2026-06-19

NanoFrontier Selected for FY2026 'Miyagi-Type Open Innovation Promotion Project' Project Creation Study Group Grant

Systematic Screening Begins Toward Building an Organic Nanoparticle Synthesis Platform in Collaboration with Tohoku University

NanoFrontier Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Sendai, Miyagi; Representative Director: Seiya Inoue; hereinafter “NanoFrontier”) is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the FY2026 “Miyagi-Type Open Innovation Promotion Project” Project Creation Study Group Grant, administered by the Miyagi Industrial Promotion Organization (public interest incorporated foundation).

Miyagi Industrial Promotion Organization Logo

Background of the Selection

Organic nanoparticles are foundational materials with anticipated industrial applications across a wide range of fields, including pharmaceuticals, electronic materials, energy, and environmental sensors. While the global nanomaterials market is projected to grow from approximately USD 16.2 billion in 2024 to approximately USD 54.5 billion in 2033 (CAGR: 14.4%), the synthesis and dispersion technologies for organic nanoparticles have historically been optimized on a field-by-field basis. This has left a significant gap: comprehensive comparative data systematically organizing particle types, manufacturing methods, and dispersion conditions across disciplines has been insufficient.

NanoFrontier’s foundation rests on nanoparticle synthesis technologies developed at Tohoku University over more than 30 years, and the company possesses a research and development automation pipeline that integrates synthesis simulation, AI, and robotic evaluation. Leveraging these strengths, NanoFrontier applied for this study group in partnership with the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM) at Tohoku University—also based on the Katahira Campus—to address the uncharted territory of “systematic organization of organic nanoparticle synthesis and dispersion technologies,” which has long impeded the expansion of industrial applications. The application was subsequently selected.

Background Diagram

Overview

Over an eight-month period from July 2026 to February 2027, this study group will carry out the following four activities.

① Literature and Patent Survey and Construction of a Screening Database

Existing technologies related to organic nanoparticle synthesis and dispersion will be comprehensively collected from literature and patent databases, and an industrial application screening database will be constructed that organizes the data cross-sectionally by particle type, manufacturing method, dispersion conditions, and application domain.

② Design and Proposal of Novel Synthesis Processes

Combining the screening results with the knowledge held by both institutions, at least two novel process proposals for the precision synthesis and dispersion of organic nanoparticles will be designed and put forward.

③ Acquisition of Proof-of-Concept Samples and Confirmation of Basic Physical Properties

Proof-of-concept samples will be obtained for the designed process proposals, and basic physical properties—including particle size distribution, morphology, crystallinity, and dispersion state—will be confirmed.

④ Selection of JST A-STEP Application Theme and Development of a Research Plan

The screening results and proof-of-concept data will be comprehensively evaluated to select the most promising theme from multiple industrial application cases, including high-thermal-conductivity coolants, rare-metal-free battery electrolytes, functional catalysts, and poorly water-soluble pharmaceuticals. A research plan will then be developed for submission to the JST A-STEP Industry-Academia Collaboration (Functional Materials Field) program in the following fiscal year.

Implementation Structure Diagram

■ Implementation Structure

Lead Organization (Overall Coordination, Commercialization Planning, and Screening Design)

NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.: Representative Director Seiya Inoue, General Manager Tadashi Takashima, Researcher Katsuya Namiki, Researcher Katsuya Saito

Collaborating Institution (Research Guidance, Equipment, and Analytical Support)

Associate Professor Hiroki Oka, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University

Both organizations are based on the Katahira Campus of Tohoku University and will advance this study group under a close collaborative framework built on an established track record of joint research.

Future Initiatives

Building on the screening database and proof-of-concept data developed through this study group, NanoFrontier aims to submit an application to JST A-STEP in the following fiscal year for the application theme identified as most promising. Looking further ahead, the company will proceed in stages toward product development and business expansion in each application field from FY2028 onward, with the goal of continuously generating multiple new businesses from a Tohoku University–born organic nanoparticle synthesis platform.

Comment from the CEO

“We are deeply honored to be selected for the Miyagi-Type Open Innovation Promotion Project. The systematic organization of organic nanoparticle synthesis is a field that has remained uncharted on a global scale, and this gap has long stood in the way of broader industrial adoption. In collaboration with the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials at Tohoku University, we will combine more than 30 years of accumulated research with our company’s R&D automation pipeline to build a platform that fills this gap—right here in Miyagi and Sendai. We will use the outcomes of this study group as a springboard to submit to JST A-STEP in the following year, and then steadily advance toward commercialization beyond that.”

Seiya Inoue, Representative Director

About the Miyagi-Type Open Innovation Promotion Project

This grant program, administered by the Miyagi Industrial Promotion Organization (public interest incorporated foundation), subsidizes the operating costs of “Project Creation Study Groups” formed by small and medium-sized enterprises in Miyagi Prefecture in partnership with universities and public research institutes. Its purpose is to promote the advancement and higher value-added development of regional industries. The program targets study groups that aim to submit proposals to competitive technology development programs administered by national and other bodies in the following fiscal year.

Official Website: https://www.joho-miyagi.or.jp/

Company Profile

  • Company Name: NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.
  • Representative: Seiya Inoue, Representative Director
  • Address: Room 215, Material Solutions Center (MaSC), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi Prefecture
  • Established: April 7, 2025
  • Business Activities:
    • R&D, manufacturing, and sales of reagents and functional materials using organic nanoparticle technologies
    • Contract manufacturing of organic nanoparticles and provision of related technologies
    • Technology licensing and consulting in the field of organic nanoparticle technologies
  • Website: https://nanofrontier.jp