current company.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• Advantech Co., Ltd. Taiwanese industrial IoT platform provider offering remote monitoring, edge computing, and smart-factory solutions. Comparable in the IIoT/remote monitoring layer (Smart IO, Banken toto, network camera product lines), though Advantech operates at much larger scale globally.

Broad incumbents

• SICK AG: German manufacturer of industrial sensors and measurement systems for factory, logistics, and process automation. Comparable in industrial measurement and process-variable monitoring — the same space as UKI's CCM and 3D measurement product lines.
• Azbil Corporation: Japanese building and industrial automation company producing control instruments, sensors, and remote monitoring systems. Comparable in remote monitoring and control technologies (Smart IO-like functionality) as well as measurement instrumentation.
• Fuji Electric: Major Japanese industrial manufacturer of factory automation, control systems, and power electronics. Comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial measurement and control, though UKI operates at a small custom-software scale while Fuji serves large industrial customers.
• HORIBA, Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of analytical and measurement instruments for industrial, environmental, and process applications. Comparable in environmental/water quality measurement systems — the same end-use as UKI's remote environmental monitoring work for municipal and real estate clients.
• Keyence Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of sensors, measuring instruments, and industrial automation equipment. Directly overlaps with UKI's measurement and inspection activities (3D measurement, position detection, process measurement), but at vastly greater scale and product breadth.
• Yokogawa Electric Corporation: Major Japanese industrial automation and control systems provider. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering measurement, control, and SCADA-style software for industrial applications, though at vastly greater scale than UKI's niche FA custom-software work.
• Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation: Major Japanese factory automation provider offering PLCs, NC controls, servo systems, and FA software. Direct overlap with UKI's FA custom-software development and CF1 NC device product line, though at vastly greater scale and product breadth.
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of motion control, AC drives, and industrial robots. Adjacent to UKI's FA (measurement, control, observation) software work, particularly the CF1 NC device and Smart Patrol robotics-adjacent remote control functionality.
• Omron Corporation: Global Japanese manufacturer of industrial automation components, sensors, and control systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving factory automation customers with measurement and control products, the same buyer category as UKI's ironworks and manufacturing clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 UKI