Kenis

What Kenis does

Kenis Co., Ltd. (ケニス株式会社) is a privately held Japanese specialty distributor and manufacturer of physics and science instruments, educational teaching materials, and laboratory reagents. Founded in 1947 as Kagaku Kyoeisha in Hiroshima and rebranded in 2001, the company is family-controlled under third-generation president Masaharu Nishimatsu and operates from its Osaka headquarters with regional offices in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Sapporo, and Sendai. The business spans two divisions: educational science equipment for K-12 schools and research-grade scientific instruments for universities, corporate labs, and testing facilities, collectively offering 8,000+ SKUs across physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, ICT/programming, optics, and measurement categories.

The company's proprietary technology stack centers on wireless data logging and sensor products — notably Labdisc (Bluetooth data logger with 10-13 built-in sensors) and ScienceCube (20+ sensors with real-time Excel integration) — alongside the Photo Measure computer vision software for microscope image analysis and a programming education portfolio (mBot, Codey Rocky, micro:bit, Sphero) tied to third-party platforms (Scratch, MakeCode). Kenis runs the Ke-Web B2B ordering portal for its 1,300+ sales agents and the Rikanavi consumer-facing e-commerce sites, supported by a Kadoma Distribution Center with automated storage. Group operations include subsidiary Masuda Science Kogyo (temperature/humidity instruments, acquired 2016) and total 159 employees as of April 2026.

The revenue model is hardware-centric: one-time product sales of consumables (beakers, test tubes) through precision instruments (microscopes, balances, data loggers), supplemented by technical services (calibration, repair, custom manufacturing). Sales flow primarily through the nationwide network of 1,300+ sales agent companies intermediating between Kenis and end users — primarily municipal/prefectural education boards, individual schools, universities, and corporate research facilities — with additional direct-to-consumer e-commerce for individual buyers. Customer concentration is low given the highly fragmented education and research end markets, though exposure to Japan's structurally declining school-age population represents a long-term headwind that the company is addressing through university partnerships, STEAM/STEAM product extensions, and Miraicenter industry-academia collaboration.

Name

Kenis

Legal name

ケニス株式会社

Website

https://kenis.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kenis is a privately held Japanese manufacturer and distributor of science education equipment and research instruments, serving K-12 schools, universities, and corporate labs across Japan through 1,300+ sales agents and a catalog of 8,000+ SKUs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Science Equipment and Research Instruments

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB), Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN)

Keywords

• Science education equipment
• Laboratory instruments
• Teaching materials
• Data loggers sensors
• STEAM education

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of educational science equipment (for primary, secondary, high schools) and research instruments (for universities and corporate research). Products range from consumables (beakers, test tubes) to precision instruments (microscopes, balances).
2. Catalog Sales: Company publishes comprehensive catalogs (1,000+ pages) featuring products across all science education and research categories, distributed to schools and research institutions.
3. Agent/Distribution Services: Provides product search, ordering, and delivery services to network of 1,300+ agent companies nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kenis manufactures, distributes, and sells science education equipment for primary, secondary, and high schools, and research instruments for universities and corporate laboratories. The company offers over 8,000 SKUs across categories including physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, ICT/programming, optics, measurement, and laboratory consumables. Kenis also provides technical services such as calibration, repair, custom product manufacturing, and teacher training, supported by proprietary digital platforms for ordering and product search.

Product overview

Kenis operates as a comprehensive science equipment and educational materials company with two main business divisions: Educational Science Equipment and Research Scientific Instruments. The educational division offers approximately 8,000 products across physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, ICT/programming, energy/environment, optics, and measurement categories for primary through high school levels. The research division provides laboratory equipment including microscopes, measuring instruments, general lab equipment, life science analysis tools, and environmental monitoring devices. Key products include Labdisc (wireless data logger), ScienceCube (Excel-connected sensor system), Photo Measure (microscope image analysis software), and programming robots (True True, mBot, Codey Rocky) for STEAM education. The company also operates proprietary platforms including Ke-Web for agency partners and Rikanavi for direct school orders, supported by technical services for calibration, repair, and custom manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• りかなび: 学校・教育機関向け理科教材検索・注文サイト。
• Ke-Web
• ラボディスク Labdisc
• フォトメジャー
• サイエンスキューブ

