What WAW does

WAW (株式会社WAW, "We Across the World") is a privately held Tokyo-based distribution and trading company founded in June 2020 that sources and sells cosmetics, beauty appliances, and medical devices in the Japanese market. The company's stated mission is to identify high-quality products not yet widely known globally — across markets including America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia — and bring them to Japanese consumers through domestic retail channels such as department stores, electronics retailers, and cosmetics specialty stores. Its sourcing footprint spans eight cities: Tokyo, New York, Paris, Milan, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.

The company operates a hybrid business model combining import distribution with proprietary product development. Self-developed brands include DeepSleep, a beauty/health product focused on sleep improvement, and QuickLift, a beauty device for skin/facial care. The medical product portfolio comprises COVID-19 antibody test kits, pulse oximeters, non-contact thermometers, IPL epilators, and nitrile/latex gloves. WAW also offers OEM/ODM planning services in cosmetics, beauty electronics, and medical equipment, leveraging its international trend-identification capability. Marketing is conducted through mass-media channels including magazine, web, and TV, with sales led through retail partnerships rather than direct-to-consumer or enterprise channels.

No revenue, headcount, funding, management team, or ownership details are publicly disclosed. The company's only public news item dates to its June 2020 corporate website launch, and no customer logos, partnerships, certifications, or regulatory actions are on record. The absence of disclosed financial or operational metrics makes any assessment of scale, traction, or financial viability inherently limited; the available evidence supports characterizing WAW as an early-stage, founder-operated import/export business with a stated multi-vertical strategy but no verified commercial throughput.

Name

WAW

Legal name

株式会社WAW

Website

https://waw.tokyo.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WAW (株式会社WAW) is a privately held Tokyo-based distribution and trading company, founded June 2020, that imports and distributes trending cosmetics, beauty appliances, and medical products to Japanese consumers through department stores and specialty retailers, while operating self-developed brands DeepSleep and QuickLift.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Import and Sales: Imports and distributes trending cosmetics, beauty appliances, and lifestyle products from international markets (America, Europe, Middle East, Asia) to Japanese retailers and consumers
2. Self-Developed Product Sales: Develops and sells proprietary products in cosmetics, beauty appliances, and medical device categories, including OEM/ODM services
3. Export/Import Trading: International import and export trading operations for various products

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

WAW is a Japanese trading and distribution company that sources high-quality products internationally and distributes them through domestic retail channels. It develops proprietary OEM products in cosmetics, beauty appliances, and medical devices under sub-brands DeepSleep and QuickLift, while also importing and reselling trending international beauty, lifestyle, and medical products to retailers and business customers worldwide.

Product overview

WAW is a trading and import/export company (株式会社WAW) that operates as a multi-product platform across three main areas: (1) proprietary self-developed products in cosmetics, beauty electronics, and medical equipment; (2) import and distribution of trending products from America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia; and (3) medical supply products. The core proprietary brands are Deep Sleep (beauty/health) and Quick Lift (beauty device), which are sold through department stores, electronics stores, and cosmetics specialty shops in Japan. The medical product portfolio includes COVID-19 antibody test kits, pulse oximeters, non-contact thermometers, IPL epilators, and protective gloves. The company also offers OEM planning services for product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DeepSleep: Self-developed sleep improvement product brand operated by WAW.
• QuickLift

Products and services

• Deep Sleep A self-developed beauty/health product focused on sleep improvement, part of WAW's proprietary product line in cosmetics and beauty electronics, sold through Japanese department stores, electronics retailers, and cosmetics specialty stores.
• Quick Lift A self-developed beauty device targeting skin lifting or facial care, part of WAW's proprietary cosmetics and beauty electronics offerings.
• COVID-19 Antibody Test Kit (コロナ抗体検査キット) A rapid antibody test kit that detects COVID-19 infection by identifying specific antibodies in small blood serum samples, providing results within 15 minutes without specialized equipment and with reduced risk of false negatives in early infection stages compared to PCR testing.
• Pulse Oximeter (パルスオキシメーター) A fingertip device that measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate, used as an indicator of adequate oxygen supply from the lungs to help prevent severe COVID-19 complications.
• Non-contact Thermometer (非接触体温計) A hygienic, non-contact thermometer that measures body temperature in 3 seconds, featuring adult/child mode switching and temperature memory storage function.
• IPL Epilator (脱毛器) An IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) epilator that uses light energy to target melanin pigment in hair while minimizing skin stress, with 5 adjustable irradiation levels for different skin types, treatment areas, and hair textures.
• Nitrile/Latex Gloves (ニトリル製・ラテックス製手袋) Nitrile gloves with superior oil resistance, heat resistance, and high strength for diverse applications, plus latex gloves offering excellent elasticity, flexibility, and fingertip precision for detailed work.
• OEM Product Development Services Custom OEM planning and proposal services for cosmetics, beauty electronics, and medical equipment development, leveraging WAW's expertise in identifying trending international products.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mandom Corporation: Japanese personal care and cosmetics company (Gatsby, Lucido-L) selling mass-market beauty products through domestic retail channels. Comparable to WAW in Japan consumer beauty distribution.
• FANCL Corporation: Japanese cosmetics and health products company distributing through its own retail and pharmacy channels. Comparable to WAW in Japan consumer beauty distribution and SKU breadth across cosmetics and wellness.
• Albion Co., Ltd. Japan-based prestige cosmetics company selling through department store channels. Comparable to WAW because both distribute cosmetics through Japanese department stores and rely on beauty consumer demand.
• MTG Co., Ltd. (PLOSION): Japanese beauty device company behind the ReFa and SIXPAD brands, selling home-use beauty electronics through Japanese department stores and specialty retail. Highly comparable to WAW's proprietary beauty device strategy (QuickLift, IPL Epilator).
• YA-MAN Ltd. Japanese beauty device maker specializing in home-use skincare electronics (RF, LED, IPL). Comparable to WAW because both develop and distribute proprietary beauty appliances through Japanese retail channels including department stores and electronics retailers.

Broad incumbents

• ITOCHU Corporation: Major Japanese sogo shosha (general trading company) with a sizable cosmetics and beauty product import/distribution business. Comparable to WAW in international beauty product sourcing and distribution into Japan, but at vastly greater scale.
• Pola Orbis Holdings: Japanese cosmetics holding company (POLA, ORBIS, H2O Plus) with multi-brand distribution across department stores, specialty retail, and direct channels. Comparable as a multi-brand Japan beauty distributor competing for the same shelf space as WAW.
• Shiseido Co., Ltd. Japan's largest cosmetics company with global brand portfolio and dominant department store presence. Comparable to WAW as a competitor for the same Japanese retail consumer and shelf space.
• KOSÉ Corporation: Major Japanese cosmetics conglomerate with brands including Decorté and Sekkisei, selling through department stores and specialty beauty retailers. Comparable to WAW as a Japan-based beauty products distributor with established retail relationships.

Regional players

• Sysmex Corporation: Japanese diagnostics and medical device company. Comparable to WAW's medical product distribution activity (antibody test kits, oximeters), though Sysmex operates as a manufacturer with global distribution rather than an importer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WAW