Name

MTRL LIMITED

Legal name

Loftwork Co., Ltd. (株式会社ロフトワーク)

Website

https://mtrl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Website / Digital Platform: The MTRL website is free to use for browsing materials, reading magazine content, and registering for events. Revenue is generated indirectly by driving material discovery that leads to manufacturer transactions and physical space utilization.
2. TRY Material Kit Sales: Physical sample kits of curated materials available for purchase at MTRL physical locations. Kits enable creators and designers to take materials away for experimentation and testing, creating a tangible revenue stream from the platform.
3. MTRL KYOTO and FabCafe Physical Locations: Physical co-creation lounges offering workspace, machines (3D printers, laser cutters), event space, and membership services. Revenue generated through membership fees, space reservations, and optional services. MTRL KYOTO is described as a 'creative lounge' and FabCafe as a 'hacker space' with digital fabrication equipment.
4. Event Participation Fees: Ticketed events, workshops, and seminars hosted at MTRL physical locations. Event topics range from material education (Dive into Materials series) to co-creation workshops. Some events charge participation fees.
5. Co-creation / Project Consulting Services: MTRL producers facilitate co-creation projects between material manufacturers and creators, providing project design, management, and advisory services. Projects include brand strategy, product development, and innovation program design for corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MTRL is an innovation platform and design firm that connects material manufacturers with creators, designers, and businesses through physical co-creation lounges in Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Taipei, a curated online material database, editorial content (MTRL Magazine), and structured co-creation/consulting projects. It facilitates matchmaking, project design, sample kit production, and events so manufacturers can test materials with the creative community and creators can access hands-on samples and fabrication tools.

Product overview

MTRL LIMITED operates a materials innovation platform that connects material manufacturers with creators, designers, and businesses. The core MTRL Platform serves as the central hub, supported by complementary sub-brands including FabCafe (physical creative spaces with digital fabrication tools), AWRD (competition and project platform), Hidakuma (forest regeneration initiatives), AKXY Lab (material developer community), and Tangible Scientific Design (science-design collaboration). The company also offers a Sample Kit Design Service to help manufacturers showcase materials, alongside a curated material catalog and Material Meetup events across locations in Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Taipei.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MTRL Platform Innovation platform connecting material manufacturers with creators, designers, and businesses through a curated online material database, editorial content, and event listings; serves as the discovery and community hub for the MTRL network.
• Sample Kit Design Service by MTRL Paid service that helps material manufacturers transform their materials into tangible, curated sample kits to showcase material appeal to potential customers and partners.
• Material Catalog Curated online database of innovative materials spanning resin, fiber, metal, wood, paper, ceramics, sustainable/circular, advanced, and traditional craft materials, with detailed descriptions, manufacturer contacts, and tag-based filtering.
• MTRL KYOTO and FabCafe Physical Co-creation Lounges Membership-based physical co-creation spaces in Kyoto (flagship), Tokyo (Shibuya), Nagoya, and Taipei providing workspace, digital fabrication machines (3D printers, laser cutters), event programming, and access to physical material samples for creators and manufacturers.
• TRY Material Kit Physical sample kits of curated materials available for purchase at MTRL locations, enabling creators and designers to take materials away for hands-on experimentation, prototyping, and tactile evaluation.
• Material Meetup Events Ticketed and free in-person events, workshops, and seminars hosted at MTRL locations, including Material Meetup, Future Sessions, and Dive into Materials series, that bring together material manufacturers and creators for material education and co-creation.
• Co-creation / Innovation Consulting Projects Producer-facilitated co-creation and innovation consulting projects for material manufacturers and corporate clients, covering project design, management, brand strategy, product development, and innovation program design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform drives ongoing co-creation projects with major Japanese manufacturers including Panasonic, Mitsui Chemicals, Toray, and Bando Chemical
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Taica Corporation (株式会社タイカ)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019MTRL co-produced the 'HAPTICS OF WONDER 12-touch αGEL Sample Kit' with Taica, a tactile evaluation toolkit for the αGEL silicone gel material. The collaboration involved academic partners (Prof. Kenta Minamizawa, Keio University; Prof. Junichi Kanebako, Kobe University) and was showcased at international venues including NTT ICC. The project designed both the physical gel sample kit and a tactile sensation map, positioning αGEL's experiential value for product and service development.
• Various Material Manufacturers (素材メーカー)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTRL partners with over 50 material manufacturers who showcase their materials on the MTRL platform and at physical locations. Partnerships include co-creation projects (e.g., with Kyomyo for sustainable materials, Taiyo Toryo for Masking Color applications, Bando Chemical for circular economy initiatives), sample kit programs (TRY Material Kit featuring materials from Nittax, Miyuki Acryl, Jesmonite, and others), and editorial content. These relationships are central to MTRL's value proposition as an innovation platform for materials.
• LoftWork Co., Ltd. (株式会社ロフトワーク)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTRL is operated by LoftWork Co., Ltd., which provides the organizational infrastructure, brand ecosystem (including FabCafe and AWRD platforms), and strategic direction. LoftWork positions MTRL as its primary materials innovation vertical, connecting the company's broader creative network with the material manufacturer community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy that runs co-creation workshops and corporate innovation programs. Its design-driven corporate innovation work overlaps with MTRL's co-creation consulting services for manufacturers.
• Behance: Behance is an online platform for creative professionals to showcase and discover creative work. It is comparable to MTRL's creator discovery and showcase functionality as part of the broader creative community ecosystem.
• Core77: Core77 is an online design community and editorial platform serving industrial designers and creative professionals. It is thematically comparable to MTRL's creator community and content publishing focus.
• Frog Design: Frog Design is an international design consultancy offering product design, brand strategy, and innovation services. It is comparable to MTRL's design-led co-creation and brand strategy services for material manufacturers.
• Pentawards: Pentawards is a global packaging design competition platform connecting brands and creators through design awards. It is comparable to MTRL's sister platform AWRD as a competition and project-based creator engagement model.
• Dezeen: Dezeen is a leading architecture and design publication with editorial coverage of innovative materials and design projects. It serves as a content and discovery channel adjacent to MTRL's MTRL MAGAZINE editorial platform.

Direct peers

• Material Bank: Material Bank operates a materials marketplace platform connecting design professionals with material manufacturers through sample ordering and search. It directly competes with MTRL's online material catalog and TRY Material Kit sample distribution model.
• Material ConneXion: Material ConneXion is a global materials library and innovation consultancy that curates physical material samples and provides material sourcing and strategy services to designers and manufacturers. It is the most direct comparable to MTRL's hybrid materials discovery and innovation consulting platform.
• Matmatch: Matmatch is an online materials database and discovery platform that helps engineers and designers find materials by properties and applications. It serves a similar material discovery use case as MTRL's online catalog.
• MaterialDistrict (formerly Materia): MaterialDistrict is a Netherlands-based materials inspiration platform curating innovative and sustainable materials with physical exhibitions and a digital database. It is comparable to MTRL as a regional player in materials curation and showcase.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 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 MTRL LIMITED