What E-Power does

E-Power is a Japanese cleantech company, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, that develops and operates small-scale biogas power generation systems. Its flagship "Toyohashi-style Biogas Power Generation System" combines methane fermentation technology developed with Toyohashi University of Science and Technology with construction engineering delivered through its subsidiary Zenekku. The systems are designed for sub-50kW deployments with low-pressure grid connection, enabling on-site generation at livestock farms, agricultural cooperatives, and food-processing sites that produce organic waste.

E-Power's business model is asset- and revenue-diversified. The company operates its own fleet of six biogas plants (total capacity 280kW+), selling electricity under Japan's Feed-in Tariff at 39 yen/kWh. Beyond self-operation, it generates revenue through equipment rental, EPC construction contracts (via Zenekku), maintenance services, monitoring hardware/software sales (EP Power Generation Monitor), insurance agency commissions (Aioi Nissay Dowa), power retail agency (e-REX), biogas equipment import agency, and an SPC investment scheme that allows third-party capital participation in plant projects. It has additionally developed more than 5MW of photovoltaic capacity. Primary customers are pig farmers, dairy farmers, and agricultural cooperatives, with a growing presence in food-processing waste (e.g., the JA Yukiota Aomori nagaimo yam project).

The company is positioning for nationwide replication through the Toyohashi-style Biogas Power Generation Association, has expanded geographically into Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kinki regions, and continues to add product extensions such as the Gas Detta fermentation additive. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held. Industry recognition includes the ADBA 2017 Best Small Plant Award and the 2019 Cogeneration Prize.

Name

E-Power

Legal name

株式会社イーパワー

Website

https://epower.pw

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

E-Power develops and operates small-scale (<50kW) biogas power generation systems in Japan, serving pig and dairy farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and food processors. The Toyohashi-based company combines university-derived fermentation technology with in-house construction (subsidiary Zenekku) and multiple recurring-revenue layers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biogas Power Generation / Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Microgrid Development, EPC & Integration (EUAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commissioning, Testing & Energization Services (Pre-Commissioning, Grid Code Compliance) (EUAMAFAK), Electrical Balance-of-Plant EPC (MV Collection, Cabling, Earthing, Lighting) (EUAEADAB)

Keywords

• Biogas power generation
• Methane fermentation systems
• Renewable energy services
• Agricultural waste management
• Photovoltaic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Toyohashi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Power sales (Feed-in Tariff): Revenue from selling electricity generated by biogas power plants under Japan's Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system. Japan offers approximately 39 yen/kWh, roughly three times higher than other countries.
2. Equipment rental - rental model: Provides power generation equipment on a rental basis to businesses that own methane fermentation raw materials. Rental fee is a fixed percentage of power sales revenue, including maintenance management. At end of rental period, customer can purchase the residual value, extend rental, or return equipment.
3. Construction contracting: General contractor for biogas power plant design and construction. Covers full construction or, for remote locations, design and material supply only.
4. Maintenance management services: Ongoing maintenance contracts including remote monitoring and control, monthly inspections, periodic professional maintenance, and emergency response.
5. Insurance agency (Aioi Nissay Dowa): Agency relationship for insurance products, generating commission revenue.
6. New power company agency (e-REX): Agency relationship for new retail electricity provider services, generating commission revenue.
7. Biogas equipment import agency: Import agency services for biogas-related equipment, particularly gas generators sourced directly from China.
8. Biogas power generation business investment: SPC (Special Purpose Company) structure where investor capital builds plants, which are then leased to waste producers for anaerobic digestion facilities, with SPC purchasing generated biogas for power sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

E-Power designs, builds, finances, and operates small-scale biogas power generation plants using its proprietary Toyohashi-style system, primarily for livestock farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and food processors in Japan. It also develops and operates photovoltaic (PV) facilities and sells/distributes the EP Power Generation Monitor for per-PCS solar monitoring, supported by construction, maintenance, equipment rental, and SPC-based investment schemes.

