VUILD Inc. Raises 100 Million Yen from Mistletoe and LIFULL

VUILD Inc. (“VUILD”) has raised 100 million yen as of January 26, 2018, through a third-party allotment to Mistletoe, Inc., led by Taizo Son, and LIFULL Co., Ltd., which operates the real estate and housing information site “LIFULL HOME’S.”

VUILD started its business last November with the vision of “creating a world where anyone can become an ‘architect or carpenter’ by distributing digital architecture technology to regions.” By using digital technology to widen access to and integrate today’s highly specialized professions, such as foresters, sawmills, designers and woodworkers, we will realize a world where people can make the everyday goods, furniture and buildings they need for daily life by themselves, whenever and wherever they like.

With this funding as a springboard, VUILD will accelerate the introduction of ShopBot (*) to hilly and mountainous areas and develop 100 bases across Japan by 2020. At the same time, we will actively expand our business, including the “development and provision of design tools” that let anyone design easily and the “development and implementation of training programs” that let anyone make wooden products.

As these are developed and deployed across multiple bases, we will contribute significantly to regional revitalization by promoting the sixth industrialization of abundant forest resources and the renovation of vacant houses, and by creating new jobs grounded in local resources.

*ShopBot is a US-made 3-axis CNC (computer numerical control) cutting machine. It is a high-performance woodworking machine that can be purchased for around 4.5 to 5 million yen.

[About VUILD Inc.]
VUILD Inc. is an architecture-tech startup that designs and builds using digital fabrication technology.
The democratization of technology, typified by the personal computer, is extending individual capabilities and integrating specialized professions. By distributing and democratizing digital architecture technology costing less than 5 million yen to regions, we will realize a world where anyone can become an “architect or carpenter.”
Specifically, by introducing digital fabrication technology to hilly and mountainous areas, we will establish “small economic zones” that are not dominated by large systems. Through collaboration among these small production zones, we aim to create a new, horizontally distributed architecture industry that goes beyond centralized modern industry.
The new industrial foundation that emerges will create a fair and transparent market and could serve as resilient disaster-prevention infrastructure in times of disaster. In addition, decentralized on-demand production will revitalize the economies of regions with forest resources and lower living costs for local residents.
Ultimately, we want to realize a “lively way of living in the future,” in which people can make the everyday goods, furniture and buildings they need for daily life by themselves, whenever and wherever they like.

Founded: November 21, 2017
Address: Stadium Place Aoyama 7F, 2-9-5 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
CEO: Koki Akiyoshi

[Profile (Koki Akiyoshi)]
Architect / meta-architect. Born in Osaka in 1988. Studied architectural design at the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, and digital fabrication at the Social Fabrication Lab, Keio University. His work covers a wide range of design fields, from things to experiences, including architectural design, design engineering and social design.