Aroma Bit Receives Additional Capital Investment Funding From Epson X Investment, Kyocera, and TechAccel Ventures
9.2.2021 09:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Aroma Bit, Inc., (Representative Director & CEO: Shunichiro Kuroki, headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), develops and markets compact odor imaging sensors and various related innovative services, has allocated additional shares to third-parties. The purpose of the funding is to acquire growth funds needed for future functionality enhancements of the company’s compact odor sensors and development of mass production capabilities, business development, and etc. EB-GB Limited Partnership funded by Epson X Investment Corporation (Representative Director: Yasunori Ogawa, headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), Kyocera Corporation (President: Hideo Tanimoto, headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto), and TechAccel investment limited partnership 1 (fund operated by TechAccel Ventures, LLC (Functional Manager: Masatoshi Ohba, headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo)) are the investment partners participating in this new capital investment.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005274/en/
Silicon CMOS type Smell Sensor Development Kit (Product ID: 5C-SSM) (Photo: Business Wire)
Aroma Bit, Inc.: http://www.aromabit.com
Purpose and background of the increased capital investment: Support for acceleration of the compact odor sensors’ mass production and expansion of the digital odor sensing market
Aroma Bit has developed the world’s first compact odor imaging sensor that digitizes odors with visualization patterns from various odor inputs, similar to an animal’s sense of smell. It differs from conventional gas sensors, which can only detect specific substances.
Despite COVID-19, Aroma Bit has seen an increase in business negotiations with customers both in Japan and internationally accelerated by emerging trends such as smart technology, contactless technology, and digital transformation (DX).
Furthermore, the device has a wide range of applications, including the food, agriculture, daily commodities, industrial machinery, mobility, healthcare, robotics, mobile information service, home electronics, and IoT industries. With market applications exceeding initial expectations, there is considerable potential demand for odor digitization using Aroma Bit’s innovative technology.
After this third-party allocation of new shares, Aroma Bit plans to collaborate with major electronic device companies with advanced manufacturing expertise to accelerate development and mass production of compact odor sensor technologies.
Additionally, Aroma Bit plans to strengthen development of new products and services that leverage the company’s proprietary odor databases, and expand its sales and marketing worldwide.
In the future, Aroma Bit will continue to pursue its vision of “Enrich Society by Creating a World where Odors and Aromas are Visualized through Digital Odor Sensing Technology.”
Release of development kit for silicon CMOS compact odor sensors
Aroma Bit launched its silicon CMOS sensor module development kit [5C-SSM-H1] in January of 2021. Those sensors feature 80 elements arranged on a 6 mm x 3 mm silicon chip (5 types of odor-sensitive membrane x 16 elements per membrane). Aroma Bit Silicon Sensor Technology, Inc., a subsidiary of Aroma Bit manages sales for these devices.
With the release of the silicon CMOS odor sensor, Aroma Bit anticipates increased demand in high-volume consumer applications such as mobile devices, mobility, and home electronics, where its other QCM odor sensor use was previously difficult due to factors such as price and usage environment.
About Aroma Bit
Aroma Bit is a company that plans, develops, and sells electronic devices such as compact odor sensors as well as innovative new services that use these devices.
|
[Company Profile] |
||
|
Company name: |
|
Aroma Bit, Inc. |
|
Location: |
|
Sagami Bldg. 2F, 7-13-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
|
Representative: |
|
Representative Director & CEO Shunichiro Kuroki |
|
Established: |
|
February 2014 |
|
Business: |
|
Development, production, and sales of electronic equipment and systems including compact odor imaging sensors |
|
|
|
Planning, development, and sales of products and innovative services that use the sensor products |
|
|
|
Other business related to the above |
|
URL: www.aromabit.com |
||
About Epson X Investment
Epson X Investment Corporation is a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) firm wholly owned by information equipment and precision instrument manufacturer Seiko Epson Corporation. It established the “EP-GB Investment Limited Partnership” with independent venture capital firm Global Brain Corporation, which has strengths in CVC operations, as general partner and is conducting investment activities.
URL: https://www.epson-exi.com/
Kyocera Corporation (TOKYO:6971, https://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers, and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the company’s consolidated sales revenue totaled 1.6 trillion yen (approx. US$14.7 billion). Kyocera is ranked #549 on Forbes magazine’s 2020 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
About TechAccel Ventures
TechAccel Ventures, LLC is a venture capital firm established and operated by Omron, Ricoh, and SMBC Venture Capital. It invests mainly in tech venture companies.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005274/en/
Contact information
[Inquiries regarding this announcement]
Aroma Bit, Inc.
