BATON Inc.

BATON Inc. (株式会社BATON) is a Japanese apparel, footwear and bag company headquartered in Nishi-ku, Osaka. It was founded as a business in April 2011 with the launch of the sneaker brand blueover, and was incorporated as 株式会社BATON in June 2015. The company describes itself as a design-led maker that questions the meaning of things in a changing society, aiming to reduce the distortions of a consumer society that places excessive burdens on the environment and people. BATON operates a portfolio of in-house brands. blueover is its original sneaker label, built around the belief in "honestly making a pair that can be worn for a long time," working with domestic Japanese factories and pursuing universal, trend-resistant design supported by a repair system. WONDER BAGGAGE is a bag brand founded in December 2012, positioned around functional beauty and robustness for people who keep transforming themselves through work and travel. LEKT, established in January 2019, is a bag and lifestyle brand with the slogan "feel fun, feel good," encouraging free lifestyles and diverse tastes. ITSUKI, started in 2019, makes nightcaps, pillow covers and blankets from fully original patterns and material combinations. In addition to its own products, BATON provides product design, photography, web design and branding support, and undertakes OEM and collaboration manufacturing for shoes and bags. Its collaborations have included blueover projects with hotland (Gindaco), Shiseido, Toyota Motor Corporation (Lexus) and Pasona Ongaku Club; WONDER BAGGAGE projects with Kajirene (TO&FRO) and Sanyo Shokai; and LEKT projects with Drip, Tent, F-conect and TOKYO UNITE. The company also runs struct, a flagship retail store in Osaka that embodies the worldviews of blueover, WONDER BAGGAGE and LEKT, and publishes content such as the blueover editorial series "aonoku" and a company note account. Its office and store are both located in Kyomachibori, Nishi-ku, Osaka.

BATON Inc. traces its origins to April 2011, when the sneaker brand blueover was established. The following year, in April 2012, the company opened the apparel select store struct, and in December 2012 it launched the bag brand WONDER BAGGAGE. The business was incorporated as 株式会社BATON in June 2015, formalizing the company behind these brands. In January 2019 the bag brand LEKT was established, and in the same year the ITSUKI brand began as a project to create a designer's ideal nightcap, using fully original patterns and material combinations and expanding into pillow covers and blankets. From its base in Nishi-ku, Osaka, BATON has grown into a multi-brand design and manufacturing company. Its blueover label works with domestic Japanese factories to inherit Japanese techniques and pursues universal, trend-resistant design, supported by a repair system so that wearers and shoes can grow together over time. WONDER BAGGAGE focuses on functional beauty and robustness for people who keep transforming themselves through work and travel. LEKT, with the slogan "feel fun, feel good," supports free lifestyles and diverse tastes. ITSUKI continues to produce nightcaps and related bedding items. Beyond its own brands, BATON provides product design, photography, web design and branding support, and undertakes OEM and collaboration manufacturing for shoes and bags. It has collaborated with companies such as hotland (Gindaco), Shiseido, Toyota Motor Corporation (Lexus) and Pasona Ongaku Club for blueover; Kajirene (TO&FRO) and Sanyo Shokai for WONDER BAGGAGE; and Drip, Tent, F-conect and TOKYO UNITE for LEKT. The company also runs the struct flagship store in Osaka, which embodies the worldviews of blueover, WONDER BAGGAGE and LEKT, and hosts pop-ups and talk events with like-minded brands. It publishes content including the blueover editorial series "aonoku" and a company note account.

• 2019

  Bag brand LEKT established.

• 2019

  ITSUKI brand started as a nightcap project.

• 2015

  Incorporated as BATON Inc. (株式会社BATON).

• 2012

  Apparel select store struct opened.

• 2012

  Bag brand WONDER BAGGAGE established.

• 2011

  Sneaker brand blueover established.

Design-led Japanese maker of long-lasting, repair-friendly footwear and bags, sold through its own brands and flagship store with a philosophy of reducing excessive consumption.

• blueover sneakers

  Original sneaker brand built around long-lasting, repairable footwear made with domestic Japanese factories.

• WONDER BAGGAGE bags

  Bag brand pursuing functional beauty and robustness for work and travel.

• LEKT bags and lifestyle goods

  Brand with the slogan "feel fun, feel good," supporting free lifestyles and diverse tastes.

• ITSUKI nightcaps and bedding accessories

  Nightcaps, pillow covers and blankets made from fully original patterns and materials.

• struct flagship store

  Osaka flagship retail store embodying the worldviews of blueover, WONDER BAGGAGE and LEKT.

• 2020.05.26

  Reported2020.05.26

  Baton raises $10 million in Series A funding[3]Baton 获得1000万美元A轮融资techcrunch.com

  Baton emerged from stealth with a $10 million Series A investment led by Activant Capital, with participation from Global Founders Capital and Carsten Thoma.

Read more

1. 1株式会社BATON official websiteproject-baton.com
2. 2BATON Inc. on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Baton 获得1000万美元A轮融资techcrunch.com