Opto Science,inc.
Opto Science is a privately held Japanese technical trading company founded in 1987 that imports and distributes advanced optical and photonics products from 100+ international manufacturers to Japanese enterprises, universities, and government institutions across laser processing, communications, life sciences, and metrology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersTokio, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Opto Science,inc. does
Opto Science, Inc. (株式会社オプトサイエンス) is a privately held Japanese technical trading company (専門技術商社) founded in 1987 and headquartered in Tokyo, with additional sales offices in Osaka and Nagoya. The company imports and distributes advanced optical and photonics products from over 100 international manufacturers to Japanese customers, functioning as the technical bridge between overseas vendors and Japan's research, manufacturing, and academic ecosystem. Its product portfolio spans wavefront sensors (Phasics SID4 series), focus-tunable lenses and beam-steering mirrors (Optotune), fiber optic isolators/modulators (AFR), scientific cameras (Oxford Instruments-Andor), black coatings (Acktar), microlens arrays (aµs), glass polarizers (codixx), LED sources (Mightex), long-working-distance microscope optics (Infinity Photo-Optical), Mueller matrix polarimeters (Axometrics), strain polarimeters (ilis), lock-in amplifiers and AWGs (Zurich Instruments), quantum single-photon counters (ID Quantique), IQ modulators (Exail), and automated optical inspection systems (DIOPTIC). Target customers are Japanese enterprises, universities/research institutions, and government agencies requiring components and instruments for laser processing, optical communications, life sciences, microscopy, quantum computing, semiconductor, display, machine vision, and metrology applications.
Revenue mechanics consist primarily of one-time product sales of imported optical/photonic components and complete systems, supplemented by technical consultation, product selection support, and after-sales services as a value-added intermediary. The go-to-market is sales-led: a Japanese-language website with detailed vendor listings and product search, phone/direct sales from Tokyo HQ and the Osaka and Nagoya branch offices, participation in Japanese optical/physics conferences, and a LinkedIn presence. Shipping follows a unit-pricing model with free shipping above ¥50,000 and tiered surcharges for remote regions. No software platform, APIs, or proprietary products are offered; Opto Science does not develop or manufacture the products it sells.
Opto Science,inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opto Science,inc.
- Legal name
- 株式会社オプトサイエンス (Opto Science, Inc.)
- Website
- https://www.optoscience.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Opto Science is a privately held Japanese technical trading company founded in 1987 that imports and distributes advanced optical and photonics products from 100+ international manufacturers to Japanese enterprises, universities, and government institutions across laser processing, communications, life sciences, and metrology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opto Science,inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Components Distribution
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH), Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)
Keywords
Where Opto Science,inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokio
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Opto Science,inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Revenue generated through direct sales of imported optical and photonic products from overseas manufacturers to Japanese customers including enterprises, universities, and government institutions. Products include components, devices, modules/subsystems, and complete systems across various optical technology categories.
- Technical Support Services: Provides technical consultation, product selection support, and after-sales support for the optical products they distribute, serving as a technical intermediary between overseas manufacturers and Japanese customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard shipping policy |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Opto Science,inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opto Science is a Japanese technical trading company that imports and distributes advanced optical and photonic products from over 100 international manufacturers to Japanese customers. Its portfolio spans wavefront sensors, focus-tunable lenses, fiber optic components, polarimeters, lock-in amplifiers, AWGs, optical inspection systems, microlens arrays, light-absorbing coatings, glass polarizers, LED sources, and microscope optics. The company supplements distribution with Japanese-language technical consultation, product selection support, and after-sales service for enterprises, universities, and government institutions.
Product overview
Opto Science is a Japanese technical trading company (専門技術商社) established in 1987, specializing in the import and distribution of advanced optical and photonics products from overseas manufacturers. The product portfolio is broad and multi-vendor, encompassing: (1) Phasics wavefront sensors (SID4 series) for optical metrology; (2) Optotune focus-tunable lenses, ELM-F imaging lens combos, lens controllers (ICC/ECC/EL-E series), beam steering mirrors (MR/FMR series), beam shifters (BSW-20), and laser speckle reducers (LSR series); (3) Advanced Fiber Resources (AFR) fiber optic isolators, circulators, and Mach-Zehnder modulators; (4) Acktar black light-absorbing coatings (Metal Velvet, Lambertian Black, Maxi Black, Spectral Black, Hexa Black); (5) aµs precision micro lens arrays (SPL, LPL, SPC, APO, APR, APH and concave variants); (6) codixx colorPol glass polarizers across UV/VIS/IR/SuperThin/structured types; (7) Mightex Systems LED light sources (collimated, spotlights, deep-UV); (8) Infinity Photo-Optical long-working-distance microscope lenses (K2 DistaMax, InfiniProbe TS-160); (9) Axometrics Mueller matrix polarimeters (AxoScan, AxoStep) and ellipsometry/imaging systems; (10) ilis StrainScope real-time polarimeters for strain/stress measurement; (11) Zurich Instruments lock-in amplifiers (SHFLI, GHFLI) and HDAWG arbitrary waveform generators; (12) DIOPTIC ARGOS automated optical surface defect inspection systems. Target markets span laser processing, optical communications, life sciences, microscopy, quantum computing, aerospace, medical, agriculture, physics, metrology, display, semiconductor, robotics, sensing, and machine vision. The company also distributes Phi Drive precision motion stages. Sales are directed at corporate clients, universities, and government organizations in Japan.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Phasics SID4 Series Wavefront Sensors
Companies that use Opto Science,inc.
