nat (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: 劉 栄駿; hereinafter “the Company”), nat of Scanat —the world’s first 3D scanning app capable of measuring down to the millimeter—has completed a third-party allotment capital increase totaling approximately 120 million yen. In addition to existing shareholders, the underwriters for this round included the “JGC MIRAI Innovation Fund”—a corporate venture capital (CVC) fund managed by Global Brain Inc. on behalf of JGC Holdings Co., Ltd. and JGC Corporation—as well as CoLife Inc.,Fulltime System Co., Ltd., FLAG-41 Co., Ltd., and individual investors, among others. With this funding, the Company will strengthen the sales infrastructure and product offerings Scanat —which has been adopted by more than 300 companies to date—and will actively pursue projects with its shareholders.
■ Details on Fundraising
In this funding round, we conducted a third-party allotment of new shares totaling approximately 120 million yen, with subscribers including existing shareholders, CoLife Co., Ltd., the “JGC MIRAI Innovation Fund” (the corporate venture capital arm of JGC Holdings Co., Ltd. and JGC Corporation, operated by Global Brain Co., Ltd.), Fulltime System Co., Ltd., FLAG-41 Co., Ltd., and individual investors.With the funds raised through this round, we will not only strengthen the sales and product development of Scanat —which has been adopted by over 300 companies to date—but also reinforce our organizational structure to advance projects with these companies.
With this funding round, our cumulative funding has exceeded 230 million yen.
■ Challenges We Address
High-precision documentation of physical spaces is essential not only for home renovations but also in various industries such as civil engineering, infrastructure, and real estate. Traditional, labor-intensive documentation methods—where multiple experienced staff members visit the site to measure every single area one by one using tools like tape measures and record the results on paper, or take dozens of photographs—can lead to missed measurements or photos, resulting in non-value-added tasks such as having to return to the site multiple times.Furthermore, when it comes to internal and external communication, each person in charge relies on traditional tools such as fax, telephone, paper, and photographs. However, accurately conveying three-dimensional spaces to various parties without discrepancies remains a significant challenge.
" Scanat " has been proven to be highly effective in streamlining spatial documentation workflows, standardizing operations, and addressing labor shortages by leveraging the LiDAR sensors built into the iPhone Pro and iPad Pro. By utilizing " Scanat," not only can a single person complete all tasks associated with spatial documentation, but it also contributes to business objectives such as recruiting young talent and achieving the SDGs.
■Total Number of Companies Using the Service Exceeds 300
By September 2023—one year and eight months after the service’s launch—it had grown into a service adopted by more than 300 companies in total, ranging from small and medium-sized construction firms to super general contractors and major building materials manufacturers. It is used not only for home renovations but also for construction projects in various locations, as well as for infrastructure and building maintenance. We will continue to develop new features and provide support with the goal of solving challenges in the housing and construction sectors.
■ Comments from Existing Investors
・United Co., Ltd. President and CEO Yoki Hayakawa
nat business operations contribute to solving serious challenges in the housing industry, such as labor shortages and long working hours. We felt that this aligns with United’s purpose—“To maximize the power of will and accelerate the progress of society”—and made our initial investment in March 2022.
Since then, the business has made steady progress, including an increase in the number of client companies and product updates, which is why we decided to make an additional investment in this funding round. We look forward to continuing to support nat future business growth.
・Kazuaki Matsunaga, Associate, ANOBAKA Co., Ltd.
I believe nat stands head and shoulders above the rest in the industry, having recognized the potential of LiDAR technology even before it was integrated into iPhones and iPads, and having developed products with extremely high sensing accuracy—measuring down to the millimeter—using their proprietary technology. Scanat is steadily being adopted by major companies, and I am confident it will become the industry standard.
■ Comments from New Investors
・CoLife Co., Ltd. Representative Director Junpei Ikeuchi
nat I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to nat this time.
nat I am confident that nat technology, capable of measuring down to the millimeter, can make a significant contribution to solving social issues in the housing sector. I look forward to integrating our respective technologies—such as through data integration with our vertical SaaS platform “Iecon”—and working together on digital transformation (DX) to resolve inconveniences in the home.
・Mr. Atsushi Sakamoto, Manager, Future Strategy Office, JGC Corporation
As a company specializing in industrial plant facilities—primarily in the energy and infrastructure sectors—we have been providing “INTEGNANCE VR,” a digital twin service designed to accelerate the digitization of existing facilities, in collaboration with our group company, Brown Rivers.
We share nat vision and aim to further enhance the value we provide through our partnership Scanat.The JGC Group will continue to contribute to the creation of safe, secure, and sustainable social systems through our collaboration with nat.
・Mr. Shuhei Hara, Executive Vice President, Fulltime System Co., Ltd.
At Fulltime System, we were the first in the world to develop and launch a service called “delivery lockers,” which eliminates the time wasted during handoffs—a common source of frustration—thereby reducing the stress that can arise for both the sender and the recipient.
I am confident that nat innovative ideas and proprietary technology will soon tangibly fulfill the global need to “measure right now” and help create a stress-free world.
・FLAG-41 Co., Ltd. — Representative Director Yoshiji Yamamoto
There is no doubt that obtaining accurate and timely information is a key factor for success in many business situations. I am confident that ScanatnatScanat will provide accurate and timely information across various fields, including civil engineering, infrastructure, and real estate, and I have high hopes for it.
・Individual Investor: Masahiro Tokumoto
It is widely recognized that, among the three major sectors—clothing, food, and housing—the “housing” sector has fallen furthest behind in the wave of digital transformation (DX). With Japan’s real estate and construction industries facing the “2024 Problem” as a ticking time bomb and the need for digitization becoming increasingly urgent, this presents a significant opportunity nat aiming to achieve advanced spatial data acquisition.
nat is now poised to revolutionize the real estate and construction industries. Their signature cutting-edge technology efficiently collects detailed information about buildings, supporting rapid design and construction based on that data. As the technology continues to improve, it will become possible to reach many clients facing spatial measurement challenges, and the market has the potential to expand dramatically. Considering the immense potential of this spatial DX, I have decided to invest nat.
