Led · Equity · Oct 2019

Aroma Bit develops and sells compact odor imaging sensors and related services that digitize odors into visualization patterns. The company has released a silicon CMOS sensor module development kit (5C-SSM-H1) featuring 80 elements on a 6 mm x 3 mm chip and operates a sales subsidiary, Aroma Bit Silicon Sensor Technology. Aroma Bit plans to strengthen product and service development leveraging its proprietary odor databases and to expand sales and marketing worldwide. Management cites growing demand across industries — food, agriculture, consumer goods, industrial, mobility, healthcare, robotics, mobile services, home electronics, and IoT — driven by smart, contactless, and DX trends. The company aims to accelerate functionality enhancements and mass production capabilities for its compact odor sensors through partnerships with major electronic device manufacturers. Representative Director & CEO is Shunichiro Kuroki and the company is headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Aroma Bit plans, develops and sells compact odor imaging sensors and innovative services that convert a variety of odor inputs into visualization patterns, unlike conventional gas sensors. The company also maintains what it describes as the world's first digital odor database and builds products that leverage that database and its sensor hardware. Aroma Bit reports rising domestic and overseas inquiries across sectors including food, daily necessities, cosmetics, industrial machinery, robotics, mobility, monitoring and health care, agriculture, and marketing. It cites first-mover advantages and sees the digital olfactory market entering a takeoff phase. Planned workstreams include further miniaturization and functionality enhancements, development of a mass-production system, and strengthening sales, marketing and management systems to support global expansion. The company is headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo and was established in February 2014. Aroma Bit designs, develops, manufactures and sells a compact odor imaging sensor and services that use the sensor; the device outputs visual patterns when exposed to various odors, mimicking a living olfactory system. The company serves customers across food and beverage, consumer goods, cosmetics, industrial machinery, robotics, mobility, healthcare, agriculture, and marketing, and reports market traction with global top-tier customers. In April 2019 it raised ¥250M in a Series A to support commercial growth and accommodate the market liftoff of the digital olfactory market. The funds are intended to accelerate go-to-market activities and broaden adoption of its sensor and data-driven services. During 2019 Aroma Bit planned to initiate a technology and business-creation collaboration program to develop industry-specific solutions with partner companies using its sensor and data. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan.