Nippon Ceramic

What Nippon Ceramic does

Nippon Ceramic Co., Ltd. (Nicera) is a Japanese ceramic-sensor manufacturer founded in 1975 and headquartered in Tottori, Japan. The company designs, manufactures, and sells a diversified portfolio of sensors and modules built on ceramic, semiconductor, and MEMS technologies, including pyroelectric infrared sensors, thermopile sensors, ultrasonic sensors (closed- and open-aperture types), magnetic proportional current sensors, Hall elements based on InSb and GaAs materials, Hall ICs, and NDIR CO2 gas sensors. These components are embedded into OEM products across four primary verticals — automotive/mobility (xEV inverters, ADAS parking sensors, BMS), home electronics/consumer appliances, industrial equipment, and building/housing automation — addressing energy efficiency, safety, comfort, and motor-control use cases.

The company's technology base rests on proprietary ceramic materials and MEMS process know-how developed over five decades, with a unique vertical SMD InSb Hall package and ASIC-integrated digital-output pyroelectric offerings. Manufacturing is performed at facilities in Tottori (Japan, including a Technical Center and Nanei Unit), Shanghai Nicera Sensor Co., Ltd. (a 55%-owned Chinese joint venture, established 1986), and Nicera Philippines Inc. (wholly-owned, Subic Bay, established 2001), with sales offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Southampton (UK), and Hong Kong. Quality certifications include IATF16949 (October 2023) and ISO26262 (February 2021) covering automotive design, assembly, inspection, and functional-safety processes.

Nicera operates a B2B component-supply business model with quote-based pricing under multi-year OEM contracts. Revenue is generated through direct sales via company-owned offices and OEM-embedded supply chains, with no public pricing and no named end-customer disclosure. The company is publicly listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (tyo:6929), with 1,377 consolidated full-time employees as of December 31, 2025. FY2025 consolidated net sales were ¥27,325M with operating income of ¥6,228M and ROE of 14.37%.

Name

Nippon Ceramic

Legal name

Nippon Ceramic Co., Ltd.

Website

https://nicera.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Nippon Ceramic (Nicera) is a Japanese ceramic-sensor manufacturer founded in 1975 that designs and produces infrared, ultrasonic, current, and Hall-effect sensors and modules for OEM customers in the automotive, home electronics, industrial, and building-automation markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Sensors

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Capacitor, Resistor, Coil, Transformer, and Other Inductor Manufacturing (334416)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Ceramic sensors
• Infrared sensors
• Ultrasonic sensors
• Hall effect sensors
• Current sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Tottori

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ceramic Sensor Products: Development, manufacture and sales of ceramic sensors including infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, current sensors, and Hall elements. Products sold as components to OEM manufacturers for integration into automotive, home electronics, and industrial equipment applications.
2. Sensor Modules: Value-added modules combining sensors with signal processing circuits for specific applications including human detection modules, light control modules, and flame detection modules.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nippon Ceramic develops, manufactures, and sells ceramic-based sensors and electronic modules including pyroelectric infrared sensors, thermopile sensors, ultrasonic sensors, current sensors, Hall elements (InSb and GaAs), Hall ICs, and NDIR CO2 sensors. These products are sold as components to OEM manufacturers for integration into automotive (xEV, ADAS), home electronics (air conditioners, microwave ovens), industrial equipment (motor control, elevators), and security/building automation applications.

Product overview

Nippon Ceramic (Nicera) is a Japanese manufacturer of ceramic-based sensors and electronic modules serving automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics markets. The company produces a diversified portfolio of sensor technologies including pyroelectric infrared sensors for human/motion detection, thermopile sensors for absolute temperature measurement, ultrasonic sensors (closed and open aperture types) for distance/proximity sensing, magnetic proportional current sensors for automotive and industrial applications, Hall effect elements (InSb high-sensitivity and GaAs linear types) and Hall ICs, gas sensors (NDIR CO₂), and various module products integrating these sensors for specific applications such as active IR distance sensing, human detection for lighting control, flame detection, LED power supplies, and remote transmitters. The products are manufactured at facilities in Japan (Tottori), China (Shanghai), and the Philippines (Subic), with the core technology based on ceramic and semiconductor manufacturing expertise developed since the company's founding in 1975.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pyroelectric IR Sensor Pyroelectric infrared sensors that detect human motion by sensing changes in infrared radiation from body heat using ferroelectric ceramic materials with pyroelectric effect. Available in TO-5 detectors, SMD packages, and digital/analog output options for OEM manufacturers in security, lighting, and HVAC applications.
• Thermopile Sensor Thermal infrared sensors that detect absolute temperature by generating thermoelectric voltage proportionally to thermal energy converted from incident infrared radiation using the Seebeck effect. MEMS-based structure for HVAC, cooking appliances, ear thermometers, and industrial equipment.
• Closed Type Ultrasonic Sensor Closed-aperture ultrasonic sensors using piezoelectric ceramic technology for distance measurement. Features 58kHz center frequency, various diameters, and high reflective sensitivity for automotive parking assist and industrial proximity detection OEM applications.
• Open Type Ultrasonic Sensor Open-aperture ultrasonic sensors with mesh-type opening design allowing direct emission of strong resonator vibration. Features high sound pressure and sensitivity in outer diameters of 8, 10, and 16mm with 32kHz and 40kHz frequencies for OEM customers.
• Current Sensor (Automotive) Magnetic proportional current sensors for automotive applications including inverter control and battery management systems (BMS). Supports 3-phase 3CH configurations with current ranges from ±50A to ±1500A, available with CAN output signal for automotive OEMs.
• Current Sensor (Industrial Equipment) Current sensors for industrial machinery including PCB mounting types with built-in coil and bus-bar through types. Supports 1-phase and 3-phase configurations with current ratings from ±2A to ±1200A for motor control and power monitoring applications at industrial equipment OEMs.
• InSb Hall Element High-sensitivity Indium Antimonide (InSb) Hall effect magnetic sensors offering ultra-high sensitivity with high voltage output in low magnetic fields. Available in SOP-4 and SIP-4 packages for brushless motor control, position sensing, and magnetic flux detection at OEM manufacturers.
• GaAs Hall Element Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) linear Hall effect sensors with excellent linearity and low temperature dependence. Features wide operating temperature range (-40°C to 125°C) and superior Hall voltage linearity for current sensors and position detection applications at OEM manufacturers.
• Hall IC Hall ICs integrating Hall element and signal conversion circuit in a single package. Available in latch, omni-polar switch, uni-polar switch, and linear types for motor rotor position detection, proximity switches, and actuator position sensing at OEM manufacturers.
• Active Infrared Sensor Module Active infrared sensor modules using triangulation for distance sensing or proximity detection based on reflected light changes. Includes distance sensors (18cm and 80cm detection) and proximity sensors (90-230cm) with built-in microcomputer signal processing for distinguishing stationary humans from objects.
• Human Detection Sensor Module for Light Control Pyroelectric IR-based human detection sensor modules designed for lighting control applications. Available in built-in and finished types with round and wedge detection areas, supporting ON/OFF and light control modes with AC100V power supply and fade-in/fade-out functionality.
• General Purpose Human Detection Sensor Module Pyroelectric IR human detection sensor modules with open collector output and various board shapes. Features DC3.3V to 5V power supply options with 47kΩ internal pull-up resistance for general purpose human body detection applications.
• Infrared Flame Detection Sensor 3-wavelength infrared flame detection sensors that detect the unique 4.3μm infrared peak emitted by flames while resisting false triggers from sunlight and other heat sources. Designed for fire detection in machine tools, semiconductor, and LCD manufacturing facilities.
• NDIR CO2 Sensor Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 sensors for detecting carbon dioxide levels in applications including agricultural CO2 level management, indoor human density detection, and environmental monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduction target of 30% by 2030 (vs 2023 baseline)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shanghai Nicera Sensor Co., Ltd. (SNS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 1986Joint venture established in Shanghai, China in 1986. Initially 50% ownership, increased to 55% in 2004 to make SNS a consolidated subsidiary. Primary production location for sensors serving Asian markets.
• Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 1975Historical product development partnership. Jointly developed remote controller for TV with Sanyo Electric in November 1975, marking Nicera's entry into the electronics component business.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• STMicroelectronics: Global semiconductor manufacturer with significant Hall effect sensors, MEMS sensors, and automotive-grade components — competes with Nicera's sensor modules in automotive and industrial markets.
• Honeywell: Diversified industrial conglomerate with significant presence in sensors, flame detectors, and current sensors — directly comparable in flame detection modules and industrial current sensing.
• ams-OSRAM: Global sensor and lighting company with broad optical and IR sensor portfolio — overlaps with Nicera's infrared and thermopile sensing lines in industrial and consumer applications.
• TDK Corporation: Major Japanese sensor and electronic component manufacturer with TMR and Hall effect sensors, automotive modules, and MEMS — overlapping with Nicera's Hall elements and automotive sensor business.
• Murata Manufacturing: Japan's largest passive electronic component and sensor manufacturer; directly competes in ultrasonic, gyro, and magnetic sensors for automotive and consumer electronics, with a much larger global footprint and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Sensirion: Swiss sensor manufacturer specializing in environmental and flow sensors with strong HVAC and consumer electronics presence — comparable in scale and product breadth (sensors + modules) for OEM customers.
• Alps Alpine: Manufactures Hall ICs, magnetic sensors, and various automotive electronic components, directly competing with Nicera's Hall element and sensor module lines in automotive and consumer applications.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Specialized optical and infrared sensor manufacturer with thermopile and pyroelectric IR products — a direct competitor in infrared sensing for temperature, motion, and flame detection.
• Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM): Specialized in Hall effect ICs and current sensors serving automotive and industrial markets — a direct competitor in magnetic sensing and current measurement, similar in size and customer focus.

Emerging players

• Goertek: Chinese MEMS sensor and acoustic solutions manufacturer with growing automotive and consumer sensor business — emerging competitor in ultrasonic and acoustic sensor technologies where Nicera operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nippon-ceramic-co-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Nippon Ceramic