Komatsu Matere

What Komatsu Matere does

Komatsu Matere Co., Ltd. (小松マテーレ株式会社, TSE:3580) is a Japanese chemical materials manufacturer founded in 1943 and headquartered in Nomi/Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), operating across three business segments: (1) fabric dyeing and post-processing of chemical synthetic fibers for fashion, sports, medical, and construction end-markets; (2) advanced materials manufacturing, including Cabkoma® carbon fiber composites and the Bellefomer® wastewater-sludge-reducing bio-agent; and (3) direct-to-consumer sales through an online store and the mono-bo factory shop. The company owns over 50 proprietary functional fabric technologies (UV protection, antibacterial, water repellency, cooling, stretch, flame retardant) marketed under branded sub-lines such as Asako, Ultra Rugano, Techno Vintage, Honey Vintage, Clean Guard, and Bio-Guard, and supplies European and American apparel manufacturers via GRS-certified production bases. Recent strategic moves include the 2026 acquisition of uniform specialist UNIF & CO., a partnership with Spiber to commercialize Brewed Protein™ next-generation materials, and recognition of Bellefomer® with the 2025 Good Design Award.

The business model combines B2B direct sales of finished and semi-finished fabrics and advanced materials into enterprise OEM supply chains with a smaller branded B2C retail channel. Revenue is diversified across Japanese apparel brands, European/American apparel OEMs, industrial customers in the Middle East (14% of total revenue), and the medical and construction verticals; the company is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with no disclosed controlling parent. Operational and financial momentum has been positive on a multi-year basis (FY2022–FY2026 revenue compounded to roughly $41.6B), but near-term results are pressured: Q1 FY2026 revenue declined 4.6% year-over-year, full-year operating profit guidance was cut by 40% to ¥1.5B due to Middle East geopolitical risk, and H2 FY2026 profit guidance of ~¥600M is materially below H1 ¥900M, signaling a second-half deceleration that the company is attempting to offset through vertical expansion (UNIF & CO.), next-generation material partnerships (Spiber), and sustainability certification (GRS).

Name

Komatsu Matere

Legal name

小松マテーレ株式会社

Website

https://komatsumatere.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Komatsu Matere (TSE:3580), founded 1943 in Ishikawa, Japan, dyes and post-processes chemical synthetic fibers and manufactures advanced materials, supplying functional and fashion fabrics to apparel, sports, medical, and construction customers while selling branded products direct-to-consumer via its online store and factory outlets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Textiles and Advanced Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133), Broadwoven Fabric Mills (31321)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protective & Safety Textiles (FR/Arc/Heat/Cut/Chemical) (IMAOADAA), Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM)

Keywords

• Technical textiles
• Fabric dyeing processing
• Functional fabrics
• Carbon fiber composites
• Wastewater treatment bioagents

Headquarters

HQ city

Nomi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fabric Dyeing and Processing: Core business providing dyeing and finishing services for chemical synthetic fibers, serving fashion, sports apparel, medical, and construction sectors
2. Advanced Materials Manufacturing: Development and manufacture of advanced materials including carbon fiber composites and industrial fabrics
3. B2C Products: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded fabric products through online store and factory outlets

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Komatsu Matere manufactures and processes chemical synthetic fiber fabrics, offering fashion fabrics, high-performance functional fabrics (UV protection, water repellency, antibacterial, stretch), advanced materials including carbon fiber composites (CABKOMA), and a proprietary bioagent (Bellefomer) for industrial wastewater sludge reduction. The company sells fabrics to manufacturers across fashion, sports apparel, medical, construction, and uniform sectors, and also sells branded consumer products through its own online store and factory outlets.

Product overview

Komatsu Matere is a chemical materials manufacturer founded in 1943 that operates three core business segments: (1) Fabric dyeing and post-processing, (2) Advanced materials manufacturing and development, and (3) Consumer product (B2C) sales. The company's flagship product lines include fashion fabrics under multiple brand names (Asako, Ultra Ruga, Techno Vintage, Honey Vintage, and others), functional fabrics with specialized treatments (UV protection, antibacterial, water-repellent, quick-drying, and more), Bellefomer bio-agents for industrial wastewater sludge reduction, and CABKOMA carbon fiber composite materials. The company serves diverse markets spanning fashion, sports apparel, medical textiles, construction materials, and industrial applications, with a stated vision of 'Art in Technology.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bellefomer (ベリフォーマー): Sewage volume reduction bio-agent that can reduce excess sludge from wastewater treatment by up to 100%. Won the 2025 Good Design Award.
• Cabkoma
• fa-bo (ファーボ)
• mono-bo
• Matereco (マテレコ)

