VUILD and ShopBot Tools Sign Strategic Partnership

On May 31, VUILD Inc. (hereinafter “VUILD”) signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership with ShopBot Tools, Inc. of the United States, aimed at building a global business model in Asia.
Working closely with ShopBot Tools, VUILD will further strengthen the import, sales and support in Japan of “ShopBot,” the high-performance 3-axis CNC router developed and sold by ShopBot Tools, as well as post-installation training, and will evolve its business model with a view to global expansion into Asia.

VUILD is an architecture tech startup with the vision of “democratizing architecture,” running businesses that leverage digital fabrication technology.

To date, VUILD has engaged in furniture making and architectural design including houses, the import and sale of ShopBot, and, to build a distributed manufacturing network, the provision of “EMARF,” a distribution platform that connects ShopBot locations across Japan via the cloud so that parts for furniture and houses can be fabricated in a distributed way.

ShopBot is a low-cost CNC router that can be used for industrial purposes.

It was developed by Ted Hall, founder of ShopBot Tools in the United States, under the motto “providing the technology people want at a price they can afford,” and was born in 1995. It is popular among individuals and businesses who want to use new technology but do not need a large multi-function machine.

• Japan ranks second in the world in ShopBot sales; six years since full-scale imports began

Japan currently ranks second in the world in ShopBot sales, after the United States.

More than 90% of these are imported, sold and installed by VUILD, which also provides support such as post-installation maintenance. Beyond that, VUILD offers support on the soft side as well as the hardware, such as hosting “ShopBot Camp,” a networking event for people who make things with ShopBot, sharing application examples through newsletters, and holding online skill-up courses.

VUILD’s encounter with ShopBot dates back to 2013, when Akiyoshi, now CEO of VUILD, met Sallye Coyle, co-founder of ShopBot Tools, at an international conference as a student. That same year, the first ShopBot was installed in the graduate school laboratory where Akiyoshi was then enrolled.

Akiyoshi later founded VUILD as an evangelist, certified by ShopBot Tools as the only “ShopBot Guru” in Japan.

To date, VUILD has supported the installation of a cumulative total of 174 ShopBots (as of the end of May 2023) for customers in 37 prefectures from Hokkaido to Okinawa, including major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.

• Expanding from businesses to universities, local governments and beyond

ShopBot was initially installed mainly at woodworking shops, university architecture laboratories, lumber dealers and builders to make small items, furniture, interiors and some exterior parts of houses. Today it is also being adopted outside the woodworking industry, by local governments, design offices, manufacturers and others, and its uses have expanded to workshops, product samples, molds and parts.

In addition, 一般社団法人東京学芸大Explayground推進機構 purchased a ShopBot through crowdfunding for after-school activities centered on students of the university’s affiliated junior high school, using it for “inquiry-based learning” that incorporates STEAM education in which students learn proactively.

– Installation and use cases

・A lumber dealer creating a toy museum and wood education spaces in stores (株式会社小友木材店)

https://shopbot.vuild.co.jp/news/posts/aAKI1TZL

・A forester forging its own path by instantly turning ideas into reality with ShopBot (株式会社いとう)

https://shopbot.vuild.co.jp/news/posts/aAKI1TZL

・Putting local Oguni cedar to use (Foreque Co., Ltd.)

https://shopbot.vuild.co.jp/news/posts/iwg7smRH

• Joint exhibition with ShopBot Tools at this autumn’s “Japan Woodworking Machinery Exhibition”

As the first step in this collaboration, VUILD will exhibit jointly with ShopBot Tools at the “Japan Woodworking Machinery Exhibition (Mokkiten),” held once every two years and the largest exhibition for the woodworking industry in Japan.

At the booth, we are planning demonstrations of the latest ShopBot models, displays of works made with ShopBot, and workshops (Booth No.: B05).

https://mokkiten.com/

Going forward, VUILD and ShopBot Tools will share with each other the assets and knowledge gained through their respective businesses to further spread and expand ShopBot, building a framework together and aiming to develop new businesses.

– ShopBot Japan website

This is VUILD’s website about ShopBot. In addition to purchasing ShopBot, it offers information for those considering installation, case studies, and sales of accessories such as parts.

https://shopbot.vuild.co.jp/

– About ShopBot Tools

Since its founding in 1996, the company’s mission has been to make the powerful technology of digital fabrication widely accessible and usable. Its CNC routers are used for prototyping and full-production cutting, carving, machining and milling of a variety of materials, including wood, MDF, plastics, foam and soft metals. All of its products are designed for both standard and specialized operations, and are designed and assembled in Durham, North Carolina, USA. In June 2021, the company became an EOT (Employee Ownership Trust), giving ownership of the company to its employees themselves. It was the 14th such company in the United States and the first in North Carolina.

By transferring ownership to an EOT, the company’s employees can protect its culture, values and independence over the long term while moving the company forward to spread digital fabrication.

www.shopbottools.com

[VUILD Inc.]

Representative: Koki Akiyoshi (CEO)

Founded: November 21, 2017

Headquarters: unico 1F-A, 3-4 Nisshincho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa

Business: Architectural design, digital home-building platform business, development, manufacturing and processing of wood products, sales of CNC routers, digital talent development, business development support, IT service development

https://vuild.co.jp/

Twitter: @VUILDinc (https://twitter.com/vuildinc)

note: https://note.com/vuild

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VUILD.co.jp/

Instagram: @vuild_official (https://www.instagram.com/vuild_official/)