What Katsuragawa Electric does

Katsuragawa Electric Co., Ltd. (桂川電機株式会社), trading as KIP, is a Japan-headquartered manufacturer of wide-format digital imaging equipment founded in April 1945 and re-established under its current name in 1954. The company's product platform is built on a proprietary electrophotographic process — the KIP Electronic Photography Method — invented in-house in 1961, on which it became the world's first developer of A0-size digital wide-format copiers in 1992. Its current lineup spans color and monochrome wide-format printers (KIP 900C, KIP 700C, KIP 79G, KIP 7170G, KIP 75G series), standalone wide-format scanners (KIP 2300S, KIP 720S), and the KIP System K workflow software platform, with output resolutions up to 600dpi × 2400dpi equivalent and A0 print speeds of roughly 7 sheets per minute on the flagship monochrome MFP.

KIP sells primarily into engineering, construction, GIS/cartography, and manufacturing organizations that require high-quality large-format technical documentation output, with ISO 9001/14001, Eco Mark, Green Purchase Law, and Energy Star certifications used to position itself with government and institutional buyers. Revenue mechanics combine one-time hardware sales with aftermarket toner, parts and service supplied through a wholly-owned domestic support subsidiary (KIP-Net) and direct regional sales arms in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Greater China, Korea, Southeast Asia and Taiwan, supported by a Taiwan manufacturing facility. Standalone revenue for FY81 (period ending March 2026) was ¥2.339 billion, down from ¥4.381 billion in FY79, accompanied by a ¥435 million operating loss.

The company has been privately held since November 2025, following a management-led buyout by Lemon Co., Ltd. at ¥280 per share that resulted in delisting from the Tokyo Stock Exchange (formerly ticker 6416). Operations continue under private ownership, with a February 2026 capital reduction and an April 2026 leadership reshuffle accompanying the post-MBO recapitalization.

Name

Katsuragawa Electric

Legal name

桂川電機株式会社 (KATSURAGAWA ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.)

Website

https://kiphq.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Katsuragawa Electric (KIP) is a Japanese manufacturer of A0 wide-format printers, copiers, scanners, and workflow software built on its proprietary 1961 electrophotographic method, serving engineering, construction, GIS, and manufacturing customers worldwide through twelve wholly-owned regional subsidiaries. The company was taken private in 2025 via an MBO led by Lemon Co., Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wide-Format Printing Equipment

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (334)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555), Service Industries For The Printing Trade (2790)

akta.pro primary industry

Production & High-Volume Printing Systems (HDACAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Labeling, Coding & Marking Systems (IMAHAOAE)

Keywords

• Wide-format printers
• Wide-format copiers
• Wide-format scanners
• Electrophotographic imaging
• Large-format printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wide-format Hardware Sales: Sale of wide-format printers, copiers, multifunction devices, and scanners (KIP 700C, 900C, 7170G, 75G, 79G series, KIP 2300S, KIP 720S). One-time hardware revenue with potential for aftermarket supplies and service.
2. Software/System Sales: Sale of KIP System K software and related software solutions for print management and workflow automation.
3. Maintenance and Support Services: After-sales support, maintenance, and supply (toner, parts) sales through subsidiary 株式会社ケイアイピー (KIP-Net) in Japan and regional subsidiaries globally. Dedicated support infrastructure ensures customer retention and recurring revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Katsuragawa Electric, operating under the KIP brand, manufactures and sells wide-format color and monochrome printers, multifunction copiers, and scanners (A0 format capable), along with the KIP System K software platform for print workflow management. The company's products serve engineering, construction, GIS, and manufacturing organizations needing high-resolution technical document output. It also provides aftermarket supplies, maintenance, and support through its subsidiary network.

Product overview

KIP (Katsuragawa Electric) is a wide-format digital imaging solutions provider offering an integrated portfolio of color and monochrome wide-format printers, multifunction copiers, and scanners, along with the KIP System K software platform. The product lineup includes the KIP 900C and 700C series color printers for high-quality technical color output; the KIP 79G, 7170G, and 75G series monochrome multifunction printers for production printing and copying; and the KIP 2300S and 720S scanners for wide-format document digitization. KIP System K serves as the software layer for workflow management and system integration. The company specializes in A0-format capable systems with proprietary electrophotographic technology developed since 1961.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KIP System K: Wide-format printing system software platform
• KIP 700C Series
• KIP 900C Series
• KIP 7170G Series
• KIP 75G Series
• KIP 79G Series
• KIP 2300S
• KIP 720S

Products and services

• KIP 900C series Wide-format color LED printer offering high-quality color output for technical and CAD applications, targeted at engineering, GIS, and design professionals.
• KIP 700C series Wide-format color multifunction printer combining printing, copying, and scanning capabilities for organizations needing integrated color document production.
• KIP 79G series (KIP 7970G / 7980G / 7990G) High-speed monochrome wide-format multifunction printer series with A0 print speed of 7 sheets/minute, 600dpi x 2400dpi equivalent resolution, 4-roll paper feed plus manual feed, integrated A0-size 600dpi full-color scanner, and security features including HDD data overwrite and user authentication.
• KIP 7170G series Wide-format monochrome printer/copier for technical documentation and CAD applications.
• KIP 75G series Entry-level wide-format monochrome printer for general technical printing needs in engineering, construction, and design environments.
• KIP 2300S Wide-format scanner with high-resolution scanning capability for technical documents and drawings. Energy Star certified.
• KIP 720S Compact wide-format scanner for technical documentation digitization. Energy Star certified.
• KIP System K Software platform for managing wide-format printing workflows, including print job management, color management, and system integration capabilities for KIP multifunction systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• A0 format printing capability for large technical documents
• +2 more outcomes

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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KIP America, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholly-owned subsidiary handling sales operations for North America (USA and Canada). Established in 1997 to serve the Americas market directly.
• KIP Canada, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary sales company for Canadian market.
• KIP UK Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary established in 1998 for UK and Middle East sales operations.
• KIP Deutschland GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary for Germany sales operations.
• KIP ITALIA SRLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary for Italy sales operations.
• KIP (HONG KONG) Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary established in 2003 for China (including Hong Kong and Macau) sales operations.
• KIP (Beijing) Engineering Copying Equipments Co., Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary for China mainland sales, established 2009.
• KIP Business Solution Korea Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary established in 2007 for Korea sales operations.
• KIP Asia Co., Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary established in 2013 for Southeast Asia sales operations.
• KIP TaiwancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales operations for Taiwan market.
• 台灣三桂股份有限公司 (Taiwan Sanguikei Co., Ltd.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing subsidiary in Taiwan established as production base for wide-format equipment.
• 株式会社ケイアイピー (K IP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary established in 1971 (originally as ケイアイピーイメージインテグレーション株式会社) for domestic Japan sales, restructured 1986.
• 株式会社ケイアイピー (KIP-Net)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubsidiary for domestic Japan maintenance support and supply sales (kip-net.co.jp). Provides after-sales service and consumables.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mutoh Holdings: Mutoh produces wide-format inkjet printers for technical, CAD, and signage applications — directly comparable to KIP's A0-format production monochrome and color systems, with strong presence in Japan and Europe.
• Roland DG: Roland DG produces wide-format inkjet printers and printers/cutters for technical and graphics applications; overlaps with KIP in large-format monochrome/color output for CAD and engineering markets.
• Mimaki Engineering: Mimaki manufactures wide-format inkjet printers and cutting plotters targeting sign/graphics and technical printing — overlapping with KIP in production-printing use cases, especially in Asia.

Emerging players

• Konica Minolta: Konica Minolta's production print portfolio (AccurioPress, MFP lines) addresses similar enterprise document workflows as KIP, particularly in the Japanese and European markets where KIP has direct subsidiary presence.
• Brother Industries: Brother's wider business includes document imaging; while not a focused wide-format A0 player, it competes in adjacent enterprise document output segments relevant to KIP's AEC customers.

Broad incumbents

• HP (Hewlett-Packard): HP's DesignJet and PageWide XL lines compete directly with KIP in wide-format technical and production printing, offering broader global channel and consumables ecosystems that dwarf KIP's installed base.
• Ricoh: Ricoh offers wide-format and production printing solutions (including acquired technology from Seiko I Infotech/Mutoh) and overlaps with KIP in technical document production markets, particularly in Asia.
• Canon: Canon's imagePROGRAF and Colorado series directly compete with KIP in CAD/GIS and production large-format segments, with stronger color inkjet technology and broader enterprise distribution.
• Epson: Epson's SureColor T-series wide-format printers serve the same CAD, architectural, and engineering customers as KIP, leveraging Epson's micro-piezo inkjet scale and global retail distribution.
• Xerox: Xerox's production printing portfolio, including wide-format offerings, competes with KIP in AEC and document production environments, supported by a global direct-sales channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries14 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 Katsuragawa Electric