Sotoh

What Sotoh does

Sotoh (株式会社ソトー) is a Japan-based textile dyeing and processing company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, within the historic Banshu (尾州) textile manufacturing cluster. The company generates revenue primarily through B2B contract dyeing, finishing, and functional treatment services for apparel manufacturers and textile trading companies, with a secondary branded product line (MOVB, Mimamo, Life Fiber) that sells directly to fashion consumers via pop-up retail. Its technology portfolio centers on proprietary processing methods including E-barrier, Dry MAX, Mima-mo Dyeing (ミマモ染め), Danto, Denimrule Neo, and Natural Cerata, organized into functional categories covering color, texture, surface treatment, easy-care, comfort, and health-related fabric properties. The company positions itself as a "Sense and Technology for Humanity" (感性技術で未来を拓く) specialist, converting design concepts into tangible textile products.

Sotoh's business model combines traditional toll-processing fees (negotiated per fabric type, specification, and volume) with one-time sales of branded textile products. Customer segments are weighted toward apparel manufacturers and textile trading companies, with smaller exposure to end-consumer fashion brands via the MOVB collaborations overseen by fashion director Hoshiba Yoshimasa. Distribution is entirely domestic Japan, executed through direct sales, wholesale, and a limited retail store presence. The company holds multiple international certifications (GOTS, GRS, OCS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, RWS) supporting access to sustainability-mandated supply chains, and has received consecutive Health Management Excellence certifications (2023–2026).

Operationally, Sotoh employs 575 people as of FY2025, reported FY2025 revenue of ¥10,715M and net income of ¥515M (with H1 FY2026 revenue of ¥5.84B, +5.1% YoY), and has recently consolidated subsidiaries (G-STAGE JAPAN absorbed into Geno in October 2025) and acquired two undisclosed companies in 2025. It is publicly listed on the Tokyo and Nagoya Stock Exchanges with ticker 3571 and a market capitalization of approximately ¥19.8 billion. Major shareholders include Misono Service (18.91%), Nippon Spinning (9.58%), Daidoo (7.34%), and Toa Boseki (5.66%), reflecting deep ties to the Japanese textile industry.

Name

Sotoh

Legal name

株式会社ソトー

Website

https://sotoh.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sotoh is a Japanese textile dyeing and processing company founded in 1923, serving apparel manufacturers and textile trading companies with proprietary finishing technologies and branded fabrics. It operates domestically in Japan's Banshu textile region, with a secondary branded fashion line (MOVB).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ichinomiya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Textile dyeing and processing services: Core business providing dyeing, processing, and finishing services for textile and apparel materials. Revenue derived from manufacturing fees for processing customer-provided textiles and fabrics.
2. Branded textile products: Sale of proprietary textile products and materials under company brands including MOVB, Mimamo, and Life Fiber

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sotoh is a Japanese textile dyeing and processing company that transforms customer-supplied fabrics and apparel materials through specialized coloration, finishing, and functional treatment services. The company applies proprietary processing technologies — including E-barrier, Dry MAX, Mima-mo Dyeing, Danto, Denimrule Neo, and Natural Cerata — to deliver color, texture, surface, easy-care, comfort, and health-related fabric functionalities, while also operating the MOVB branded fashion line.

Product overview

Sotoh is a textile dyeing and processing company (株式会社ソトー) headquartered in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with approximately 100 years of history in the textile industry. The company operates as a single unified business focused on dyeing and processing textile materials for the apparel industry. Their product portfolio centers on fabric coloration and finishing technologies, including product lines such as Danto, Denimu Neo, Natural Celata, E-barrier, Dry MAX, and Mimamome-zoshi. These technologies are organized into categories covering color (色), texture (風合い), surface changes (表面変化), easy care (イージーケア), comfort (快適), and health (健康). The company positions its dyeing and processing expertise as '感性技術' (sensory technology) for transforming fabric images into tangible textile products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOVB: Fashion brand under Sotoh, featuring pop-up stores and collaborations with designers