Products and services

• Labdisc (ラボディスク) Wireless data logger with integrated sensors for science experiments in education settings. Connects to iPad and computers via Bluetooth and displays real-time measurements. Available in Standard (12 sensors), Physics (10 sensors), and Biology/Chemistry (13 sensors) models. Designed for school science education and classroom use.
• Photo Measure (フォトメジャー) Software application for microscope image composition and measurement. Supports length, angle, area measurement, image overlay, focus stacking, and automated color-based object counting. Designed for educational and research microscopy applications.
• ScienceCube (サイエンスキューブ) Data logger and measuring instrument with 20+ wireless sensors for physics, chemistry, earth science, and biology experiments. Features real-time measurement display in Microsoft Excel, enabling users to utilize Excel functions, calculations, and macros for data analysis. Designed for school science education.
• Programming Education Materials (TrueTrue, mBot, Codey Rocky, Sphero, micro:bit)
• Educational Science Equipment Comprehensive range of science teaching equipment across physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, ICT/programming, energy/environment, optics, and measurement categories for primary, junior high, and high school education. Includes microscopes, scales, timers, thermometers, current/voltage meters, and other classroom apparatus.
• Research Scientific Instruments Full portfolio of research-grade instruments including measuring equipment, optical instruments (microscopes), general lab equipment, consumables, supplies, life science/analysis tools, environmental equipment, and storage/transport solutions. Designed for universities, research institutes, and corporate research facilities.
• Technical Services (Order Production, Calibration, Repair) Technical support services including custom product design and manufacturing, calibration services for measuring instruments, repair services, Milli-SAT maintenance, cleaning services, and sample/demo machine services. Serves schools, universities, and research institutions.
• Web Applications for Science Web-based applications for science including ScienceCube, PocketLab, Labdisc, MESH, micro:bit, mBot, CodeyRocky, CyberPi, and TrueTrue. Accessible without software installation via web browser. Supports science experiments and programming education.
• Ke-Web (代理店専用商品検索システム) Agency-exclusive B2B product search and ordering system with features including product search, order input, quotation requests, order history, and delivery status tracking. Available in standard and Lite versions. Serves Kenis's network of 1,300+ sales agent companies.
• Rikanavi for School (りかなび for スクール) E-commerce site for schools and educational institutions to search and order science educational materials, connected through Kenis sales agencies for delivery. Serves K-12 schools and educational institutions in Japan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment completion rate for elementary schools reported at ~68% nationwide, highlighting market opportunity

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tokyo Gakugei University (東京学芸大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Joint teacher training programs and collaborative implementation training for science education. University faculty collaborate with Kenis on curriculum development and teacher support.
• Bunka Sugina Gakuen (文化杉並学園)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025Partnership agreement for science education collaboration, working together to promote science education initiatives in schools.
• Osaka University of Education (大阪教育大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-university partnership to operate Miraicenter (みらい科学教育創造センター) at the university campus. Joint research on science education materials, teacher training programs, and STEAM education initiatives.
• Keirinkann (啓林館)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the 'Project to Change Osaka Science Education' initiative, working with Osaka University of Education and Kenis to improve science education outcomes in Osaka prefecture.
• JICAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA 'Smiles for the World' program - donated science education equipment including microscopes, hand-crank generators, and balances to Ethiopia. Also conducted teacher training in Eswatini and Papua New Guinea.
• Naruto University of Education (鳴門教育大学)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in JICA African basic education cooperation activities, jointly conducting science teacher training programs in Eswatini and Papua New Guinea.
• Masuda Science (増田理化工業株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup company specializing in temperature/humidity measurement instruments (おんどとり). Provides calibration services and product development support for environmental monitoring solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Vernier Software & Technology: US-based manufacturer of scientific data-collection technology for K-12 and college science education. Comparable to Kenis's wireless data logger products (Labdisc) and represents an international peer in educational science instrumentation.
• PASCO Corporation: Japanese provider of educational science measurement technology and dataloggers for schools, with global operations. Direct overlap with Kenis's Labdisc/ScienceCube product lines in wireless data logging for K-12 science education.

Broad incumbents

• Horiba, Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of measurement and analytical instruments serving scientific, automotive, and environmental markets. Comparable in product category (measurement/analytical instruments) but operates at significantly larger scale with global footprint.
• FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation: Japanese supplier of laboratory chemicals, reagents, and research supplies. Comparable to Kenis's research division in serving Japanese research institutions with consumables and reagents, though operates at much larger scale.
• JEOL Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of scientific instruments including electron microscopes, mass spectrometers, and NMR systems. Serves similar research-instrument customer base as Kenis but focuses on high-end analytical instruments rather than educational equipment.
• Shimadzu Corporation: Major Japanese manufacturer of analytical and measuring instruments for scientific research, healthcare, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Kenis's research-instrument segment but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Yamato Scientific Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer and supplier of laboratory and scientific equipment, including instruments for research and educational applications. Comparable product categories and target customers in the Japan research and education markets.
• Ogawa Seiki Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of educational physics, chemistry, and biology teaching instruments for schools. Directly competes with Kenis's educational science equipment division with a comparable K-12 focus.
• AS ONE Corporation: Japanese laboratory supply distributor serving research institutions and corporate labs. Comparable to Kenis's research-instrument division with extensive catalog distribution and similar B2B procurement workflows via agents and direct sales.
• Narika Corporation: Japanese distributor of educational science supplies and laboratory equipment for K-12 schools and universities. Direct competitor to Kenis in the Japan education market with overlapping catalog-based sales and curriculum-aligned product range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kenis_official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kenisweb
• Instagraminstagram.com/kenis.official

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Kenis