Products and services

• Fabrics (Fashion) Textile fabrics for fashion applications offered under multiple brand names, sold to fashion and apparel manufacturers.
• Fabrics (Functional) High-performance functional fabrics offering properties such as UV protection, water repellency, waterproofing, windproofing, antibacterial/antiviral treatments, deodorizing, quick-drying, moisture management, stretch, and durability features for fashion, sports, medical, and industrial applications.
• Bellefomer (ベリフォーマー) Bioagent A proprietary bio-agent sludge reduction product that can eliminate up to 100% of excess sludge generated in industrial wastewater treatment processes, designed for environmental and industrial applications. Awarded the 2025 Good Design Award.
• CABKOMA Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Advanced carbon fiber composite materials developed for industrial and high-performance applications.
• Komatsumatere Online Store Direct-to-consumer online retail platform for purchasing Komatsu Matere branded fabrics and products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% sludge reduction in wastewater treatment with Bellefomer®

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UNIF & CO.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2026Hiroshima-based uniform specialist company acquired by Komatsu Matere to expand into the higher-margin uniform business. The acquisition price was not disclosed and integration risks remain unclear.
• SpibercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Collaboration to develop and showcase Brewed Protein™ next-generation material collection. Komatsu Matere and Spiber jointly exhibited this sustainable material collection, marking the first domestic public display in Japan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Spiber Inc. Spiber is a Japanese biotechnology firm developing Brewed Protein™ next-generation protein-based fibers, partnered with Komatsu Matere on a domestic collection launch in 2026. Comparable as an emerging player in next-generation sustainable textile materials targeting the same premium apparel customers as Komatsu Matere.

Broad incumbents

• Teijin Limited: Teijin is a Japanese specialty materials company active in high-performance fibers, carbon fiber composites, and technical textiles, with parallel product offerings to Komatsu Matere's Cabkoma carbon fiber composites and functional fabric portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent in advanced textile/industrial materials.
• Toray Industries, Inc. Toray is the dominant Japanese textile conglomerate operating across synthetic fibers, technical textiles, and carbon fiber composites — overlapping almost entirely with Komatsu Matere's portfolio including the carbon fiber composites segment. Its scale and breadth make it a broad incumbent benchmark for the functional textile and advanced materials space.
• Kuraray Co., Ltd. Kuraray is a large Japanese specialty chemicals and fibers conglomerate producing man-made fibers, technical textiles, and functional materials. As a producer of synthetic fibers that Komatsu Matere processes, and as a broader incumbent in performance materials, it is comparable to Komatsu Matere's manufacturing and downstream integration.

Direct peers

• Seiren Co., Ltd. Seiren is the closest Japanese pure-play competitor to Komatsu Matere, also specializing in dyeing, finishing, and functional treatment of synthetic textiles for fashion, sportswear, and industrial applications. Both companies target overlapping European/American apparel brands with proprietary functional fabric technologies.
• Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. Nisshinbo operates a textile business segment spanning apparel fabrics, functional materials, and industrial textiles from a Japanese base, making it a directly comparable Japanese peer in dyed/finished fabric manufacturing for similar end markets to Komatsu Matere.
• Unitika Ltd. Unitika is a Japanese textile manufacturer producing industrial and apparel fabrics with functional finishes, overlapping with Komatsu Matere's core dye/finish business. Its portfolio of performance textiles and engineering materials places it in the same product/customer category.
• Toyobo Co., Ltd. Toyobo is a Japanese textile and functional materials manufacturer with overlapping activity in performance/technical fabrics, including industrial, medical, and apparel substrates. Its diversified materials business makes it a comparable peer to Komatsu Matere's combination of fabric finishing plus advanced materials.

Regional players

• Sinterama S.p.A. Sinterama is an Italian manufacturer of technical and industrial textile yarns and fabrics for automotive, furnishing, and apparel applications. Directly comparable to Komatsu Matere's functional/technical fabric business but focused on European markets.
• Sefar Group: Sefar is a Swiss manufacturer of precision fabrics for filtration, architecture, and industrial applications. Comparable to Komatsu Matere's technical/industrial fabric and construction membrane product lines, though serving primarily European customers rather than Japanese/Asian markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/komatsumatere
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUobaFk1B5SYow3InXArYkg
• Facebookfacebook.com/komatsumatere.co.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/komatsumatere

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Komatsu Matere