UTokyo IPC Invests in Solaris: Supporting Advanced Small-Diameter Pipe Maintenance with Earthworm-Like Robot 'Sooha®'

The Open Innovation Promotion No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership (AOI 1st Fund), operated by UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President: Kosuke Ueda; hereinafter 'UTokyo IPC'), has decided to invest in Solaris Inc. (Headquarters: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo; President: Toru Ichihashi; hereinafter 'Solaris'), a developer and provider of the earthworm-like pipe-running robot 'Sooha®'.

This investment is a joint round with Spiral Innovation Partners Co., Ltd., Abies Ventures Co., Ltd., Mizuho Capital Co., Ltd., Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 114 Kyoso Investment Co., Ltd., and Hiroshima Venture Capital Co., Ltd.

'Sooha®': An Earthworm-Like Pipe-Running Robot for Smart Maintenance of Small-Diameter Pipes

Small-diameter pipes widely used in factories and social infrastructure require essential cleaning and inspection. However, due to their small size and complex structures, maintenance has been difficult for conventional robots, leaving many tasks dependent on manual labor. Especially in advanced production sites like semiconductor manufacturing, contamination or defects inside pipes can impact production efficiency and stability, making advanced preventive maintenance a critical challenge.

Solaris develops and provides 'Sooha®', an earthworm-like robot utilizing soft robotics technology. Its flexible structure allows it to travel through, clean, and inspect the inside of small-diameter pipes where conventional technology struggled to enter. The company began offering 'Sooha®' via a Robot as a Service (RaaS) model in 2025, and it is already in use at multiple factories.

Furthermore, major Japanese semiconductor manufacturers have adopted the system to realize 'preventive maintenance' for complex semiconductor equipment piping, aiming for zero sudden failures and enhanced production capabilities.

In the future, Solaris plans to develop multiple models to expand compatible pipe sizes, pursue business partnerships with domestic and international companies, and strengthen recruitment, including engineers. Beyond cleaning and inspection, the company aims to achieve 'smart maintenance' including digital mapping of pipes, visualization of internal states, and future prediction.

UTokyo IPC decided on this investment based on Solaris's utilization of academic research results and its experienced management team, who are pioneering the highly unique market of small-diameter pipe maintenance.

Solaris also aims to strengthen its smart maintenance business under an advisory agreement with Professor Atsushi Yamashita of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo.

By developing multiple 'Sooha®' models to expand applicable environments and pursuing partnerships with various global companies in sales, construction maintenance, and manufacturing equipment, Solaris aims to scale its operations.

Comment from Toru Ichihashi, President of Solaris Inc.: 'The countless small-diameter pipes woven around the world are the 'capillaries' of society. However, their maintenance is an unexplored frontier difficult for conventional technology, facing a crisis of infrastructure collapse due to aging and labor shortages. We will fundamentally solve this challenge with our earthworm-like robot 'Sooha'. Meeting the expectations of our investors, we will carve out a new market in this unexplored area and aim to be a leading company supporting pipe maintenance worldwide.'

Comment from Nako Kawashima, Investment Manager at UTokyo IPC: 'The need for labor-saving and automation is rising across various industries, but small-diameter pipe maintenance remains a field reliant on manual labor because robot entry is difficult. In advanced production sites like semiconductor manufacturing, the state of small pipes can affect production stability, representing a significant challenge. Solaris is starting to provide solutions to this exact problem in actual semiconductor factories using its unique soft robotics technology. UTokyo IPC will strongly support Solaris so it can grow as a niche top company in the field of smart maintenance for small-diameter pipes.'

About Solaris Inc.: Company Name: Solaris Inc. Business: R&D, sales, and support of soft robotics and mechatronics. Established: 2017 Representative: Toru Ichihashi, President Location: 14-13 Higashiyama-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo URL: https://solaris-inc.com/