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Opto Science,inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Opto Science,inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered key vendor and new vendor.
- Exail (iXblue)key vendorExail (formerly iXblue) manufactures IQ modulators (MXIQ-LN series) which Opto Science distributes in Japan. Products include optical modulators used in fiber optics and telecommunications applications.
- Oxford Instruments - Andorkey vendorAndor Technology (now part of Oxford Instruments) manufactures scientific cameras including C-RED series SWIR cameras for satellite and space applications. Opto Science distributes their space-grade SWIR camera cores and high-speed cameras in Japan.
- ISDC (Infrared Systems Design Corporation)key vendorISDC manufactures blackbody calibration light sources including IR-574/301 models. Opto Science distributes their radiation thermometry and calibration products in Japan.
- Optotune (Switzerland)key vendorOptotune develops and manufactures focus-tunable lenses, 2D beam steering mirrors, laser speckle reducers, and beam shifters. The company specializes in active optical elements. Opto Science distributes their complete product lineup including EL-3-10, EL-7-20-TC, EL-12-30-TC, and EL-16-40-TC focus-tunable lenses.
- Phasicskey vendorPhasics manufactures wavefront sensors based on quadrilateral shearing interferometry technology. Their SID4 series wavefront sensors offer high resolution (850x720 measurement points) and high precision (10nm RMS wavefront accuracy). Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- Zurich Instrumentskey vendorZurich Instruments manufactures lock-in amplifiers, arbitrary waveform generators (HDAWG series), and scientific instruments. Products include SHFLI (8.5GHz), GHFLI (1.8GHz), and various signal analysis equipment. Opto Science distributes their complete product range in Japan.
- ID Quantique (IDQ)key vendorID Quantique manufactures superconducting nanowire single photon counters (SNSPD) and quantum key distribution systems. Opto Science distributes their quantum photonics products in Japan.
- Advanced Fiber Resources (AFR)key vendorAFR manufactures fiber optic components including high-power isolators (HI series, SteadiBeam, SeasonBeam, LaseGuard), circulators, modulators, and polarizers. Products support fiber laser and optical communication applications. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- Acktarkey vendorAcktar manufactures light-absorbing coatings and black foil products including Metal Velvet, Lambertian Black, Maxi Black, Spectral Black, and Hexa Black. These products offer extremely low reflectance for stray light suppression. Opto Science distributes their complete product line in Japan.
- codixxkey vendorcodixx manufactures colorPol glass polarizers covering UV, VIS, and IR wavelength ranges (355-5000nm). Products include structured polarizers and SuperThin polarizers (90um thickness). Opto Science distributes their complete polarizer lineup in Japan.
- Axometricskey vendorAxometrics manufactures Mueller matrix polarimeters including AxoScan and AxoStep, ellipsometers, and LCD panel measurement systems. Products support display, semiconductor, and materials analysis applications. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- iliskey vendorilis manufactures StrainScope real-time polarimeters for measuring residual stress in optical glass and semiconductor wafers (SiC, GaN). Products support quality control in manufacturing. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- DIOPTICkey vendorDIOPTIC manufactures ARGOS automatic optical surface inspection systems compliant with ISO 10110-7 for detecting surface defects on precision optical components. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- Infinity Photo-Opticalkey vendorInfinity Photo-Optical manufactures long working distance microscopes including K2 DistaMax and universal lenses such as InfiniProbe TS-160. Products support macro/micro imaging applications. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- Mightex Systemskey vendorMightex Systems manufactures LED light sources including collimated LEDs (365-2500nm), spotlights, and LED controllers. Products support machine vision, bio-photonics, and semiconductor applications. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- advanced microoptic systems (aµs)key vendoraµs manufactures microlens arrays including single, line, square, rectangular, and hexagonal configurations. Pitch ranges from 10um to 4000um with various substrate materials. Opto Science distributes their products in Japan.
- Phi Drivenew vendorPhi Drive manufactures small 6-axis stages (PHI-SS-6DOF). Opto Science recently began distributing their products in Japan (new product announcement July 2026).
