LESTAS

LESTAS Inc., a Japanese enterprise headquartered in Osaka, operates at the intersection of technology and marketing to provide a platform for custom-ordered products. The company was originally established in June 2011 under the name "Naire Seisakusho" and officially rebranded to LESTAS Inc. in August 2019. This name is a portmanteau of "Less" and "Task," reflecting the company's core mission to eliminate inefficiencies and streamline operations for its clients.

The founder and CEO, Susumu Owaki, established the company after a successful career in sales at Recruit Co., Ltd., where he worked with over 600 business owners. This experience gave him firsthand insight into the challenges businesses faced with traditional procurement processes. He identified a gap in the market for a more efficient way to order personalized promotional goods and was motivated to create a service where customers could easily purchase what they needed without the friction of a typical sales process. Owaki, a Doshisha University graduate, also has experience from Unicharm Corporation.

LESTAS operates a portfolio of e-commerce websites, each specializing in a specific category of customizable products. These include personalized calendars, towels, paper bags, name stickers, and business cards. The business model is centered on a direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business online sales platform that allows users to handle the entire ordering process, from design creation and data upload to final purchase, directly on the web. This technology-driven approach connects customers directly with manufacturing facilities, enabling LESTAS to offer competitive pricing and rapid delivery. The company generates revenue through the sale of these made-to-order products. The company boasts a dominant market position in several key areas, claiming the top domestic market share for three consecutive years in personalized calendars and for two consecutive years in custom paper bags, as well as for name stickers and stamps as of August 2023.

The company's proprietary "Lestas System" is a core component of its operational efficiency, automating and simplifying processes such as quote generation, proofing, and reordering. LESTAS has attracted significant investment to fuel its growth, raising a total of 1 billion yen in a Series A funding round in 2019, followed by another 1 billion yen in a Series B round in 2022. The company has also received recognition through its selection for support programs like the Osaka Prefecture's "RISING!" startup development project and the Kinki Economy, Trade and Industry Bureau's "J-Startup KANSAI" initiative in 2020.

Keywords: custom merchandise, e-commerce platform, personalized products, B2B e-commerce, promotional items, online printing services, custom calendars, corporate gifts, name labels, direct-to-consumer, marketing technology, Susumu Owaki, Osaka startup, J-Startup KANSAI, custom towels, order fulfillment, printing automation, web-to-print, custom paper bags, business promotional materials