GREETINGFounder’s Greeting
Alphatech Inc. is a venture company originating from Yamagata University. I was driven by a strong desire to disseminate the “starch pre-gelatinization technology” that I developed and researched, and to play a role in contributing to society. Reaching this point was made possible by encounters with various individuals and the invaluable support they provided, and I consider our venture’s establishment the fruit of these collective efforts.
The “starch pre-gelatinization technology,” which forms the basis of Alphatech Inc.’s technology, is the first research theme I embarked upon when I joined Yamagata University. More than 20 years have passed since I began this research. The fact that we are now a venture company is beyond what I, as an assistant at that time, could have imagined. Originally, my specialty was the physical properties and molding processing of plastic materials (polymer materials), so I had no knowledge of starch at the beginning of the research and was a complete novice in that regard. It’s now a nostalgic memory, but at first, I started by studying from a textbook on starch; however, step by step, with guidance from many researchers who are experts in the field of starch, I gradually opened the door to the world of starch. However, while starch is a naturally occurring polymer, if you think of starch as a “polymer material,” there are many commonalities with the synthetic polymers that I specialize in. In this respect, starch may not have been an entirely foreign material after all. Continuing our research diligently up until the present, the target of this technology has evolved from starch to the amorphization of cellulose. We hope you will look forward to witnessing future applications and developments.
Going forward, through the business activities of Alphatech Inc., if the research results achieved at the university are widely adopted and applied, enriching people’s lives, it will also be the realization of the dream I had envisioned. Your continued support for the activities of Alphatech Inc. is sincerely appreciated.
Akihiro Nishioka, Professor, Yamagata University
Inventor & Executive Technical Advisor
Akihiro Nishioka, Professor, Yamagata University Inventor & Executive Technical Advisor
[Career]
- September 2000
- Completed the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University (Doctor of Engineering)
- January 2000
- Special Researcher DC, PD, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- November 2001
- Assistant, Department of Functional Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University
- April 2007
- Associate Professor, Regional Collaborative Research Center, Yamagata University
- October 2009
- Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University
- April 2013
- Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University (current)
- April 2016
- Professor, Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University (current)
- April 2020
- Head of the Department of Polymeric and Organic Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University Chair of the Department of Organic Materials Science, Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University
[Awards]
- May 2007
- Polymer Research Encouragement Award, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan
- August 2007
- “Yamagata Prefecture Science and Technology Encouragement Award 2007”, Yamagata Prefecture
- May 2009
- “Encouragement Award”, The Society of Rheology, Japan
- December 2013
- Yamagata University Excellent Educator Award 2013
- December 2015
- Yamagata University Excellent Educator Award 2015
- June 2016
- “Technology Progress Award”, The Japan Society of Polymer Processing (joint-winner)
- December 2016
- Yamagata University Excellent Educator Award 2016
- December 2017
- Yamagata University Excellent Educator Award 2017
- September 2017
- “Technical Development Award”, The Japanese Society of Applied Glycoscience (joint-winner)
- Yamagata University Research Promotion Award (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023)
◆Society Activities and Affiliated Societies
- The Japanese Society of Applied Glycoscience
- Tohoku Branch of The Japanese Society of Applied Glycoscience
- The Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology
- Tohoku Branch of The Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology
- The Japan Society of Polymer Processing
- The Society of Polymer Science, Japan
- The Society of Rheology, Japan
- The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan
- The Cellulose Society of Japan
Our company was established in Yonezawa City in June 2018 as a venture business originating from Yamagata University.
We base our operations on the ‘temperature-controlled milling technology’ invented by Professor Nishioka of the Graduate School of Organic Material Science at Yamagata University.
In Japan, although we may not often be aware of it, there is a global outcry over food shortages and a protein crisis due to population growth, and these matters are now recognized as urgent issues. Livestock, which are our main source of protein, consume one-third of the world’s grain production, and improving the efficiency of livestock farming is an important issue from an environmental perspective.
We believe that using our technology can contribute to solving these issues.
Furthermore, because our technology can be applied not only to starch but also to cellulose, we anticipate its application in the biomass field as well. We aspire to be a company that plays a part in creating a sustainable society.
Yuichi Komai, Representative Director
Representative Director
Yuichi Komai (Invited Lecturer, Yamagata University)
After graduating from Osaka University in 1989, he gained business experience at Recruit, BeMap, and Paraca, and established our company in 2018. He has a broad range of experience including launching internet services, managing new business development sales teams, and executing an IPO as a director.