Product overview

E-Power operates as a renewable energy company specializing in small-scale biogas power generation systems. The core product is the proprietary Toyohashi-style Biogas Power Generation System, which enables low-pressure grid connection for facilities under 50kW capacity. This is complemented by the EP Power Monitor for power generation monitoring, the Gas Detta fermentation additive, and three business schemes (rental, contracting, and investment models) for flexible market engagement. The company also provides comprehensive design, construction, and maintenance services for biogas power plants. PV development and management services round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 豊橋式バイオガス発電システム: 40年の浄化槽設計経験から独自開発した、低圧連系可能な小型バイオガス発電システム。国立大学法人豊橋技術科学大学の技术与国内的農業との連携により構築された。

Products and services

• Toyohashi-style Biogas Power Generation System (豊橋式バイオガス発電システム) Proprietary small-scale (<50kW) biogas power generation system that combines methane fermentation technology with low-pressure grid connection capability, designed specifically for Japan's agricultural waste streams; sold as a complete packaged plant including design, construction, and autonomous operation.
• EP Power Generation Monitor (EP発電量モニター) Proprietary monitoring device sold standalone (or bundled with maintenance contracts) that measures power generation per power conditioner (PCS) at 5-minute intervals, with dual operator/admin screens; installable on operating plants without interrupting grid connection.\n\nEquipment starts from 120,000 yen; monthly usage fee from 3,000 yen.
• Gas Detta Fermentation Additive (発酵助剤「ガスデッタ」) Commercial fermentation aid designed for use in biogas power generation plants to improve methane fermentation efficiency and biogas output. Used in dairy slurry digestion (e.g., Toyohashi dairy farm plant).
• Biogas Power Plant Design and Construction Service (バイオガス発電所 設計施工サービス) Turnkey design-and-build service for biogas power generation facilities, delivered in partnership with subsidiary Zenekku Co., Ltd.; includes full construction or design + materials supply for remote locations.
• Biogas Power Plant Maintenance Management Service (バイオガス発電所 保守管理サービス) Comprehensive maintenance subscription covering remote monitoring and control from Toyohashi, monthly on-site inspections, periodic professional maintenance (e.g., generator overhauls), and emergency response. E-Power contracts this service across all reference plants.
• Power Sales Equipment Rental Scheme (売電機器レンタル方式) Rental business model in which E-Power constructs the plant and rents the power-sales equipment (with maintenance included) at a fixed percentage of power sales revenue. At end of rental period the customer may purchase the residual value, re-rent, or return the equipment.
• Construction and Maintenance Contracting Scheme (建築・保守管理請負方式) Business scheme where the waste producer is the project owner and E-Power provides construction contracting and maintenance management services.
• Biogas Power Generation Investment Scheme (バイオガス発電事業投資方式) SPC (Special Purpose Company) structure where investor capital builds plants, leased to waste generators for anaerobic digestion; the SPC buys back generated biogas for power sales and E-Power handles plant maintenance. Reference implementation is the JA Yukiota Aomori nagaimo plant, jointly invested by two TSE First Section listed companies and E-Power (operating since November 2018).
• Biogas Equipment Import Agency Import agency service for biogas-related equipment, particularly gas generators sourced directly from China, bypassing intermediaries to reduce costs.
• Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Agency Service Agency arrangement allowing E-Power to offer insurance products to its customer base, generating commission revenue.
• e-REX New Power (PPS) Agency Service Agency arrangement with new power retailer e-REX Corporation allowing E-Power to offer retail electricity services to customers, generating commission revenue.
• PV / Solar Power Plant Development and Management Solar photovoltaic power plant development with combined affiliated-company track record exceeding 5MW. Includes E-Power's own developed plant operation and maintenance services using the EP Power Monitor.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39 yen/kWh Feed-in Tariff rate in Japan vs ~13 yen/kWh internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ゼネック株式会社 (Zenekku Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Subsidiary of E-Power handling biogas power plant construction and design. Originally Ikinamu Kenso Co., Ltd. (イクナム研設), which transferred its biogas business to Zenekku. Zenekku has approximately 50 years of experience in livestock facilities and septic tank construction, providing essential construction and design capabilities for the Toyohashi-style biogas system.
• イクナムHD株式会社 (Ikinamu HD Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Parent company that transferred its biogas business to Zenekku in 2019 as part of the integration and sales-manufacturing consolidation initiative.
• あいおいニッセイ同和損保 (Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Insurance agency relationship allowing E-Power to offer insurance products to its customer base, providing additional revenue stream through commissions.
• イーレックス株式会社 (e-REX Corporation)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019New power company (PPS) agency relationship allowing E-Power to offer electricity retail services to customers, providing commission revenue.
• JAゆうき青森 (JA Yukiota Aomori)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Agricultural cooperative with Japan's largest nagaimo (Chinese yam) shipment volume. Joint investment with two TSE First Section listed companies and E-Power to build a biogas plant processing non-edible nagaimo parts at JA's sorting facility.
• 丰桥式バイオガス発電協会 (Toyohashi-style Biogas Power Generation Association)coreOthers · 1 January 2018General incorporated association established in 2018 to promote nationwide expansion of the Toyohashi-style biogas power generation system.
• 豊橋技術科学大学 (Toyohashi University of Science and Technology)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational university providing methane fermentation technology expertise that forms the technical foundation of the Toyohashi-style biogas power generation system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Xergi: Danish EPC and operator of large-scale biogas plants, predominantly serving livestock farmers and waste producers in Northwestern Europe. Comparable project structure (build-own-operate + EPC + service) and customer cohort, but focused on European rather than Japanese market regulation.
• eREX Corporation: Japan-focused power producer/supplier (PPS) with growing renewable and biomass generation portfolio. Comparable to E-Power in biomass-derived power generation but operates at significantly larger scale and is publicly listed.

