Company information
MISSION
We want to achieve independent lifestyles for everyone as long as they live.
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Imagine a world where no-one ends up bedridden.
Imagine a world where anyone can work as long as they live.
Imagine a world without backbreaking labor.
Imagine a world with no need for elderly care. -
Imagine the possibilities this could bring to people’s lives.
We seek technology that supports people in order to realize such a world.
VISION
We started working on development to address issues in the world. We strive to support everyone by building robots for people, and take on all challenges head on.
- Innophys began with one desire: We want to achieve independent lifestyles for everyone as long as they live.
- At Innophys, we aim to solve problems, not to lead the pack in technology. With its origins in a university, this venture company conducts development in order to solve problems faced by users. Many venture companies that originate from universities are known to work from the standpoint of technology, so we are unique in this regard.
- Our prime focus is to use the power of robotics to support people in need.
- We can only shrug and live with issues such as heavy and difficult labor, rehabilitation after severe injuries and illnesses, as well as a lack of sufficient progress in achieving a barrier-free society. At Innophys, we have a strong desire to solve these problems with the power of robotics, and we are working to achieve this goal.
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Networks have changed the whole world’s way of life. Cars will soon drive autonomously, and it may not be long before anybody can utilize AI to take professional pictures on a smartphone.
We believe that the day will soon come when it will be common for people to use wearable robotics as they live, work, and receive treatment, just like autonomous driving and AI. - The name Innophys comes from our aim to achieve Innovation for Physical Support.
- We do not seek to create a robot out of a fantasy; we want to create robots for people. Through these initiatives, we will strive to achieve transformations that make the world a better place, and that make people’s lives easier.
- Innovation means to achieve something that has never been done before. At Innophys, we are constantly undertaking initiatives to carve out new and unknown terrain. We are working as pioneers, and we can only keep moving forward. We will tackle all issues head on and pave the way ahead.
Company overview
| Name | Innophys Co., Ltd. |
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| Location | Evers12th Hachioji Building 5F, 7-6,Azumacho,Hachioji-shi,Tokyo,Japan 192-0082 |
| Founded | December 27, 2013 |
| Representative Director President and CEO | Naotaka Otogawa |
| Executives | Member of the Board of Directors Masaru Yoda Member of the Board of Directors Nobuo Ito Audit & Supervisory Board Member Hiroshi Sato |
| Capital | One hundred million yen |
| Main areas of business | Developing, designing, manufacturing, and distributing equipment for elderly care and welfare Developing, designing, manufacturing, and distributing specialized industrial equipment Discovering core technologies for developing equipment, and providing consultation regarding commercialization Obtaining, maintaining, and managing IP related to core technologies for developing equipment Obtaining, maintaining, and managing certification for products |
History
| Apr.2000 | R&D started at Kobayashi’s Lab at Tokyo University of Science for Muscle Suit, the wearable robot using artificial muscles |
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| Dec.2013 | Work in the lab saw progress toward a practical implementation of a Muscle Suit specialized for back assistance Innophys Co., Ltd. was founded (capital: 10.5 million yen) |
| Oct.2014 | Increased capital to 20.5 million yen (raised 10 million yen)Began selling Muscle Suit products for back support (known as the Standard Model at the time)* The model name was changed to Muscle Suit Power in September 2018 following a remodeling |
| Aug.2015 | Increased capital to 605.5 million yen (raised 585 million yen)Began selling the Light Support Model in our back support Muscle Suit line (currently not available for sale) Received the Chairman of Nippon Keidanren Award in the 13th Merit Awards for Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration held by the Cabinet Office |
| Feb.2016 | Began selling the first stand-alone model in our back support Muscle Suit line (currently not available for sale) |
| Feb.2017 | Began selling the current stand-alone model in our back support Muscle Suit line * The model name was changed to Muscle Suit in September 2018 |
| Sep.2018 | Began selling Muscle Suit Edge for back support |
| Oct.2018 | Began selling Muscle Upper for arm and back support Received 2018 Red Herring 100 Global Winner Received an Award of Encouragement in the 2018 Going-Global Innovations Competition held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government |
| Jan.2019 | Increased capital to 1.411 billion yen (raised 806.4 million yen) |
| Nov.2019 | Began selling Muscle Suit Every for back support |
| Dec.2019 | Increased capital to 4.941 billion yen(raised 3.52 billion yen) |
| Sep.2020 | Received the Award for Academic Startups 2020 Program |
| May.2021 | Began selling Muscle GS-ARM for arm support |
| Aug.2022 | Began selling Muscle Suit GS-BACK for back support |
| May.2023 | Began selling Muscle Suit Exo-Power for back support |
| Jun.2023 | Began selling Muscle Suit Soft-Power for back support |
Message from the Product devoloper
We do not seek to create a robot out of a fantasy;
we want to create robots for people.
Humanoid robots were at their zenith when I began development. While humanoid robots are able to walk on two feet, there is still a long way to go before they can possess their own identities and act by themselves like humans do. I was considering what I could do to truly help people, and I came to the conclusion that one thing people feel the strongest dislike towards and experience the greatest emotional burden is being unable to move by themselves and needing to be taken care of by someone else. I realized that I could help the world by building a machine to solve this problem, and began development in 2001 on a device that could help immobilized people move again.
Work on building wearable robots for people to use is more than just building according to specifications, unlike regular machines. Muscle Suit was created through a continued process of trial and error, working flexibly while taking on feedback from workplace users. The systems inside it and its outer appearance are all the result of applied knowledge. I am confident to say that this product is replete with technologies that no one else can achieve.
We are currently focused on products designed for back support, but we will move speedily to gradually commercialize devices that assist movement throughout the body, in order to achieve independent lifestyles for everyone as long as they live. Last but not least, we will strive to create products that are admired by people around the world.
Hiroshi Kobayashi, Developer , Professor at Tokyo University of Science
Access
| Address | Evers12th Hachioji Building 5F, 7-6,Azumacho,Hachioji-shi,Tokyo,Japan 192-0082 |
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| Nearest station | Hachioji Station(5 mins by walk) |
Quality Policy and Objectives
| Quality Policy | INNOPHYS CO., LTD. operates its businesses based on the following quality policy. We will provide products and services that help customers in need. We will strive for continuous quality improvement. We will comply with relevant laws and ethics. |
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| Quality objectives | We will strive to continuously improve our products and services to enhance customer satisfaction. We will work in accordance with the quality management system, comply with requirements and strive for continuous improvement. We will continuously educate all our employees and ensure their understanding. |