UTokyo IPC Invests in Solaris: Supporting Advanced Small-Diameter Pipe Maintenance with Earthworm-Like Robot 'Sooha®'
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC) has decided to invest in Solaris Inc., a developer of earthworm-like pipe-running robots utilizing soft robotics technology. Solaris provides 'Sooha®', an automated cleaning and inspection solution for critical small-diameter pipes in semiconductor factories and infrastructure, via a RaaS model. This funding will accelerate business expansion and the realization of smart maintenance.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 22, 2026 at 04:36 (42h 4m after Collected)
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/
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/
FAQ
株式会社ソラリスが開発したロボット「Sooha®」の特徴は何ですか？
ソフトロボティクス技術を活用したミミズ型管内走行ロボットで、柔軟な構造により従来技術では進入が困難だった小口径配管内部の走行、清掃、点検を可能にします。
今回の投資にはどのような企業が参加していますか？
東大IPCのAOI1号ファンドのほか、Spiral Innovation Partners、Abies Ventures、みずほキャピタル、JST（科学技術振興機構）、百十四共創投資、広島ベンチャーキャピタルなどが共同投資家として名を連ねています。
ソラリスの製品はどのような分野で活用されていますか？
主に工場や社会インフラの小口径配管メンテナンスに活用されており、既に国内の大手半導体メーカーで製造装置配管の予防保全やトラブル防止のために導入されています。
「Sooha®」はどのようなビジネスモデルで提供されていますか？
2025年よりRaaS（Robot as a Service）モデルでの提供を開始しており、初期投資を抑えつつ高度なメンテナンス機能を利用できる形態をとっています。
ソラリスの今後の事業展開の目標は何ですか？
対応可能な配管サイズの拡大、国内外企業との事業連携、人材採用の強化に加え、配管のデジタルマップ化や内部状態の可視化を含む「スマートメンテナンス」の実現を目指しています。