Direct peers

• Weltec Biopower: German biogas EPC with strong focus on agricultural and waste-to-energy projects using container-based plant designs. Similar SME-customer orientation and recurring service/maintenance offering; comparable in sub-1MW scale projects.
• PlanET Biogas: German EPC contractor specializing in small- to medium-scale agricultural biogas plants. Directly comparable to E-Power in target customer (livestock farmers), system architecture (containerized/modular anaerobic digestion + gas engine genset), and project economics (FIT/feed-in driven).
• Ökobit: German mid-sized biogas EPC serving similar agricultural SME customers with container-based AD systems. Directly competes with E-Power's Toyohashi-style small-scale system in sub-1MW on-farm biogas.
• BIOFerm: North American dry-fermentation biogas EPC, now part of Hitachi Zosen Inova. Comparable to E-Power in end-to-end project delivery (engineering, construction, gas utilization) for agricultural/municipal organic waste; operates in a different geography.
• EnviTec Biogas: One of Europe's largest turnkey biogas plant EPCs with a portfolio spanning agricultural, industrial, and waste-feedstock systems. Directly comparable business model (EPC + own-and-operate + recurring O&M) targeting similar end customers; operates at larger scale than E-Power.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi Zosen Inova: Global large-scale EPC contractor for anaerobic digestion and biomethane plants (parent of Schmack/BIOFerm). Overlaps with E-Power in technology (AD + grid injection / power generation) but operates at much larger project scale and broader geography.
• Kubota: Japanese industrial conglomerate with environmental engineering infrastructure (sewage/septic systems, water treatment) and renewable energy activities. Comparable via domestic Japanese scale, established EPC footprint, and broader agricultural/environmental equipment portfolio.

Others

• Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (MS&AD): Japanese insurance partner of E-Power providing commission-based revenue. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling E-Power's risk-management services rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 E-Power