What Micro Energy does

Micro Energy Corporation (株式会社マイクロ・エナジー) is a privately held Japanese engineering company founded in April 2003 by Representative Director Hashimoto Yoshiro (橋本芳郎) and headquartered in Atsugi, Kanagawa. The company develops and sells small-to-medium, distributed, on-site waste-to-energy (WTE) systems that convert biomass and diverse organic waste — including moisture- and seawater-containing feedstocks — into hydrogen-rich, tar-free synthesis gas via proprietary gasification technology. Its technology platform also encompasses BTL (Biomass to Liquid) and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis for producing diesel-equivalent petroleum substitute fuels and chemical feedstocks, plus the Loop Plastic Project, which applies the same platform to chemical recycling of waste plastics into virgin-grade plastics.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales of integrated systems, including WTE gasification power generation systems, organic matter gasification hydrogen production systems, 30kW–125kW biogas-compatible diesel generators, and carbonization and drying equipment. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting Japanese prefectural and municipal governments, industrial manufacturers, and plastic and chemical industry customers, with the historical customer base concentrated in NEDO-funded demonstration projects across Tokushima, Yamanashi, and Kagoshima prefectures. The company maintains two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries (Micro Energy Engineering and Micro Energy Manufacturing) to handle engineering and manufacturing, has a 15-member technical advisory board of retired engineers from Mitsubishi Chemical Koki, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Chemical, Tada Industries, and Caterpillar Japan, and holds a granted patent (May 2014) on its gasification technology that was validated through more than 2,000 hours of demonstration operation. Registered capital is ¥90 million and the company employs 11–50 people.

Funding has come almost entirely from non-dilutive Japanese government R&D grants across multiple ministries (METI/NEDO, MAFF, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Defense) between 2003 and 2014, rather than from venture capital, private equity, or public markets. The company remains privately held under founder control with no identified parent entity, no public listing, and no disclosed equity investors in the source material. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Micro Energy

Legal name

株式会社マイクロ・エナジー

Website

https://microenergy.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Micro Energy Corporation is a privately held Japanese engineering company that develops and sells small-to-medium, distributed waste-to-energy gasification systems, hydrogen production systems, and chemical recycling technology (Loop Plastic Project) using proprietary BTL/Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, serving Japanese prefectural and municipal governments, industrial manufacturers, and the plastic and chemical industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste-to-Energy Systems

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Waste Gasification (MSW/RDF/biomass-to-syngas) (EUAAAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gasification & Pyrolysis-to-Power (Waste/Biomass Advanced Thermal) (EUACAIAL), Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration & Power/Heat Generation (EUAIACAG), WtE Plant Development, EPC & O&M Services (Project delivery and operations) (EUAAAKAK)

Keywords

• Waste-to-energy systems
• Biomass gasification technology
• Hydrogen production systems
• Organic waste processing
• Distributed energy systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Atsugi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. WTE Systems (中小型廃棄物系ガス化発電システム): Sale of small-to-medium waste gasification power generation systems, including WTE systems for distributed on-site power generation.
2. Hydrogen Manufacturing Systems (有機物ガス化水素製造システム): Sale of hydrogen production systems using organic matter gasification technology.
3. Power Generation Equipment (混焼ディーゼル発電機): Sale of biogas-compatible gasification gas diesel generators ranging from 30kW to 125kW for co-firing applications.
4. Carbonization and Drying Equipment (各種炭化装置・乾燥装置): Sale of various carbonization and drying equipment systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Micro Energy develops, manufactures, and sells small-to-medium distributed on-site waste-to-energy (WTE) systems based on proprietary gasification technology. Its systems convert a wide range of organic materials, including biomass, organic waste, and seawater-containing substances, into hydrogen-rich syngas for power generation and into petroleum substitute fuels via FT synthesis (BTL system). The company also offers the Loop Plastic Project, which uses the same BTL platform to chemically recycle waste plastics into virgin-grade plastic. Supporting hardware includes 30kW–125kW biogas-compatible diesel generators, carbonization units, and drying equipment.

Product overview

Micro Energy Corporation offers a unified portfolio of waste-to-energy products centered on the WTE SYSTEM, which uses proprietary gasification technology to convert diverse organic waste into hydrogen-rich syngas for power generation. The product line includes the WTE SYSTEM (core platform) for waste-to-energy conversion, the Loop Plastic Project for chemical recycling of waste plastics into virgin materials, and supporting systems including small-to-medium waste gasification power generation units, organic matter gasification hydrogen production systems, 30kw-125kw mixed combustion diesel generators, and various carbonization and drying equipment. The WTE SYSTEM and Loop Plastic Project share BTL (Biomass/Liquid) and FT (Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis technology as their technological foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WTE SYSTEM (Waste to Energy): Small-to-medium-scale waste-to-energy gasification and power generation system that converts organic waste into hydrogen-rich synthesis gas and BTL (Biomass to Liquid) fuels.
• Loop Plastic Project

