Yamagata-based Startup ZAICO Selected for METI's '300 Soaring SMEs'

ZAICO Inc. (Headquarters: Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture; Representative Director: Toshihide Tamura; hereinafter 'the Company'), which provides the cloud-based inventory management system 'zaico', is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the 2025 '300 Soaring Small and Medium Enterprises' program hosted by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

In response to the increasingly serious labor shortage problem across the country, especially in regional areas, the Company will continue to listen to the voices of the field and support the resolution of business risks and sustainable business growth for companies through 'Inventory Management DX'.

Announcement page: https://www.zaico.co.jp/2026/06/04/release_habataku300/

■ What is the '300 Soaring Small and Medium Enterprises' Program?

The '300 Soaring Small and Medium Enterprises' program is a system hosted by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of METI that selects and recognizes small and medium enterprises from across the country that are taking on business transformation and new business ventures in response to changes in the economic and social structure, and are expected to serve as models contributing to the growth of the regional and Japanese economies.

The Company was selected in the 'DX Field'.

About the '300 Soaring Small and Medium Enterprises' program: https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2026/05/20260528001/20260528001.html

■ Main Business and Initiatives of the Company

With the mission of 'Creating an information infrastructure for things, collecting, organizing, and providing information to improve the efficiency of society,' the Company is engaged in the development and provision of solutions for operational efficiency and automation, starting with inventory management systems.

● Development and Provision of Cloud Inventory Management System 'zaico'

The Company provides the cloud-based inventory management system 'zaico', which allows real-time inventory status checks anytime, anywhere, by anyone. It features intuitive smartphone operation, barcode/QR code scanning, and ordering alert functions, supporting improved inbound/outbound accuracy, prevention of stockouts and overstocking, and efficient inventory counting.

Adopted by a wide range of industries including manufacturing, retail/wholesale, medical/welfare, and government offices, starting from its founding location of Yamagata Prefecture, the system has surpassed 190,000 cumulative accounts (Note 1) and maintains a monthly paid subscription retention rate of over 98% (Note 2).

zaico case studies: https://www.zaico.co.jp/casestudy/

(Note 1) As of the end of April 2026

(Note 2) Results from May 2025 to April 2026

Cloud Inventory Management System zaico

● Labor Saving and Automation of Inventory Management through AI and IoT Technologies

The Company is promoting labor saving and automation of inventory management by utilizing AI and IoT technologies. It is developing solutions that fundamentally reduce manual work at the site, such as the patented 'Just Shoot AI Inventory Management' which automatically identifies items using only a smartphone photo, and the IoT weight scale 'ZAICON' which can manage inventory quantity fluctuations simply by 'placing' or 'taking' an item.

IoT Weight Scale 'ZAICON' Developed by the Company

● Efficiency and Optimization of the Entire Supply Chain

The Company has a vision called 'ZSCN (ZAICO Supply Chain Network)' which aims for the efficiency and optimization of the entire supply chain, including inter-company ordering, not just inventory management within a single company. To realize this, the Company is steadily building an information infrastructure that supports the flow of goods by sequentially releasing products that support inter-company information linkage, such as 'zaico Order Management' which automates manual entry of order forms using AI-OCR, and 'zaico Procurement Management' linked with actual inventory data.

'ZSCN' Vision: Building an Information Network for Goods Between Companies

■ Reason for Selection and Evaluation Points
The Company's selection was primarily based on the evaluation of the following initiatives:

(1) Supporting productivity improvement for a wide range of companies through a low-cost, easy-to-introduce cloud inventory management system.

(2) Significantly reducing work time for parts searching and inventory counting through labor-saving and automation of inventory management using smartphones, and reducing opportunity loss due to stockouts.

(3) Driving new work style reforms in regional areas by securing excellent human resources from across the country through a fully remote work system.

■ Comment from Representative Director Tamura

Representative Director, ZAICO Inc., Tamura

We are deeply honored to receive this prestigious selection. The origin of our company began when we witnessed the hardships of the warehousing business run by our family in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and thought, 'We want to do something about this with the power of IT.' It is deeply moving and humbling that a product born in a small local warehouse has grown to be used nationwide and even overseas, and has received such recognition.

Our goal is a future where 'people who manage inventory' are no longer necessary. We will continue to enhance the convenience of our services by leveraging the latest technology, and tirelessly strive to become an indispensable 'information infrastructure for things' for local companies, as well as for everyone on the front lines supporting manufacturing and supply chains across the country.

[Company Overview]

Company Name: ZAICO Inc.

Headquarters: 331 Hanazawa, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture

Established: October 18, 2016

Representative Director: Toshihide Tamura

Business Overview: Development and sales of cloud inventory management system 'zaico', etc.

URL: https://www.zaico.co.jp/

■ Media Inquiries

ZAICO Inc. welcomes media inquiries on the following topics in addition to this announcement. Please feel free to contact us.

- Examples of operational efficiency improvement through SaaS against the backdrop of the serious labor shortage.
- The latest inventory management DX utilizing AI technology.
- The 'field-first' development story born from solving the challenges of the representative's family warehousing business.