IIB

What IIB does

IIB (株式会社アイアイビー) is a privately held Japanese biotechnology company founded on April 21, 2004, that isolates, characterizes, and commercializes extremophile microorganisms to address environmental pollution, waste valorization, and clean-energy problems. The company's core technology is a proprietary collection of extremophilic strains — most notably the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 (growing at 60-100°C), the H2S-eliminating photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium limicola M1, the PVA-degrading Sphingopyxis sp. PVA3, and bespoke microbial consortia (Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Rhodococcus, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Shewanella, Xanthobacter) for hydrocarbon degradation — together with the exclusive know-how required to operate them at scale. Co-founder and CEO Tadayuki Imanaka (Kyoto University Professor Emeritus, Ritsumeikan University Professor, Purple Ribbon Medal recipient) anchors the R&D; President Kuniaki Takamatsu (CPA, Doctor of Engineering) leads the business side.

IIB's product portfolio spans the IIB Non-sludge High-speed Wastewater Treatment System (proprietary microbial consortia that oxidize and eliminate sludge, achieving zero excess-sludge discharge), a Hyperthermophilic Bacteria Hydrogen Production System (continuous bio-hydrogen at 1.1 L/h per liter of medium from food-industry waste, positioned for fuel-cell applications), a bio-sensor for high-sensitivity rapid pathogen detection, microbial oil-contaminated soil remediation, agricultural soil health diagnostics via environmental-gene quantification, microbial decomposition of recalcitrant substances (heavy metals, VOCs such as tetrachloroethylene), and a porous-ceramic nano-bubble generator consuming 1/5 to 1/50 of conventional fine-bubble power. The company is headquartered in Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku), runs general affairs and finance from an Osaka office, and houses R&D at Ritsumeikan University's Techno Complex in Kusatsu, Shiga. Paid-in capital at founding was ¥66.1 million, the company is operating as of 2025-2026, and there is no parent or external institutional investor identified in the source material.

Revenue is generated primarily through bespoke consulting, commissioned research, industry-academia joint research, and theme-based joint business development licensing arrangements, sold via a multi-stage direct engagement (initial hearing → NDA → advisory contract → consulting contract → joint development contract → joint business contract) targeted at Japanese industrial and manufacturing enterprises, agriculture-sector clients, pharmaceutical/diagnostics firms, and bioenergy/fuel-cell companies. Distribution is single-country (Japan only), relying on direct sales rather than commercial marketing channels; earned media (Nikkei, Nikkan Kogyo, Mainichi, Kyoto Shimbun, NHK Close-up Modern) substitutes for paid demand generation. The company holds a 2009 METI/Ministry of the Environment compliance confirmation for microbial bioremediation and a 2012 Engineering Contribution Award, but revenue figures and external funding rounds are not publicly disclosed.

Name

IIB

Legal name

株式会社アイアイビー（IIB,Inc.）

Website

https://iib-bio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Biotechnology

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery) (HLAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbiological Reference Cultures, Strains & Controls (Food Micro) (AFALAKAF), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Biotechnology research and development
• Wastewater treatment systems
• Biomass hydrogen production
• Environmental bioremediation
• Microbial diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting services: Provision of scientific solutions based on accumulated microbial technology and intellectual know-how for problem-solving in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, agricultural, environmental, and energy fields.
2. Industry-academia joint research: Cooperative research arrangements with customer companies and academic institutions.
3. Joint business development: Theme-based joint ventures with client enterprises for commercialization of microbial technologies.
4. Environmental/biotechnology research and consulting: Commissioned research and consulting in environmental and biological science technology fields.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IIB develops and commercializes biotechnology products and R&D services built around proprietary hyperthermophilic microorganisms. Its sellable offerings include a non-sludge high-speed wastewater treatment system, a biomass-to-hydrogen fermentation system, bio-sensor pathogen detection kits, oil-contaminated soil bioremediation, agricultural soil diagnostics, microbial decomposition of hard-to-decompose substances, and nano-bubble generators, sold primarily to industrial, municipal, and agricultural customers.

