What DTC does

Design Tech Co., Ltd. (株式会社デザインテック) is a privately held Japanese OEM electronics engineering services firm founded on September 16, 1992 and headquartered in Higashikurume, Tokyo, with a stated capital of ¥40 million. The company specializes in FPGA-based embedded systems and board-level hardware design, providing outsourced contract development across communications, signal processing, image processing, inspection systems, and analog electronics. Technical depth spans both major FPGA ecosystems (ALTERA Max/Cyclone/Stratix series up to Stratix 10, and XILINX Spartan/Virtex/Kintex/Artix/Zynq families up to Zynq UltraScale+), multi-protocol communications (RS232C/RS422/RS485, USB, Ethernet, CAN, MIL-STD-1553B, GPIB), high-speed serial interfaces (JESD204B, LVDS), and optical fiber transmission from 120 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Drivers and firmware are delivered across Linux, Solaris, iTRON (NORTi), VxWorks, and Windows. The firm is ISO 9001:2015 certified (initially certified 2008; recertified December 2023) for development and design of industrial electronic equipment with outsourced manufacturing.

The business model is project-based custom development: clients engage Design Tech for specification, system design, development, manufacturing oversight, and maintenance of custom electronics. Revenue derives from two streams — professional services fees on each project engagement and, to a lesser extent, hardware sales of the proprietary Ri2006-PF1 Camera Link image processing board, which the firm developed under a third-party agreement with Ricoh using Ricoh's Ri2006 image processing processors. Go-to-market is direct B2B sales led through the company website, industry trade shows (e.g., the IoT/M2M Expo), and engineering-led consultation; there are no channel partners, distributors, or self-serve mechanisms. The named client base comprises approximately a dozen Japanese enterprises and research bodies, including Toshiba, NuFlare Technology, Asia Electronics, Nihon Avionics, Nihon Signal, Advantest, Parustec Industries, NEC, Densan, JFE Engineering, and AIST, spanning semiconductor manufacturing equipment, semiconductor inspection, defense/industrial electronics, transportation infrastructure, ICT, and government research.

Design Tech has operated with a flat headcount of around 50 employees since reaching that scale in 2005, signalling a deliberate specialist-services posture rather than a growth-stage scaling model. Two branch offices (West, 2012; East, April 2023) have been added within Higashikurume to support operational expansion, and leadership transitioned in 2015 with Minemoto Takayuki (松本峰政) assuming the Representative Director role. No external funding, M&A, or IPO activity has been recorded, and the firm remains fully privately held with no public revenue disclosure.

Name

DTC

Legal name

株式会社デザインテック

Website

https://designtech.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Tech Co., Ltd. (株式会社デザインテック) is a privately held Japanese FPGA and embedded software contract development firm founded in 1992, delivering custom OEM electronics and one proprietary Camera Link image processing board to enterprise clients in semiconductor, industrial, and imaging sectors across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

OEM Electronics Development Services

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Printed Circuit Boards (3672), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sensors & Instrumentation Electronics Manufacturing Services (Transmitters, analyzers, industrial sensors) (IMAGAGAL)

Keywords

• FPGA development services
• Embedded software engineering
• OEM contract manufacturing
• Image processing boards
• Custom electronics design

Headquarters

HQ city

Higashi-murayama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom/OEM Hardware and Software Development: The company generates revenue through contract development and manufacturing of custom electronics systems. Services span specification, system design, development, manufacturing, and maintenance, covering communications boards, image processing boards, inspection systems, CPU boards, measurement instruments, and other electronics in the electronics field. Revenue is project-based and one-time per engagement, with potential for follow-on maintenance contracts.
2. Proprietary Product Sales — Ri2006-PF1: Sale of the company's own developed Camera Link image processing board (Ri2006-PF1) incorporating Ricoh's Ri2006 image processing processors. This represents a product revenue stream distinct from pure contract development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Design Tech Co., Ltd. (株式会社デザインテック) is a Japanese OEM electronics development firm that performs contract design, development, and outsourced manufacturing of custom FPGA-based hardware and embedded software systems, including communications/control boards, image processing boards, inspection systems, CPU boards, and measurement instruments. The company also sells a proprietary product, the Ri2006-PF1 Camera Link image processing board built around Ricoh's Ri2006 processors, and operates as a full-lifecycle service provider from specification through system design, development, manufacturing, and maintenance.

