Kumiai Chemical Industry Co

What Kumiai Chemical Industry Co does

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. is a Japanese agrochemical manufacturer founded in 1945 (with a legal entity established in 1952) and headquartered in Tokyo, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market under stock code 4996. The company develops, manufactures, and sells crop protection chemicals — primarily herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides — with its flagship product being AXEEV® herbicide, which uses the patented pyroxasulfone active ingredient for weed control in soybeans, corn, wheat, and sugarcane, particularly against herbicide-resistant weeds. Beyond agrochemicals, Kumiai operates a Fine Chemicals business providing custom synthesis and contract manufacturing of amines, isocyanates, and other specialty chemical products to B2B corporate customers.

The company's core technology stack spans integrated pesticide discovery, formulation technology, and process chemistry, consolidated since October 2023 at the Chemical Research Institute ShIP in Shizuoka City — the company's founding location. Kumiai monetizes primarily through direct B2B product sales to large-scale Japanese agricultural enterprises, supplemented by active ingredient and formulation contract manufacturing for international partners, most notably PI Industries Ltd of India, which manufactures pyroxasulfone under a long-term custom synthesis arrangement that accounts for approximately 40% of PI Industries' revenue. The company generated ¥102.9 billion in H1 FY2026 revenue (revised upward 10.9% from prior guidance) and ¥10.4 billion in operating profit (revised upward 70.5%), reflecting accelerated AXEEV shipments ahead of generic competition entering the US market.

Kumiai distributes through a direct sales channel (no third-party distributor network disclosed), maintains IR communications through a dedicated investor relations library, and pursues stakeholder engagement via corporate social media, educational outreach (including the long-running Student Essay Competition and the "Mamoru Hanashi" booklet series), and formal sustainability and governance reporting aligned with TSE Prime listing requirements. The company has no identified parent company, no disclosed subsidiaries, and operates across Japan with international reach mediated through the PI Industries partnership.

Name

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co

Legal name

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Website

https://kumiai-chem.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Kumiai Chemical Industry is a Japanese agrochemical manufacturer (founded 1945, TSE Prime: 4996) that develops, produces, and sells crop protection chemicals — led by its patented AXEEV® pyroxasulfone herbicide — and fine chemicals for large-scale agricultural producers and B2B customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agrochemicals (Crop Protection Chemicals)

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Crop Protection Chemicals (Herbicides/Insecticides/Fungicides) (IMAEAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Custom Synthesis & Technical Active Ingredient (AI) Manufacturing (intermediates, actives) (AFABAIAI)

Keywords

• Crop protection chemicals
• Herbicide manufacturing
• Agrochemical products
• Fine chemicals manufacturing
• Active ingredient synthesis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crop Protection (Agrochemical) Products: Development, manufacturing, and sale of agrochemical products including the proprietary herbicide AXEEV (アクシーブ). Revenue is generated through product sales to agricultural customers in Japan and export markets. The flagship product AXEEV is a leading revenue driver for the group.
2. Fine Chemicals: Contract manufacturing and product development of fine chemicals for corporate customers, including amines, isocyanates, and other chemical products. This segment showed robust demand contributing to H1 FY2026 earnings upgrades.
3. Active Ingredient (AI) Sales to PI Industries: Sale of pyroxasulfone active ingredient to PI Industries, which is estimated to contribute approximately 40% of PI Industries' overall revenue. PI Industries serves as the custom synthesis manufacturer for Kumiai's patented herbicide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures, and sells crop protection chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) for agricultural use, with the flagship AXEEV® (アクシーブ®) herbicide containing pyroxasulfone as its patented active ingredient. The company also operates a fine chemicals business providing custom synthesis and contract manufacturing services for amines, isocyanates, and other specialty chemicals to corporate customers. Its product portfolio spans integrated pesticide R&D, active ingredient sales, agrochemical formulation manufacturing, and other consumer-adjacent products such as cosmetics and automatic dosing devices.

Product overview

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co is a Japanese agrochemical manufacturer with over 70 years of experience offering a diversified product portfolio spanning pesticide products (agrochemicals), active ingredient sales and contract manufacturing for agricultural chemicals, fine chemicals, and other specialty products. The flagship product is AXEEV® herbicide (pyroxasulfone-based), a patented herbicide accounting for approximately 40% of partner PI Industries' revenue. The company provides integrated services from pesticide R&D through manufacturing and sales, serving global agricultural markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AXEEV (アクシーブ®): Innovative field herbicide developed by the company, serving as a flagship product for soybean, corn, wheat, and sugarcane cultivation. Contains pyroxasulfone as active ingredient.
• ShIP (化学研究所)

Products and services

• AXEEV® (アクシーブ®) Herbicide

Quantifiable outcome

• H1 FY2026 revenue: ¥102.9 billion (up 10.9%), operating profit: ¥10.4 billion (up 70.5%), net profit: ¥8.7 billion — driven by stronger-than-expected AXEEV sales and robust fine chemicals demand

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PI Industries LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026PI Industries serves as the key custom synthesis manufacturing partner for Kumiai Chemical, supplying pyroxasulfone — the active ingredient used in Kumiai's flagship AXEEV herbicide. This partnership accounts for approximately 40% of PI Industries' overall revenue, underscoring its strategic importance. The relationship involves long-term supply agreements with PI Industries manufacturing the patented herbicide ingredient, and is characterized by strong demand supporting accelerated shipments ahead of US generic competition entry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Corteva Agriscience: Corteva is one of the largest global pure-play agriculture companies, with a leading herbicide portfolio competing in the same soybean, corn, and wheat markets served by AXEEV. Comparable as a global crop protection incumbent.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: BASF's Agricultural Solutions division is a global crop protection leader with herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Comparable as a large diversified chemical/agricultural incumbent competing in the same field crop segments.
• FMC Corporation: FMC is a global agricultural sciences company focused on crop protection chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides). Comparable as a herbicide/formulation competitor with overlapping active ingredients and global distribution.
• Sumitomo Chemical Company: Sumitomo Chemical is a major Japanese diversified chemical company with a sizable crop protection and agrochemical business. It is a much larger incumbent offering overlapping herbicide/insecticide products and global distribution.
• Syngenta Group: Syngenta is one of the world's largest crop protection and seed companies, with a deep herbicide portfolio. Comparable as a global incumbent directly competing in field crop weed management markets served by AXEEV.
• Mitsui Chemicals: Mitsui Chemicals is a large Japanese chemical manufacturer with crop protection and agrochemical adjuvants exposure. Comparable as a Japanese-domiciled chemical company with overlapping fine chemicals and crop science capabilities.
• Bayer Crop Science: Bayer's Crop Science division is the largest global agrochemical and seed business, with dominant herbicide franchises (e.g., glyphosate). Comparable as the largest incumbent competing for the same soybean/corn/wheat weed-control budgets.

Direct peers

• UPL Limited: UPL is a leading Indian-based global agrochemical manufacturer with broad crop protection and seed treatment portfolios. Comparable as a post-patent and proprietary agrochemical formulator with significant emerging-market distribution.
• Nissan Chemical Corporation: Nissan Chemical is a Japanese specialty chemical company with a crop protection (agrochemical) division alongside fine chemicals. Highly comparable business mix, geographic base, and scale to Kumiai.
• PI Industries: PI Industries is Kumiai's core custom synthesis manufacturing partner for pyroxasulfone and a leading Indian agrochemical company. It is directly comparable as both a custom synthesis manufacturer and an agrochemical formulator/distributor serving similar crop protection end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kumiai.chemical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kumiai-chemical-industry-co-ltd-4996-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kumiai Chemical Industry Co