㈱Holoway

Market position

The company describes itself as a university-originated startup selected for JST's START program, working toward establishing digital holography measurement as a new global standard. It states that its measurement capability has been highly rated by major players in advanced-technology industries including space and semiconductors, and it has been included in Toyo Keizai's "Sugoi Venture 100" (2024 edition) and Forbes JAPAN's selection of 100 notable Japan-originated startups for 2026.

Holoway states its digital holography approach enables simultaneous large-area, single-shot, nano-order measurement without focusing, using a non-contact method, a combination it presents as previously unrealized in surface-shape metrology.

Technology

Holoway's core technology is digital holography measurement: holograms captured on an image sensor are used to extract the wave information of the object light, which is recorded digitally and analyzed to determine an object's shape and properties. The company states this enables measurement that combines large area, single-shot acquisition and nano-order resolution, a combination it describes as not previously achievable, and says the approach has been evaluated by major players in advanced-technology industries such as space and semiconductors.

Go-to-market

The company markets through trade exhibitions, having shown a large-area one-shot nano-level flatness shape measurement machine at SEMICON JAPAN 2022 as University of Hyogo, and exhibiting at SEMICON JAPAN 2024, JASIS Kansai 2025 and SEMICON JAPAN 2025. It also participates in public innovation and incubation programs and pitch events such as Osaka Innovation Hub's VC-MEET UP, and has been covered by Nikkei.

Semiconductor inspection and manufacturing equipment makers (silicon/SiC wafers, glass substrates, bonded bumps), space and astronomy organizations requiring large-area high-precision mirror measurement, and manufacturers of optical elements, precision and aircraft metal parts and film materials.

Geography

Japan, with roots in the Kansai region — certification as a University of Hyogo venture, Kobe City startup subsidy support, participation in Osaka Innovation Hub events, and selection for J-Startup KANSAI.

History

Holoway originated from the university research environment and was certified as a University of Hyogo-affiliated venture in May 2023. In August 2023 it was selected for Kobe City's startup location promotion subsidy program. In December 2023 it received the highest "S" evaluation for its activities under JST's START university-launched new industry creation program, and renewed its corporate site and logo. In January 2024 it signed a research and development contract with JAXA on a feasibility study for a large-area high-precision flatness measurement system, and in March 2024 was selected for the Kansai incubation program "Kido" second cohort. It carried out a seed round via third-party allotment in April 2024 and relocated its head office the same month, followed by a Series A third-party allotment in July 2025. In January 2026 it was adopted for NEDO's Deep Tech Startup Support Program (DTSU) STS phase and selected for METI Kansai Bureau's J-Startup KANSAI program; a representative director change and another head-office relocation were announced in February and March 2026.