Japanese only
TEAM MEMBER
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TEAM MEMBER01
Director & CTO
Masaru Fukui
After graduating from Tokyo University of Agriculture, he managed research and development, manufacturing, and sales of functional food materials at the Institute of Rheological Functions of Food and B&S Corporation. He joined as CTO in September 2020.
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TEAM MEMBER02
COO
Chika Hikichi
After graduating from the Veterinary Science Department of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, she worked on the research/development of health food and feed additives at Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. Later, she was in charge of technical and intellectual property-related analysis at a consulting company. She joined as COO in August 2021.
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TEAM MEMBER03
Researcher
Marin Abiko
After completing her Master’s Degree at the Graduate School of Organic Material Science, Yamagata University, she moved on to the doctoral program. During her undergraduate years, she started a company, Incubation Port Yamagata Inc., and was responsible for the development of rice flour-based food products. While continuing her doctoral studies and managing her own business, she joined as a researcher in March 2023.
Outside DirectorOUTSIDE DIRECTOR
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TEAM MEMBER04
Masahisa Kakimoto
Executive Advisor, Universal Materials Incubator Co., Ltd.
Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Economics, and obtained an MBA from IMD Business School in Switzerland.
After gaining extensive experience at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation in film business management, research and development oversight, as well as being stationed in Europe and the United States, he assumed his current position in April 2023.
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
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TEAM MEMBER05
Inventor & Executive Technical Advisor
Akihiro Nishioka,Professor, Graduate School of Organic Material Science, Yamagata University
A professor at the Graduate School of Organic Material Science at Yamagata University, he successfully developed pre-gelatinization milling technology and 100% rice flour bread. He is the inventor of the patent related to this project and the founder. His research fields include polymer properties, plastic molding, composite materials, and glycoscience.
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TEAM MEMBER06
Technical Advisor
Tomonori Koda, Professor, Yamagata University
A professor at the Graduate School of Organic Material Science, Yamagata University, he is researching pre-gelatinization milling technology and properties using molecular simulations and other methods.
Co-founder Advisor
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TEAM MEMBER07
Kazuyuki Masuda
Founder of several high-tech ventures, Senior Member of Keio Research Institute at SFC. Former branch manager of The Industrial Bank of Japan, Limited, Visiting Professor of Yamagata University, Lecturer at Waseda University, Lecturer at Meiji University. Doctor (Academics) from Waseda University, MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Master’s Degree (Media Design) from Keio University. Author of “High-Tech Ventures and Startup Support Capital” and others.
COMPANY PROFILE
- Company Name
- Alphatech Inc.
- Address
- Head Office: 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan, Inside Yamagata University Business Research Institute for Global Innovation
Yonezawa Lab: 1-808-46 Arcadia, Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata 992-0119, Japan, located within Yamagata University Business Starting Center for Organic Material
Kawasaki Lab: NANOBIC Room 2009, 7-7 Shin-Kawasaki, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 212-0011, Japan
- Capital
- 85 million yen
- Representative Director & President
- Yuichi Komai
- Number of Employees
- 5 (as of March 1, 2021)
- Established
- June 20, 2018
- Our Business
- Development, manufacturing, and sales of grain pre-gelatinization machinery, license business
History
- June 2018
- Established in Yamagata University Business Research Institute for Global Innovation as a university-launched venture company to disseminate the technology invented by Professor Nishioka of Yamagata University.
- August 2019
- Signed a joint research agreement with a major feed manufacturer on “Technology Development for Pre-Gelatinization Milling Related to Feed”.
- January 2020
- Signed a joint research agreement with a major feed manufacturer and Yamagata University and commenced feeding demonstration experiments in livestock
- February 2020
- Started consideration of a joint development with a major machinery manufacturer for the development of a large-scale machine for mass production.
- September 2020
- Raised funds from UMI2 Investment Business Limited Liability Partnership, managed and operated by Universal Materials Incubator Co., Ltd.
- May 2021
- Signed a joint development agreement with a major machinery manufacturer for the development of a large-scale mass production machine.
- June 2022
- The manufacture of a prototype large-scale machine for the mass production of pre-gelatinized starch and the POC trials in the feed sector were selected for the NEDO Research and Development Startup Support Program.
- December 2022
- Selected for J-Startup TOHOKU on the recommendation of Yamagata University
- March 2023
- Introduced the prototype of a large-scale mass production machine for pre-gelatinized starch