ASAHI BIOCYCLE CO., LTD.

ASAHI BIOCYCLE CO., LTD. (アサヒバイオサイクル株式会社) is a Japanese biotechnology company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. Headquartered in Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, the company applies the Asahi Group's long-accumulated expertise in beneficial microorganism utilization and fermentation technology to three business segments: Animal Nutrition, Agri (agriculture), and Environment. Its stated mission is to contribute to solving global social issues by providing safe and secure food and realizing a sustainable living environment. The Animal Nutrition business supplies probiotics (live bacteria preparations) and mixed feed products that increase beneficial bacteria in the intestines of livestock, supporting the production of safe, secure and tasty livestock products for dining tables worldwide. Its flagship product is "Calsporin" (カルスポリン), a probiotic for broilers, laying hens, pigs and cattle, often combined with "Carita" (カリター), a composting promoter, in mixed feed. The company also offers lactic acid bacteria mixed feed such as "Actisto" (アクティスト) and "FineLact" (ファインラクト), which support health through the power of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. The Agri business makes effective use of brewer's yeast, a by-product of beer production, as agricultural materials (fertilizer raw materials). After roughly ten years of research, the Asahi Group developed a proprietary technology to process the insoluble brewer's yeast cell wall, which contains active ingredients beneficial to plant growth but had previously been difficult to utilize. The resulting agricultural material both reduces pesticide use and increases crop yields, producing crops with stronger roots and disease resistance, and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of harvest. Related products include "Carita Mix" (カリターミックス) and "Beer Yeast Material" (ビール酵母資材). The Environment business contributes to building a recycling-oriented society through microbial utilization technology, offering a microbial-derived composting promoter containing Bacillus subtilis, marketed as "Sabelix" (サーベリックス). The company also provides technical solutions applying its proprietary technologies to solve problems worldwide, and conducts research and development leveraging the Asahi Group's technology and knowledge in microbial application. The company was established in 2015 as Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd., succeeding the functional food (mail order and materials) business and feed business of Calpis Co., Ltd. In 2020, following a business reorganization, it merged with the first-generation Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. It has overseas subsidiaries in the United States (Asahi Biosciences, Inc., formerly CALPIS AMERICA, INC.) and China (Asahi Biocycle (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.), as well as a branch in Thailand. As of September 2025 it employed 122 people, with capital of 10 million yen, and is led by President Noriko Chibayashi.

The origins of Asahi Biocycle lie in the feed business of Calpis Co., Ltd. Calpis entered the feed business in 1987, and subsequently manufactured and sold feed. In 1986, the probiotic product "Calsporin" was launched. In 2012, a U.S. local subsidiary for the feed business, CALPIS AMERICA, INC., was established, followed by a Chinese local subsidiary in 2013. In January 2016, as part of a business reorganization of the Asahi Group, the feed business operated by Calpis was transferred to the newly established Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd. (first generation). Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd. (first generation) had been established on July 27, 2015, succeeding the functional food (mail order and materials) business and the feed business of Calpis Co., Ltd. as a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. Separately, as part of its CSV (Creating Shared Value) initiatives, Asahi Group Holdings established Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. (first generation) in March 2017 as a new company to manufacture and sell brewer's yeast cell wall, and it manufactured and sold fertilizer derived from brewer's yeast. It began operations in April 2017. In 2018, a Thailand branch for the feed business was established. On April 1, 2020, a business reorganization took place. The functional food business was transferred by company split (new establishment) to Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd. (second generation), which had been renamed from ACW Co., Ltd. At the same time, Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. (first generation) was absorbed and merged, and the company name was changed from Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd. (first generation) to Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. (second generation). Since then, the company has been responsible for the fertilizer business within the Asahi Group. In 2024, the group companies in the United States and China were renamed: CALPIS AMERICA, INC. became Asahi Biosciences, Inc., and 朝日可尔必思健康管理(上海)有限公司 became 朝日佰赛可生物技术(上海)有限公司 (Asahi Biocycle (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.). The company operates its headquarters and Ebisu Lab in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; the Moriya Lab in Moriya, Ibaraki; the Gunma Plant in Tatebayashi, Gunma; and a Thailand branch in Bangkok. Its group companies include Asahi Biosciences, Inc. in Peachtree City, Georgia, U.S.A., and Asahi Biocycle (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China. As of September 2025, the company had 122 employees and capital of 10 million yen, and is led by Representative Director and President Noriko Chibayashi.

• 2024

  Renaming of U.S. and Chinese group companies to Asahi Biosciences, Inc. and Asahi Biocycle (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

• 2020

  Business reorganization on April 1: merger with Asahi Biocycle (first generation) and renaming to Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. (second generation)

• 2018

  Establishment of a Thailand branch for the feed business

• 2017

  Establishment of Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd. (first generation) in March; operations begin in April

• 2015

  Establishment of Asahi Calpis Wellness Co., Ltd. (first generation) as a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, succeeding the functional food and feed businesses of Calpis

• 2013

  Establishment of a Chinese local subsidiary for the feed business

• 2012

  Establishment of CALPIS AMERICA, INC., a U.S. local subsidiary for the feed business

• 1987

  Calpis enters the feed business

• 1986

  Launch of "Calsporin"

A biotechnology company of the Asahi Group that leverages proprietary microbial and fermentation technologies to provide safe food and sustainable environmental solutions across animal nutrition, agriculture and environmental fields.

• Calsporin

  Probiotic (live bacteria preparation) that increases beneficial bacteria in the intestines of livestock; used for broilers, laying hens, pigs and cattle.

• Carita

  Composting promoter.

• Carita Mix

  Mixed feed combining Calsporin and Carita.

• Actisto

  Lactic acid bacteria mixed feed supporting health.

• FineLact

  Lactic acid bacteria mixed feed.

• Beer yeast material

  Agricultural material (fertilizer raw material) utilizing brewer's yeast cell wall, developed with proprietary processing technology.

• Sabelix

  Microbial-derived composting promoter containing Bacillus subtilis.

1. 1アサヒバイオサイクル 公式サイトasahibiocycle.com
2. 2会社概要 | 企業情報 | アサヒバイオサイクルasahibiocycle.com
3. 3ビール酵母資材について | アグリ事業 | アサヒバイオサイクルasahibiocycle.com
4. 4ニュースリリース | アサヒバイオサイクルasahibiocycle.com
5. 5ASAHI BIOCYCLE - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6アサヒバイオサイクル - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org