Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

The seasonings company that invented MSG, and whose insulating film for semiconductor packaging is now one of its most profitable products.

An Ajinomoto plant

Business Description

Ajinomoto sells seasonings and foods — the umami seasoning that carries its name, consommé, frozen gyoza and instant noodles — across Japan, Southeast Asia, Brazil and the United States, alongside a healthcare business in amino acids and pharmaceutical contract manufacturing.

Its most unusual asset sits in the electronics supply chain: Ajinomoto Build-up Film, an insulating layer derived from the company's amino-acid chemistry, is used in essentially every high-performance semiconductor package in the world, including the CPUs and AI accelerators that depend on advanced substrates. It is a small share of revenue but a large and fast-growing share of profit. Founded in 1925 to commercialise monosodium glutamate, isolated by the chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908; the head office moved to the TODA BUILDING in Kyobashi from its long-time Kyobashi address.

Corporate Data

Ticker2802
ExchangeTokyo Stock Exchange
Size CategoryTOPIX Large70
Market SegmentPrime Market
SectorFoods
Head OfficeTODA BUILDING, 1-7-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan
FoundedDecember 17, 1925
Fiscal Year EndMarch 31
WebsiteOfficial website

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