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opto Science,inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics is a global supplier of optical components, lenses, filters, coatings, and imaging systems with a Japanese office serving R&D and OEM customers. It overlaps with Opto Science's product categories (optics, coatings, imaging lenses) and competes for the same Japanese enterprise and university buyers.
- Hakuto Co., Ltd. Hakuto is a long-established Japanese technical trading company (専門商社) importing and distributing advanced electronics, semiconductor equipment, and components from overseas manufacturers to Japanese customers. It shares Opto Science's exact business model — Japanese-language technical intermediary for imported advanced technology — though with a broader semiconductor/electronics focus rather than pure optics/photonics.
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a global manufacturer and distributor of photonics components, optomechanics, lasers, fiber optics, and scientific cameras, with an established Japanese sales operation. It directly competes with Opto Science's vendor partners (Optotune, Phasics, etc.) for the same Japanese R&D customers and represents both a competitor and a benchmark for catalog breadth.
- Sigma Koki (OptoSigma): Sigma Koki / OptoSigma is a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of optical components, lenses, filters, and optomechanical systems serving R&D and industrial customers in Japan. It is the closest domestic analog to Opto Science's niche in optical and photonic component distribution, with overlapping customer segments in Japanese universities and manufacturers.
Broad incumbents
- Excelitas Technologies: Excelitas Technologies is a global photonics and sensor technology company offering optics, lasers, LED light sources, detectors, and scientific cameras to industrial, medical, and research customers. Its product portfolio overlaps significantly with Opto Science's distributed catalog (Mightex LED sources, Andor cameras, AFR fiber components) and it has global direct sales reach into Japan.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Hamamatsu Photonics is a major Japanese manufacturer of optical sensors, photodetectors, cameras, and photonic devices serving scientific, medical, and industrial markets globally. While it is a manufacturer rather than a distributor, it represents a leading Japanese photonics incumbent whose product range (cameras, photodetectors, photon-counting systems) directly overlaps with several Opto Science-distributed lines (Oxford-Andor, ID Quantique SNSPD).
- Macnica Holdings: Macnica is one of Japan's largest independent technical trading companies, distributing semiconductors, networking, and electronic components from global vendors to Japanese enterprise and OEM customers. It overlaps with Opto Science's role as an authorized Japanese distributor for foreign technology vendors but operates at a much larger scale with a broader technology portfolio.
- Newport / MKS Instruments: Newport (part of MKS Instruments) is a global manufacturer and supplier of photonics, laser, optomechanics, and motion control products serving research and industrial customers, with a Japanese subsidiary. It overlaps with Opto Science's vendors (Phasics, Optotune, ID Quantique, DIOPTIC) and competes for the same advanced R&D and OEM photonics customers in Japan.
- Coherent Corp. Coherent is a global photonics and laser manufacturer serving materials processing, semiconductor, and scientific markets with direct sales operations in Japan. It competes with several of Opto Science's distributed vendors in lasers, fiber optics, and instrumentation, and represents the type of global incumbent that could disintermediate smaller Japanese distributors.
Regional players
- Tokyo Instruments, Inc. Tokyo Instruments is a Japanese technical trading company importing and distributing optical, laser, and scientific measurement components to domestic R&D and industrial customers. It is one of the closest direct comparables to Opto Science in terms of business model (import-and-distribute specialty photonics) and customer base (Japanese universities and manufacturers).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Opto Science,inc. social profiles
Digital presenceOpto Science,inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Opto Science,inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opto Science,inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Opto Science,inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opto Science,inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opto Science,inc.
What does Opto Science,inc. do?
Opto Science is a Japanese technical trading company that imports and distributes advanced optical and photonic products from over 100 international manufacturers to Japanese customers. Its portfolio spans wavefront sensors, focus-tunable lenses, fiber optic components, polarimeters, lock-in amplifiers, AWGs, optical inspection systems, microlens arrays, light-absorbing coatings, glass polarizers, LED sources, and microscope optics. The company supplements distribution with Japanese-language technical consultation, product selection support, and after-sales service for enterprises, universities, and government institutions.
Is Opto Science,inc. a public or private company?
Opto Science,inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Opto Science,inc. founded?
Opto Science,inc. was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Opto Science,inc. based?
Opto Science,inc. is headquartered in Tokio, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Opto Science,inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are technical Support Services.
Who are Opto Science,inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edmund Optics, Hakuto Co., Ltd., Thorlabs and Sigma Koki (OptoSigma). Broad incumbents are Excelitas Technologies, Hamamatsu Photonics, Macnica Holdings, Newport / MKS Instruments and Coherent Corp.. Tokyo Instruments, Inc. is listed as a regional player.
Does Opto Science,inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Opto Science,inc..
What industry is Opto Science,inc. in?
Opto Science,inc.'s product category is Optical Components Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAJAF, Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors), with a secondary code of HDAHAAAH, Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3827.