Sotas Raises Funding from Rice Capital, Led by Taro Fukuyama

— Accelerating Sotas Chem Mart to Connect Chemical Data and Markets—

Sotas Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Yuuki Yoshimoto; “Sotas”), which is building information infrastructure for the chemical industry, has raised funding through a third-party allotment of new shares to Rice Capital, led by General Partner Taro Fukuyama.

Through this funding, Sotas will accelerate the development of Sotas Chem Mart, its chemical marketplace. By connecting the experience of discovering and comparing chemical products, requesting samples, and making purchases, Sotas aims to create new connections between chemical manufacturers and the market and support market-driven business development.

Funding Background 

In the chemical industry, a single product can be associated with a wide range of information, including composition, hazards, physical properties, applicable regulations, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and product- and grade-specific characteristics. Yet this information is often managed across different locations and formats, requiring significant time and effort to find, verify, and use.

At the same time, Japan’s chemical industry is undergoing a major transformation, shifting from commodity chemicals toward higher-value-added specialty and functional chemicals. This shift is increasing the need to complement a product-centric approach with a more market-driven approach that identifies market needs and translates them into new products and businesses.

To date, Sotas has provided Sotas Chemical Research, which manages SDSs, chemical composition, hazards, physical properties, and regulatory information, and Sotas Database, which provides product- and grade-level data.

Building on these services, Sotas is developing a common data foundation that connects chemical product information across datasets. Sotas is also preparing to launch Sotas Chem Mart, a chemical marketplace designed to connect product discovery, comparison, and purchasing.

By connecting Sotas Chemical Research, Sotas Database, and Sotas Chem Mart, Sotas aims to build a data platform that supports the journey from searching and comparing chemical products through to transactions, while enabling information to be used securely in accordance with each company’s data rights and disclosure policies.

To accelerate this vision, Sotas has raised funding through a third-party allotment of new shares to Rice Capital.

Use of Proceeds

The funds raised will be primarily used for the following initiatives:

1. Development of Sotas Chem Mart and the Chemical Industry Data Platform

Sotas will accelerate the development of Sotas Chem Mart and a data infrastructure connecting Sotas Chemical Research, Sotas Database, and Sotas Chem Mart.

2. Strengthening Marketing Initiatives, Including CHEMICAL X

On November 9, 2026, Sotas will host the inaugural CHEMICAL X business conference for the chemical and materials industries at TODA HALL & CONFERENCE TOKYO.

Bringing together industry leaders, CHEMICAL X will explore themes including AI and data utilization, supply chain transformation, talent and organizational transformation, and business portfolio restructuring, creating opportunities to share knowledge and build connections across organizational and corporate boundaries.

A portion of the funds will support marketing initiatives, including promoting CHEMICAL X and communicating Sotas’ efforts to drive transformation across the chemical industry.

Comment from Yuuki Yoshimoto, President & CEO of Sotas Inc.

We are very pleased to welcome Taro Fukuyama of Rice Capital as a new shareholder in Sotas.

Through Sotas Chemical Research and Sotas Database, we have helped companies improve the efficiency of their day-to-day operations while leveraging the strengths of AI solutions to organize and structure their data.

At the same time, the chemical industry is undergoing a profound transformation. In Japan, the shift from commodity chemicals toward higher-value-added specialty chemicals is becoming increasingly evident. This also signals the end of the conventional product-centric approach and a growing need for a market-driven mindset.

What the industry needs now is a dialogue between data and the market. Through Sotas Chem Mart and our data platform, we aim to create opportunities for that dialogue, enabling data and market needs to inform and shape one another.

Taro is not only an investor, but also a fellow entrepreneur who has built and scaled a software business in the United States and taken it through to a successful exit. In our discussions, he has consistently offered concrete, foundational advice grounded in firsthand experience. Even on something as specific as the length of a contract, he challenges us to consider why that term makes sense and what strategic rationale lies behind it.

Starting with Japan’s chemical industry, Sotas aims to build a platform used by buyers and companies around the world within the next several years. Drawing on Taro’s experience building businesses in the United States and operating in global markets, we hope to connect the strengths of Japan’s chemical industry with opportunities around the world.

Comment from Taro Fukuyama, General Partner at Rice Capital

I invested in Sotas for three reasons.

1.The global potential of Japan's specialty chemicals industry

Global players have taken share in commodity chemicals, but Japan remains a leader in specialty chemicals, especially now, as AI and semiconductors drive demand. Japanese companies hold roughly half the global market for key semiconductor materials. Whoever becomes the data layer for this industry can grow from Japan into a global company.

Built on Japan's supplier base, Sotas is well positioned to connect those suppliers with buyers worldwide. Its potential extends well beyond Japan.

2.Strong traction and a business model built to expand

Sotas has steadily grown adoption of its AI solutions for the chemical industry, and its customer acquisition efficiency is among the best I have seen in B2B software.

Chemical supply chains are complex, and companies constantly exchange the information they need for regulatory compliance. Adoption therefore spreads from Sotas customers to their partners, and the network grows as more companies join.

Sotas has also been selected as a common application provider for the chemical industry under the Chemical and Circular Management Platform (CMP), an initiative led by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. CMP creates touchpoints across the entire industry. Together with the network effects already built into the business, I expect it to be a major driver of growth. (CMP builds on a project subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, NEDO.)

3.The founder, Yuuki Yoshimoto

Yuuki spent more than five years at DIC selling epoxy resins used in semiconductor encapsulation. He then worked in corporate planning at Nissan Motor, and later scaled a SaaS company as its Vice President.

He combines three things rarely found in one founder: deep knowledge of the chemical industry, a management perspective shaped at large corporations, and the operational skill to scale B2B software. In Japanese vertical B2B software, that combination is rare.

This market, this business, this team. That is why I believe Sotas can build something global from Japan.

About Rice Capital

Rice Capital is a venture capital firm investing in U.S. and Japanese startups, with a focus on Y Combinator alumni. Its portfolio spans more than 200 companies, including AI startups such as Ramp, Mastra, Browser Use, and Domu.

General Partner Taro Fukuyama previously founded Fond, a Silicon Valley employee benefits startup acquired by Edenred in 2023. He was the first Japanese founder accepted into Y Combinator.

General Partner: Taro Fukuyama

Founded: 2024

Investment Focus: Startups in U.S. and Japan