Akerun Continues to Secure No. 1 Position in Japan for Corporate Smart Locks and Cloud-Based Access Control Systems in 2026

Photosynth Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Koudai Kawase, hereinafter "Photosynth") announced today that its "Akerun Access Control System" (hereinafter "Akerun") has continuously secured the No. 1 position in Japan for both corporate smart locks and cloud-based access control systems, in terms of both number of installed companies and number of users*, as of March 2026.

* March 2026_Market research on access control systems / Research institution: Japan Marketing Research Organization

As the world's first* retrofit smart lock, Akerun has been highly evaluated for its innovativeness, scalability, and reliability. It is widely used in various use cases regardless of industry or business type, including offices, commercial facilities, stores, local governments, educational institutions, and medical institutions, establishing its position as a market-leading smart lock and cloud-based access control system in Japan.

* Self-reported research

This time, Akerun achieved No. 1 in the following four categories:

No. 1 in installed companies for corporate smart locks

No. 1 in users for corporate smart locks

No. 1 in installed companies for cloud-based access control systems

No. 1 in users for cloud-based access control systems

"Akerun," a corporate smart lock/cloud-based access control system leading the Japanese market.

Under its mission of "Incorporating inspiring experiences into the future through connected manufacturing" and its vision of "Liberalizing society with autonomous physical spaces not reliant on human labor," Photosynth is promoting its business to solve social issues such as labor shortages due to Japan's declining birthrate and aging population.

Akerun, the core service of these efforts, is a cloud-based IoT service that digitalizes all keys, improving convenience and security. By utilizing "Akerun Access Intelligence," an access authentication platform that authenticates users through digital and physical IDs, all doors are connected to the internet, enabling access management for various locations and scenarios.

Akerun is a cloud-based service that can be retrofitted to existing doors, allowing for locking/unlocking with smartphones or IC cards, checking access history from web management tools and smartphone apps, remote locking/unlocking, and granting/revoking key permissions through cloud-based key authority and access management.

Website: https://akerun.com/

Based on Akerun's No. 1 market performance in Japan, Photosynth will continue to strengthen the development and proposal of space management solutions, starting with Akerun, to address the labor shortage caused by the declining birthrate and aging population. They will promote unmanned and labor-saving operations in all spaces, strengthen functions, and expand linked services to meet various needs, such as building safe, secure, and efficient space environments and reducing facility operating costs.

Survey Overview

March 2026_Market research on access control systems

Research institution: Japan Marketing Research Organization

Survey period: January 9, 2026 – March 10, 2026

Survey method: Individual interviews with 8 major companies (based on our own research)

Note: This does not guarantee actual results/effectiveness or superiority as of March 2026.

【About Akerun】

"Akerun" is an IoT service that digitalizes all keys, improving convenience and security. By utilizing "Akerun Access Intelligence," an access authentication platform that authenticates users through digital and physical IDs, all doors are connected to the internet, enabling access management for various locations and scenarios.

"Akerun Access Control System" for corporations, the main service of the Akerun brand, is a cloud-based service that can be retrofitted to existing doors. It enables locking/unlocking with smartphones or IC cards, checking access history from web management tools and smartphone apps, remote locking/unlocking, and granting/revoking key permissions through cloud-based key authority and access management.

Service Site: https://akerun.com/

【About Photosynth Co., Ltd.】

With the mission of "Incorporating inspiring experiences into the future through connected manufacturing," Photosynth aims to solve social issues such as labor shortages and declining working populations. They offer the Akerun brand's cloud-based IoT services for offices/residences, including the "Akerun Access Control System," which allows cloud management of keys by simply retrofitting smart locks to existing doors, as well as facility operation BPaaS services like "Mig" that support efficient management and operation of various spaces.