AsReader’s parent company Asterisk, Inc. celebrates 20th anniversary at headquarters in Osaka, Japan

Tech company Asterisk celebrated 20 years in business in July, including introduction of AsReader in 2015 and development of RFID and barcode reading devices

Asterisk (TSE:6522)

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, August 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- July 2026 was a special month for Asterisk, Inc., parent company of AsReader, Inc., a provider of RFID and retail automation technologies, as the Osaka-based tech company celebrated the announcement of 20 years in business. AsReader sent its COO and Vice President Paul A. Whitney to the celebration in Osaka, who spoke to the crowd of 65 employees and shareholders about AsReader’s progress in North America.

Whitney discussed successes with logistics and transportation companies based in the US and Europe, as well as exciting new global retail clients on the horizon. He also touched on AsReader’s newest development, the US Patent Office’s recognition of AsReader’s RFID Antenna TUB, the Point-of Sale (POS) device that enables consumers to drop their shopping basket, tote, or container into a RFID reading tub where it instantly identifies multiple tagged items placed together for the retailer.

Asterisk founder and CEO Noriyuki Suzuki kicked off the celebratory milestone event dressed as his YouTube personality Luke Suzukiwalker.

While the company employs an upbeat approach to business, Asterisk is serious about hard work. The company encourages its staff to have pride in their work as a cornerstone of how it does business. The company’s philosophy has long been, “Asterisk and AsReader will help your company to ‘smile’ and contribute to the advancement of human society,” as stated in Asterisk’s mission.

Presenters spoke about meagre beginnings in its first two decades. When founded in 2006, four people were in its Osaka Asterisk office. Suzuki would be fresh off the rugby field where he was a high-level competitive player, still in his uniform, when he reported to work. His business partner and CTO Naoki Kumamoto, was one of his teammates on the original college rugby team where they met.

Asterisk had luck and gained clients in the first decade, but in the ninth year of business, in 2014, the company hit a roadblock. The company struggled to hit goals they had formerly exceeded easily. However, getting through the ninth year was absolutely necessary in becoming more nimble so it could bounce back stronger than ever. 2015 was the founding of the subsidiary AsReader, Inc. in the USA (now headquartered in Portland, Oregon). Growth ensued, gaining bigger accounts as selling in the technology continued. By 2021, Asterisk, Inc. went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE:6522).

While the future is bright for AsReader, creating more business in North America and Europe has always been a part of the footprint for success. AsReader has long been committed to providing retailers with confidence in adopting next-generation RFID solutions while continuing to expand its presence throughout the United States.

Yoko Sakai, Digital Transformation Division Director and Executive Officer, spoke about the importance of Asterisk supporting employee happiness. Asterisk encourages its employees to continually find win-win solutions for customers. As she said—"making your customers happy can make your happy.”

In the same vein, General Manager Naotomo Ota talked about happiness and positivity as being contagious, especially in the workplace, and even hard work can make you happy.

The 20th year celebration resumed with bowling, an afterparty and karaoke.

Now with 25 patents, a renewed business philosophy and an expanded workforce in the US with a team in Canada, the US and Mexico, the company is poised for growth. AsReader will work directly with retailers while also expanding partnerships with POS system providers, RFID tag manufacturers, system integrators, and technology partners throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

As reported in the RFID Reading TUB announcement in July, while retail apparel remains one of the fastest-growing RFID sectors due to its already established RFID infrastructure, AsReader also sees significant growth in grocery, supermarket, healthcare, logistics, warehouse, manufacturing, and supply-chain applications.


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About AsReader, Inc.
AsReader, Inc. specializes in AutoID, including mobile Barcode Scanners and RFID Readers/Writers, and all aspects of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). Headed by COO Paul Whitney, AsReader is an Oregon Corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asterisk, Inc. of Japan. Founded in 2006 by charismatic CEO Noriyuki Suzuki, Asterisk is headquartered in Osaka with additional offices in Tokyo, Kyoto/Shiga, and Nagoya in Japan, Dalian and Shenzhen in China, and Portland, Oregon in the U.S. The company went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2021 (TSE:6522). Major clients include a household-name beverage and snack logistics/transportation company in North America using over 25,000 AsReaders, manufacturers Toyota and Kawasaki, retailers Tokyu Hands and Aoyama, with a popular Drug Store chain using over 10,000 AsReaders, over 350 hospitals worldwide, and a well-known package delivery company in Japan using over 30,000 AsReaders.

Sally Murdoch
AsReader
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