Risol enters Japan with brainwave-stimulation sleep device

A South Korean brainwave-stimulation sleep wellness device is set to enter the Japanese market through an omnichannel retail strategy spanning online and offline channels.

Sleep-tech company Risol announced Friday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Japanese management consulting firm Funai Sogo Kenkyusho to pursue the venture.

The two companies will target Japan's sleep market, estimated at 3 trillion yen ($19.2 billion), through a locally tailored strategy. They have been working together since last year, completing a year of test marketing and preparation.

"Japanese society has strong social awareness around sleep management, with economic losses from chronic sleep deprivation — including reduced productivity — reaching roughly 15 trillion yen annually," said Oyama Hirotoshi, head of the Global Cooperation Division at Funai Sogo Kenkyusho. "Sleepysol, which applies cranial electrotherapy stimulation technology, is expected to be well received as a sleep wellness device."

Risol CEO Lee Seung-woo said the company aims to "restore healthy sleep and daily vitality to the Japanese people through strict regulatory compliance and objective clinical research data, built on our partnership with Funai."

Risol's Sleepysol has established its technology credentials through publication in SCI-indexed academic journals, clinical research data from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, and a CES Innovation Award in the United States. Its ultralight minimal design, weighing just 33 grams, has also been noted as a good fit for the everyday lifestyle of Japanese consumers.