Product overview

株式会社デザインテック is primarily a custom development and OEM company specializing in FPGA and embedded software development for electronics systems. Their main packaged product is the Ri2006-PF1, a Camera Link-compliant image processing board. Beyond this product, the company offers custom development services including communication and control boards/systems, image processing boards/systems, inspection equipment, CPU boards, measurement instruments, and broader electronics development. Development expertise spans communication protocols (RS232C, RS422, RS485, USB, Ethernet, CAN, 1553B), high-speed signal processing, FPGA design, and image processing technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom OEM Electronics Development Services Project-based contract engineering service covering specification, system design, development, manufacturing (outsourced), and maintenance of custom electronics systems for enterprise OEM clients. Spans communications/control boards and systems, image processing boards and systems, inspection equipment, CPU boards, and measurement instruments, with expertise in FPGA design (ALTERA and XILINX), high-speed signal processing, multi-protocol communications, and multi-OS driver development (Linux, VxWorks, iTRON/NORTi, Solaris, Windows).
• Ri2006-PF1 Image Processing Board Camera Link-compliant image processing board equipped with two Ricoh Ri2006 image processing processors. Captures images from Camera Link cameras, processes them via the Ri2006 processors, and transfers data to a host PC via PCI-Express bus. Supports firmware customization using Ricoh's image processing library and framework development tools, targeted at machine vision, surface defect inspection, and automated optical inspection (AOI) applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• PCI-Express Gen3 ×8 optical I/F board: 12-channel parallel transmitter at 10Gbps/channel and 12-channel parallel receiver, enabling high-throughput optical data transmission and reception.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所 (AIST)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Design Tech participated in a joint research initiative with AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) and Yokohama City University on 'Bio-DVD development' in 2009. This collaboration involved combining optical recording media technology with biological applications, leveraging the company's expertise in optical communication and recording technologies.
• 横浜市立大学 (Yokohama City University)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Co-research participant with AIST and Design Tech on the Bio-DVD development project in 2009. The university contributed academic/research expertise to the joint initiative.
• 株式会社リコー (Ricoh Company, Ltd.)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDesign Tech entered into a third-party partnership agreement with Ricoh to develop and manufacture the Ri2006-PF1 image processing board, which incorporates two Ricoh-manufactured Ri2006 image processing processors. Ricoh's ultra-parallel processing engine enables software-based image processing, and Design Tech leverages Ricoh's firmware development environment and image processing library for customization. The Ri2006-PF1 is marketed by Design Tech as a Camera Link-compatible image processing product under this third-party agreement.
• みずほ銀行 所沢支店 (Mizuho Bank, Tokorozawa Branch)minorOthersPrimary banking partner listed in the company profile. Banking services are transactional and operational in nature.
• 三菱東京UFJ銀行 所沢支店 (MUFG Bank, Tokorozawa Branch)minorOthersBanking partner listed in the company profile.
• 埼玉りそな銀行 所沢支店 (Saitama Resona Bank, Tokorozawa Branch)minorOthersBanking partner listed in the company profile.
• 群馬銀行 所沢支店 (Gunma Bank, Tokorozawa Branch)minorOthersBanking partner listed in the company profile.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kontron: Kontron is a global embedded computing company offering custom design services, FPGA-based modules, and SBCs to industrial and defense customers. Directly comparable to DTC in FPGA board design and ODM services for industrial OEM customers, though at significantly larger scale.
• ADLINK Technology: ADLINK provides embedded computing platforms, FPGA-based measurement/inspection boards, and design services for industrial automation, test & measurement, and semiconductor equipment — directly mirroring DTC's customer use cases (AOI, image processing, inspection).
• Tokyo Electron Device (TED): Tokyo Electron Device operates an 'Inrevium' brand that provides custom FPGA and embedded board design services in Japan, plus proprietary design modules and reference platforms. Closest direct peer to DTC — same Japanese B2B model, FPGA expertise, and industrial OEM customer base.
• Macnica, Inc. Macnica combines semiconductor distribution with a substantial design services and contract development business serving Japanese industrial customers, including FPGA/embedded design. Highly comparable in go-to-market and customer overlap with DTC.
• Ryoyo Electro Corporation: Ryoyo Electro is a Japanese electronics trading and design services firm that provides FPGA/embedded contract development to industrial customers, including semiconductor equipment makers. Directly comparable to DTC in scale, model, and end markets.
• eSOL Co., Ltd. eSOL provides embedded real-time OS (TRON-based), middleware, and engineering services to Japanese industrial and automotive customers. Adjacent peer with significant overlap in embedded software expertise for FPGA-integrated systems, a core DTC competency.
• Kaga Electronics Co., Ltd. Kaga Electronics is a Japanese electronics trading company with a significant EMS and design services arm serving industrial OEM customers. Comparable business model and customer base to DTC's custom electronics development work.

Broad incumbents

• Mercury Systems: Mercury Systems is a US-listed defense electronics company offering mission-critical embedded processing, FPGA-based subsystems, and design services. Operates in a broader portfolio but with directly overlapping FPGA/embedded technology and customers (Nihon Avionics-tier end markets).
• AMD (Xilinx): AMD's Xilinx division is the dominant FPGA silicon vendor whose devices DTC designs around. As a broad incumbent, Xilinx offers IP cores, reference designs, and design services that partially compete with or substitute for third-party FPGA design houses like DTC, particularly for larger customers.

Emerging players

• Acromag: Acromag designs and manufactures FPGA-based I/O boards, embedded computing modules, and signal processing cards for industrial, defense, and scientific customers. Comparable product type (FPGA I/O, high-speed AD/DA boards) to DTC's measurement instrument and sensor control board work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 DTC