Products and services

• Textile Dyeing and Processing Services Contract dyeing, processing, and finishing services for customer-supplied fabrics and apparel materials, covering color development, texture enhancement, surface treatments, easy-care, comfort, and health-related functionalities. Served to apparel manufacturers and textile trading companies.
• E-barrier Proprietary fabric treatment technology providing barrier properties to textiles, offered as part of Sotoh's branded processing technology portfolio to apparel and textile customers.
• Dry MAX (ドライMAX) Proprietary quick-dry fabric processing technology offered to deliver moisture-management and rapid-drying performance in finished textiles.
• Mima-mo Dyeing (ミマモ染め / Mimamome-zoshi) Proprietary specialized textile dyeing method offered by Sotoh for fabric coloration, leveraging the company's accumulated dyeing expertise in the Banshu region.
• Natural Cerata (ナチュラルセラータ) Natural-finish fabric processing technology offered by Sotoh for sustainable fabric finishing with a natural look and feel.
• Danto (ダント) Proprietary textile dyeing and processing technology for fabric coloration and finishing, marketed as part of Sotoh's branded processing technology portfolio.
• Denimrule Neo (デニムールNeo) Proprietary denim dyeing and processing technology offered by Sotoh for denim fabric coloration and finishing.
• MOVB Branded Fashion Products Consumer-facing fashion brand under Sotoh that leverages the company's proprietary textile expertise to offer apparel products through pop-up store collaborations with major Japanese retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales increased 5.1% year-over-year to ¥5.84 billion in first half of FY2026

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and supporting.

• Geno Co., Ltd. (株式会社ジェノ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Sotoh's subsidiary company. Merged with G-STAGE JAPAN as the surviving entity to consolidate management resources, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen sales of proprietary products. Effective October 1, 2025, G-STAGE JAPAN was dissolved.
• G-STAGE JAPAN Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Merged into Geno Co., Ltd. as part of subsidiary consolidation to enhance独自製品 (proprietary product) sales and operational efficiency. The merger was completed on October 1, 2025.
• MOVB (干場義雅氏)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2023Brand collaboration with fashion director Hoshiba Yoshimasa for MOVB fashion brand. Includes pop-up store events at major retailers like Daimaru Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto locations. Joint brand development combining Sotoh's textile expertise with fashion industry expertise.
• Meitetsu EMOTION (名鉄EMOTION)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2022Factory tour collaboration providing educational factory experiences at Sotoh facilities for the Meitetsu EMOTION program.
• Kekken Testing and Certification Center (ケケン試験認証センター)supportingTechnology or IntegrationThird-party certification body providing RWS (Responsible Wool Standard), GRS, and other textile certifications for Sotoh's manufacturing facilities.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (三井住友信託銀行株式会社)supportingOthersShareholder register administrator providing stock-related administrative services including address changes, share transactions, and unclaimed dividend payments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Teijin Limited: Japanese textile and chemical conglomerate producing fibers, fabrics, and advanced materials. Larger incumbent whose fibers and textile products partially overlap with Sotoh's fabric technology portfolio.
• Kuraray Co., Ltd. Japanese chemical and textile company producing synthetic fibers, resins, and functional materials. Comparable to Sotoh at the broader chemicals-and-textiles intersection, but with a much wider product portfolio.
• Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. Japanese diversified conglomerate with textile and chemicals businesses including fabric processing. Comparable to Sotoh in Japanese B2B textile operations, though textiles form only part of its broader portfolio.
• Toray Industries, Inc. Large Japanese conglomerate spanning fibers, textiles, chemicals, and advanced materials. Larger incumbent with a fibers and textiles division that overlaps with Sotoh's fabric processing activities, but operates across much broader categories.

Direct peers

• Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd. Japanese textile manufacturer with a long history in fabric production and dyeing; overlapping product portfolio and Japanese B2B apparel customer base make it a directly comparable peer to Sotoh.
• Gunze Limited: Japanese textile and apparel company producing functional fabrics, innerwear, and medical materials. Comparable to Sotoh in Japanese B2B textile manufacturing with emphasis on functional fabric technologies.
• Toyobo Co., Ltd. Major Japanese textile and fiber manufacturer with diversified offerings spanning fibers, fabrics, and functional materials. Comparable to Sotoh in B2B textile manufacturing and Japanese market focus, though operating at a much larger scale.
• Unitika Ltd. Japanese fiber and textile manufacturer producing yarns, fabrics, and processed textiles for apparel and industrial uses. Overlaps with Sotoh in Japanese fabric manufacturing and functional textile offerings.
• Seiren Co., Ltd. Japanese textile manufacturer specializing in dyeing and finishing of fabrics for apparel and industrial uses; headquartered in Fukui, listed on TSE. Closest functional peer to Sotoh with overlapping B2B textile processing model and proprietary functional fabric technologies.
• Fujibo Holdings, Inc. Japanese textile company focused on industrial and apparel fabrics including cotton and synthetic processing. Comparable to Sotoh in Japanese B2B fabric manufacturing and finishing services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Sotoh