Product overview

IIB (株式会社アイアイビー) is a biotechnology company offering a portfolio of microorganism-based environmental solutions and products. The core offerings include the IIB Non-sludge High-speed Wastewater Treatment System (using proprietary microbial consortia to achieve zero sludge), the Hyperthermophilic Bacteria Hydrogen Production System (using Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 for bio-hydrogen from food waste), a Bio-sensor Pathogen Detection system, Microbial Oil-contaminated Soil Remediation, Agricultural Soil Health Diagnostics, Difficult-to-decompose Substance Microbial Decomposition technologies, and a Nano-bubble Generation Device using porous composite ceramics. These products share a foundation in IIB's proprietary extremophile microorganism collection and are complemented by consulting services. The company operates primarily in Japan, leveraging its R&D facility at Ritsumeikan University in Shiga Prefecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Non-sludge high-speed wastewater treatment system Engineered treatment system using proprietary hyperthermophilic microorganisms to break down organic wastewater at high rates without producing excess sludge; intended for industrial and municipal wastewater operators.
• Hyperthermophilic hydrogen production system Bioreactor system employing proprietary hyperthermophilic microorganisms to ferment biomass and organic waste into renewable hydrogen, targeting energy companies and waste-management operators.
• Bio-sensor pathogen detection kit Pathogen detection kit built on IIB's microbial and bio-sensor capabilities, suitable for use by laboratories, food processors, and environmental testers needing on-site pathogen screening.
• Oil-contaminated soil bioremediation On-site and project-based bioremediation service using proprietary microorganisms to clean up soil contaminated with oil and hydrocarbons, targeting contaminated-site remediation contractors and industrial landowners.
• Agricultural soil diagnostic service Microbiological soil-health diagnostic service for farm operators, agricultural cooperatives, and cultivation managers seeking to assess soil condition and remediation needs.
• Microbial decomposition of difficult-to-decompose substances Applied microbial decomposition service that breaks down recalcitrant organic substances that resist conventional treatment, offered to industrial and environmental customers with hard-to-treat waste streams.
• Nano-bubble generator Standalone hardware device that produces nano-bubbles for water and fluid treatment applications, sold to industrial and environmental customers and used alongside IIB's microbial systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hydrogen production rate of 1.1 L per liter of medium per hour using food industry waste
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kyoto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2007Ongoing joint research contract with Kyoto University, extended in April 2007. Professor Tadayuki Imanaka, the company's Part-time Director and CEO, served as a professor at Kyoto University's Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry until his retirement in March 2008, when he became Professor Emeritus.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Organo Corporation: Japan-based water treatment engineering firm serving semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and industrial clients. Comparable to IIB in serving Japanese industrial customers with environmental and water purification technology, including hydrogen and clean water systems.
• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese water and wastewater treatment major offering chemical and microbial treatment solutions to industrial customers. Directly comparable to IIB's non-sludge wastewater and industrial water treatment offerings, with far larger scale and a Japanese customer base.
• Biorem Inc. Canadian company specializing in biofiltration media and systems for air pollution control using microorganisms. Comparable to IIB in applying proprietary microbial consortia to environmental remediation challenges for industrial customers.
• LanzaTech: US/NZ biotech company using microbial gas fermentation to convert waste gases into fuels and chemicals including hydrogen. Comparable to IIB's biomass-to-hydrogen thermophilic approach and shared focus on waste-to-value microbial bioprocessing.
• NGK Insulators (Bioremediation Business): NGK operates a bioremediation business using ceramic honeycomb carriers supporting microbial populations for wastewater treatment. Closely comparable to IIB's microbial wastewater and soil remediation approach, though at much larger scale.
• Regenesis: US-based provider of bioremediation products for soil and groundwater, including microbial and electron donor technologies for oil-contaminated site cleanup. Directly comparable to IIB's microbial soil remediation line targeting industrial customers.
• BiOWiSH Technologies: US-based company offering proprietary microbial consortia for wastewater treatment, agriculture, and aquaculture. Directly comparable to IIB's Bacillus/Pseudomonas microbial consortia for wastewater and environmental applications.

Others

• Shimadzu Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of analytical and measuring instruments including mass spectrometers and chromatography used in environmental testing and bio-detection. Comparable to IIB's bio-sensor pathogen detection equipment from an instrument and customer-segment perspective.

Broad incumbents

• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global leader in industrial enzymes and microbial solutions spanning agriculture, water, and energy. A broad incumbent whose portfolio overlaps with IIB's microbial applications but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Hitachi Industrial & Infrastructure Systems: Hitachi division providing water treatment, environmental, and infrastructure solutions to industrial and municipal customers in Japan and globally. Comparable to IIB as a broad environmental infrastructure player serving similar Japanese industrial accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 IIB