IWAYA INC.
IWAYA INC. is a company that "creates a future yet to be seen" for mankind with new technologies.
VISION
In Takashi Tachibana's famous book "Return from Space (1983)", many cases are reported of astronauts who had the opportunity to view the life on Earth, the planet of life, from a high altitude, and whose lives changed drastically after their return. Looking at the Earth from the outside. This experience alone has the potential to transform our world view.
In recent years, space exploration has gained momentum in many countries, and various ways of interacting with space, including for tourism purposes, have begun to be proposed, rather than the national missions of the past. However, as of 2024, most of them are still only open to a very limited number of people (financially or physically).
IWAYA INC. has developed technology that makes it possible for anyone to go on a space expedition easily and conveniently, without any special training and with only a cost that anyone can afford if they work hard. We are developing and commercializing this technology on a daily basis with the aim of taking everyone from infants to the elderly to the stratosphere, the "gateway to space", in other words, to "establish space tourism".
CEO
IWAYA INC.
Chief Executive Officer
Keisuke Iwaya
Graduated from the Department of Mechanical Intelligence Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University.
Inventor
In 2011, while studying aerospace engineering at university, started research and development of balloons; commercialised around 2014, established IWAYA INC. in 2016. In 2020, we began development of a manned balloon, and in 2023 we conducted our first stratospheric flight at an altitude of 10 km or more. On July 17, 2024, the first manned flight at an altitude of over 20 km was successfully completed in Japan.
Balloons are a rational means of realising the dream of 'seeing space' and a new method that is safe, stable, economical and sustainable. It will bring the view of space to far more people than ever before.
CORPORATION
(as of 1 August 2024)
- Head office 26-12, Oasa-nakamachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-0854, Japan
- Ebetsu R&D center A, 26-22, Oasa-Nakamachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-0854, Japan
- Creative Department 4-11, Oasahigashimachi, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaido 069-0852, Japan
- Tokyo Office X-NIHONBASHI, 1-5-3 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022, Japan
- Established 1 April 2016
- Capital 50.42 million yen
- CEO Keisuke Iwaya
- Employees 85
- Official website https://iwaya.biz/en
Board members
- CEO Keisuke Iwaya
- Director Toshihiro Nakazono (Corporate Planning Department Manager, IWAYA INC.)
- Outside director Toru Akaura
- Outside director Harunori Nagata,Ph.D. （Professoｒ, Division of Mechanical and Space Engineering, Faculty pf Engineering, Hokkaido University)
- Full-Time Audit & Supervisory Board Member Yoshikazu Yamashita （Former Senior Manager of Loan Department, Sapporo Sales Department, North Pacific Bank,Ltd.）
- Audit & Supervisory Board Member Yasuhiro Shinohara (Former Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
- Audit & Supervisory Board Member Hiroaki Rokugawa
- Executive Officer Raita Naka (Creative Department Manager, IWAYA INC.)
- Executive Officer Takashi Suzuki (Head of Tokyo Office, IWAYA INC.)
- Advisor Akira Nakadai
- Advisor Hidetaka Saeki （Former Deputy Director-General, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry）
- Advisor,Certified Public Tax Accountant Ikewaki Accounting Office
Business activities
- Operation of high-altitude manned balloons
- Design and development of pressurised cabins
- Development of life support systems
- Pressurised suit design and development
- Long-range communications equipment development
- Unmanned balloon payload research and development
- Balloon launch equipment development
- Zero-pressure balloon design and development
- Super-pressure balloon research
- Hydrogen balloon research and development
Intellectual property acquisition status
- JP6932408 Airtight cabin for manned near-space flight
- JP7118467 Method for aerial photographing object in air
- JP7013059 Cabin with endoskeleton structure
- JP7007005 Power transmitting mechanism via magnetic coupling
- JP6994795 Anchor parachute
- JP7071771 Device for holding temperature in cabin under vacuum
- JP7153408 Balloon equipment for exhausting gas and transforming envelope into parachute
- JP7177562 Method for attaching load tape to balloon envelope
- JP7164261 Installed-removed state-switchable structure at top of balloon
- JP7213600 Method of repairing broken hole of cabin for emergency
- JP7246797 Structure member at top of balloon
- JP7201284 US11952095B1 Multi-pane window for cabin
- JP7201285 Seat installed in cabin with hanging string
- JP7309238 US11952096B1 Method for recovering helium gas for balloon
- JP7343934 Structure for attaching load tape to balloon envelope
- JP7425518 Cabin-mounted life support system for crew
- JP7416506 Structure member at top of large balloon
- JP6966826 CN114506440B Ring member for clamping envelope at top of balloon
- JP7071770 US11858642B2 System for preventing condensation in cabin under vacuum
- JP7031920 US11794906B2 CN115107983B Thermal control method in cabin utilizing phase change material
- JP7473266 Reinforced airtight cabin for high altitude balloon
- JP7515932 Method for preventing condensation at window using different color or film on cabin wall
- JP7535833 Server capable of telecontrolling balloon via satellite or ground station
- Patent pending Communication means between balloon and ground base
- Patent pending Method for maintaining oxygen concentration in airtight cabin
- Patent pending Operating mechanism within cabin for external ballast equipment
- Patent pending Manual operating device within cabin for exhaust valve at top of balloon
- Patent pending Equipment for ripping balloon envelope to release helium gas
- Patent pending Device for installing oxygen bottle inside cabin