Company Directory › Robotics › End Effectors & Dexterous Hands › Kitagawa Corporation vs qbrobotics
Kitagawa Corporation vs qbrobotics
Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics are both end effectors & dexterous hands companies. Their verified profiles differ on headquarters, country, industry focus, founding year, company size and markets served. The table below sets out only those rows; everything else is on each company's own profile. Facts verified 6 November 2026.
Where they differ
| Company | Kitagawa Corporation | qbrobotics |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan | Cascina |
| Country | Japan | Italy |
| Industry | Components — End Effectors & Dexterous Hands | Robotic end-effectors — soft-robotics hands, grippers and variable-stiffness actuators |
| Founded | March 1918 | 2011 |
| Company size | 1,364 employees, non-consolidated, as of 31 March 2019 (dated figure from its official company information; no current total published on the pages opened) | About 25 employees (company-stated) |
| Markets served | Global machine tool and manufacturing markets through subsidiaries and offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific | Global; research institutes, universities and industrial customers worldwide, including distribution through the Universal Robots UR+ programme |
How Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics differ
A century separates the founding dates in this end-effector pairing, and that gap shapes everything else. Kitagawa Corporation, headquartered in Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan, was founded in March 1918, company-stated, and its machine tool accessories business connects to robot and automation end effectors through gripping and workholding technology. qbrobotics, based in Cascina near Pisa, Italy, was founded in 2011 as a spin-off of the University of Pisa and the Italian Institute of Technology, and it designs soft-robotics hands, grippers and variable-stiffness actuators based on soft synergies. Size reporting reflects their different eras, though the Kitagawa figure is dated: 1,364 employees on a non-consolidated basis as of 31 March 2019, against about 25 employees at qbrobotics, company-stated. Listing status contrasts too. Kitagawa is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under 6317, while qbrobotics is privately held and does not publish a public funding total. Their customers differ accordingly. Kitagawa serves global machine tool and manufacturing markets through subsidiaries and offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. qbrobotics serves research institutes, universities and industrial customers worldwide, including through the Universal Robots UR+ programme. Workholding for machine tools points to Kitagawa; adaptable soft grasping points to qbrobotics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics?
Kitagawa Corporation is based in Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan and qbrobotics in Cascina; they also differ on country, industry focus, founding year, company size, markets served. The table above sets out both companies' entries row by row.
Are Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics in the same country?
No. Kitagawa Corporation is based in Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan and qbrobotics in Cascina.
Can one sourcing request reach both Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics?
Yes. Kitagawa Corporation can be reached through kitagawa.com and qbrobotics through qbrobotics.com, or post one sourcing request and let both answer if they fit.
Does GlobleMatch rank Kitagawa Corporation above qbrobotics, or qbrobotics above Kitagawa Corporation?
Neither. There is no pay-to-rank and no paid placement in comparisons; order and content come from verified profile facts only.
Run Kitagawa Corporation or qbrobotics? Claim your free profile to keep your facts current.
Full profiles, with every fact and its source: Kitagawa Corporation and qbrobotics. Profile facts last verified: Kitagawa Corporation on 9 November 2026, qbrobotics on 6 November 2026.