Products and services

• WTE SYSTEM (Waste to Energy System) Small-to-medium-scale, distributed on-site waste-to-energy system using proprietary gasification technology that converts biomass and organic waste (including moisture- and seawater-containing materials) into tar-free hydrogen-rich syngas and petroleum substitute fuels via FT synthesis (BTL). Sold to municipalities, industrial facilities, and government projects.
• Loop Plastic Project (Chemical Recycling System) Chemical recycling initiative leveraging the BTL/Fischer-Tropsch platform to convert waste plastics (including general household plastic waste) into virgin-grade plastic and naphtha/methanol feedstocks for sustainable plastic manufacturing without incineration CO2 emissions.
• Organic Matter Gasification Hydrogen Production System (有機物ガス化水素製造システム) Standalone hydrogen production system that uses proprietary gasification of organic matter to produce hydrogen-rich mixed gas with higher hydrogen concentration than conventional gasification methods, intended for fuel cell applications and hydrogen fuel supply.
• 30kW–125kW Mixed Combustion Diesel Generators (混焼ディーゼル発電機) Diesel generators compatible with biogas and gasification gases for co-firing, ranging from 30kW to 125kW, designed to operate with syngas from the company's gasification systems for distributed on-site power generation.
• Carbonization Equipment (各種炭化装置) Carbonization equipment for processing organic materials as part of the integrated waste-to-energy product line, used to prepare feedstock prior to gasification.
• Drying Equipment (各種乾燥装置) Drying equipment for processing organic waste materials prior to gasification, sold as part of the integrated waste-to-energy system offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gasification technology rated world-class through 2,000+ hours of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and supporting.

• Toyama University (富山大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Collaborative research on FT synthesis catalyst development with MAFF/NEDO support. Joint development of low-pressure FT synthesis catalysts (2011-2014). Applied to Yamanashi BTL system.
• Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2003Long-standing industry-academia collaboration for gasification technology R&D. Company designated as Tokyo Institute of Technology Venture No. 17 (June 2003). Collaborative research on hydrogen and carbon technologies.
• NEDO (新能源・産業技術総合開発機構)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborative projects including gasification power generation system development (2003), biomass BTL system development and demonstration in Tokushima, Yamanashi, and Kagoshima (2009-2010), FT synthesis catalyst development (2010), BTL technology social implementation (2012-2014), and mobile biomass power generation research (2013-2014).
• METI/Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業省)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government support agency for company's establishment and first commercial-level demonstration equipment construction in 2010.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (农林水産省)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported FT synthesis catalyst development (2010) in collaboration with Toyama University.
• Ministry of Environment (環境省)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported BTL technology social implementation model construction (2012-2014). Provided 5 years of subsidy funding for Loop Plastic Project development.
• Ministry of Defense (防衛省)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research on mobile biomass power generation possibilities for vehicles (2013-2014). Technical report 7157 published.
• Micro Energy Engineering (株式会社マイクロエナジー・エンジニアリング)coreOthersRelated company handling engineering aspects of WTE systems and related products.
• Micro Energy Manufacturing (株式会社マイクロエナジー・マニュファクチャリング)coreOthersRelated company handling manufacturing of WTE systems and related products.
• Technical Advisory Board (三菱化工機・三菱重工・三菱化学・戸田工業・キャタピラージャパン等)supportingOthers15-member technical advisory board comprising former engineers from Mitsubishi Chemical Koki, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Chemical, Tada Industries, Caterpillar Japan, and other companies.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Bank (三菱UFJ銀行)supportingOthersPrimary transaction bank listed on company profile.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Velocys: Small-scale gas-to-liquits technology company using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to convert biomass and waste into fuels. Directly comparable FT-synthesis technology stack to Micro Energy's BTL platform, with similar distributed-scale targeting.
• Anaergia: Organic waste-to-energy company operating anaerobic digestion and biogas facilities globally. Adjacent waste-to-energy player focused on distributed organic waste processing, addressing overlapping municipal and industrial customer segments.

Direct peers

• Enerkem: Canadian waste-to-biofuels company using gasification technology to convert municipal solid waste into methanol and ethanol. Closely comparable business model: proprietary gasification, BTL/biofuel output, and government-backed commercial demonstration approach.
• Hitachi Zosen Inova: Major EPC contractor for municipal waste-to-energy and gasification plants globally, including biomass-to-energy. Direct competitor in the WtE plant development space that Micro Energy targets with its smaller, distributed systems.
• JEPLAN: Japanese chemical recycling company converting waste plastics into virgin-grade PET and other materials using depolymerization. Direct peer for Micro Energy's Loop Plastic Project, addressing the same Japanese plastic-recycling market with a comparable technology-driven approach.

Broad incumbents

• Kobelco Eco-Solutions: Subsidiary of Kobe Steel providing environmental solutions including WtE plants and waste recycling systems. Operates in the same municipal/industrial waste-to-energy market as Micro Energy, with greater scale and EPC capabilities.
• Outotec (Metso): Global provider of industrial process technology including gasification and pyrolysis systems for waste-to-energy applications. Comparable thermal-processing equipment business, though serving larger industrial customers.
• Takuma: Japanese EPC company with a substantial WtE and biomass power generation business, serving municipalities and industrial clients. Comparable customer base and end-market, though Takuma operates at much larger scale.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Large industrial conglomerate operating extensive WtE, biomass power, and hydrogen infrastructure businesses globally. Broad incumbent that dwarfs Micro Energy in scale but operates in overlapping technology and end-market categories.
• JFE Engineering: Engineering arm of JFE Group with established WtE, biomass power, and hydrogen businesses. Comparable end-market exposure with much larger balance sheet and broader technology portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Micro Energy