Shelter

Name

Shelter

Legal name

株式会社シェルター

Website

https://shelter.inc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shelter is a Japanese engineered-wood construction company that designs and supplies proprietary structural systems — including the KES joint method, COOL WOOD fire-resistant timber, and FREE WOOD curved components — for mid-to-large scale wooden buildings serving government, public, healthcare, hospitality, and education clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineered Wood Construction

NAICS

Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing (321992), Engineered Wood Member Manufacturing (321215), Wood Preservation (321114)

SIC

Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430), Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Treatment & Preservation for Engineered Wood Products (IMAMACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass Timber Panels & Components (DLT, NLT, Hybrid Panels) (IMAMACAG)

Keywords

• Engineered wood construction
• Timber engineering systems
• Fire-resistant wood
• Wooden structural components
• Large-scale wood architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Yamagata-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Components Sales: Development and sale of proprietary wooden structural systems including KES connectors, COOL WOOD fire-resistant members, and FREE WOOD curved components. Revenue from both product sales and licensing to partner manufacturers.
2. Architectural Design and Construction: Complete architectural design services and construction contracting for wooden buildings. Includes structural engineering, project management, and on-site construction using proprietary technologies.
3. Fireproof Consulting: Specialized consulting services for fireproof wooden construction, leveraging proprietary COOL WOOD technology and certification expertise for regulatory compliance.
4. Custom Home Building: Bespoke wooden residential construction combining proprietary technologies with custom architectural design for high-end residential projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shelter designs, develops, and supplies engineered wooden structural systems and components for mid- and large-scale wooden architecture projects. The company leverages proprietary metal connector joint technology, fire-resistant wood treatments, and curved/twisted timber capabilities to deliver prefabricated timber structures and supply support services to government institutions and commercial operators.

Product overview

Shelter is a wooden construction technology company offering a portfolio of proprietary structural systems and support services. Its core product lineup consists of three main technologies: KES構法 (KES System), a metal connector joint method serving as the foundational structural system; COOL WOOD, a gypsum board-based fire-resistant structural member available in ratings from 1 to 3 hours; and FREE WOOD, a curved and twisted member technology enabled by 3D machining. Related products include COOL WOOD-ST (a hybrid steel-wood fire-resistant member) and 消火木 (Shokamoku, an all-wood fire-resistant member using fire-extinguishing agents). XF15 is a non-residential wooden pre-cut CAD system co-distributed with Net Eagle Co., Ltd. Mokubiru is a consulting and support service system — Japan's first certified mid-to-large/mid-rise wooden building supply support system — that wraps Shelter's technologies and know-how to help partner construction companies execute wooden building projects. Together, these products and services span structural components, digital tools, and business advisory services for the wooden construction industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KES/KES構法: Joint metal hardware construction method — Japan's first standardized timber structural connection system, providing high seismic resistance and design freedom for mid-to-large scale timber buildings and mixed structures.
• COOL WOOD（クールウッド）
• COOL WOOD-ST
• 消火木™（しょうかもく）
• FREE WOOD（フリーウッド）
• モクビル（木ビル）
• シェルターなんようホール

Products and services

• KES System
• COOL WOOD
• FREE WOOD
• Mokubiru

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ wooden building projects completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WaltGalmarini (Switzerland)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Technology licensing partnership for KES, COOL WOOD, and FREE WOOD technologies in Switzerland. Enables international expansion of proprietary wooden construction systems through local partner adaptation.
• MKA (Seattle, USA)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Technology licensing partnership for wooden construction technologies in the United States. Provides COOL WOOD and KES system integration capabilities for North American markets.
• Net Eagle (ネットイーグル)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Sales partnership for XF15 CAD system distribution in Japan. Net Eagle distributes proprietary wooden building design software to architectural firms and construction companies.
• Toden (戸田建設)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint development partnership for COOL WOOD-ST system. Collaborative development of fire-resistant wooden structural systems for commercial construction applications.
• Hulic (ヒューリック)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint development partnership for 消火木 (fire-resistant wood) products. Collaborative product development for commercial real estate applications using proprietary fire-resistant wood technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Shelterofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/shelter.fb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelter-inc-japan
• Instagraminstagram.com/shelter.ig

Compliance5 records

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 Shelter