Public Relegations Department (Matsumoto, Osamu)
TEL: +81-3-4455-4609 / Email: info@aromabit.com
Epson X Investment Corporation
Seiko Epson PR & IR Department (Muto, Nobuo)
TEL: +81-266-58-1705 or +81-3-5368-0961 / Email: info@press.epson.co.jp
KYOCERA Corporation
Corporate Communications (Usami, Masaru)
TEL: +81-75-604-3514 / Email: webmaster.cc@kyocera.jp
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
EUMETSAT: Media Invitation30.9.2026 13:17:00 EEST | Press release
For the first time, weather forecasters will have access to near-real-time, four-dimensional observations of the atmosphere over Europe every 30 minutes from Europe’s first meteorological infrared sounder in geostationary orbit. EUMETSAT invites media to mark this milestone as the Infrared Sounder (IRS) on board MTG-S1 enters operational service. To mark the occasion, MTG-S1 will also take the name Meteosat-13. The event will showcase the first operational IRS data and EUMETSAT’s 4D weather cube, which combines observations of atmospheric profiles, winds, convection and lightning from three key MTG instruments. Before MTG, only weather models could provide this complete view; now it can be built from real observations and updated every 30 minutes. Journalists will have the opportunity to discover the new data and hear how they can support weather forecasting and the monitoring of rapidly developing and potentially severe weather. Media representatives are invited to register by contact
Sitetracker Selected by BNZ to Support Scalable Multitechnology Renewable Energy Growth Across Southern Europe30.9.2026 13:07:00 EEST | Press release
Sitetracker, the global leader in complete Asset Lifecycle Management for critical infrastructure, today announced that BNZ, an independent power producer (IPP) focused on renewable energy across Southern Europe, has selected Sitetracker to streamline and scale the management of its growing multitechnology portfolio. BNZ develops, builds, and operates utility-scale renewable energy assets across Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Its portfolio exceeds 2.7 GW across development, construction, and operation, including 530 MW connected and 222 MW under construction. To support its continued growth, BNZ sought a centralized platform to improve visibility, standardize workflows, and strengthen operational efficiency across the full asset lifecycle. “The next generation of renewable energy leaders will be defined by how efficiently they can scale,” said Giuseppe Incitti, CEO of Sitetracker. “BNZ is taking a proactive approach to building the operational infrastructure needed to support long-term gr
Linesight Appoints John Butler as CEO30.9.2026 13:00:00 EEST | Press release
Linesight, the global construction consultancy, today announced the appointment of John Butler as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2027. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260930482486/en/ John Butler, incoming CEO of Linesight (left), and Paul Boylan, Group CEO of IPS-Integrated Project Services, LLC (right). Butler will become CEO of Linesight effective 1 January 2027, succeeding Boylan, who will continue to lead the wider group. Butler will succeed Paul Boylan, who will remain closely involved with Linesight and its clients as Group CEO of IPS-Integrated Project Services, LLC (IPS). Boylan will continue to lead this wider group, encompassing IPS, Linesight and Springtide. Today, the group comprises of more than 4,500 people and generates approximately $2 billion in net revenue, providing multi-sector solutions through its specialist brands. Linesight is a global construction consultancy with over 5
Carrier and PHINIA Recognized with ISG Paragon Awards North America 2026 for Transformation Delivered with LTM30.9.2026 11:30:00 EEST | Press release
LTM, the Business Creativity partner to the world’s largest enterprises, today announced that its clients PHINIA and Carrier have been recognized at the ISG Paragon Awards North America 2026. LTM received recognition in the Excellence category for its work with PHINIA and in the Transformation category for its work with Carrier. The ISG Paragon Awards recognize enterprise-provider partnerships that leverage technology, innovation, and new operating models to deliver measurable business impact. The recognitions highlight LTM's ability to help global enterprises accelerate transformation through industry expertise, technology innovation, and execution excellence. Carrier: Following significant M&A activities, Carrier, a global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, sought to address a fragmented technology landscape, siloed operating functions, and limited visibility into application ownership and costs across its 2,000+ application estate. LTM partnered closely with Carrier
RGI Expands Its Digital Insurance Proposition With the Acquisition of D4Next30.9.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
RGI, the leading provider of digital solutions for the European insurance industry, announces the acquisition of D4Next, an insurance technology company specializing in solutions that connect insurance products, distribution channels and digital processes, powered by innovative AI models. The acquisition broadens RGI’s ability to support insurers in addressing one of the key challenges facing the industry: how to accelerate business and technological innovation while progressively evolving an increasingly complex technology landscape. Supporting the evolution of insurance at the pace of the market As insurers continue to invest in new products, digital channels, distribution models and more intelligent processes, the ability to introduce innovation progressively, and connect new capabilities with the technologies already supporting the business, is becoming increasingly important. With the acquisition of D4Next, RGI expands its proposition with capabilities designed to support this evo
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom