Skip to main content
C
CorpDigest
Search

FANUC Corporation

Industrial AutomationFounded 1972
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded FANUC?

Dr. Seiuemon Inaba · Founded 1972 · HQ today: Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Who founded FANUC?

FANUC was founded by Dr. Seiuemon Inaba in 1972. It is now led by Kenji Yamaguchi.

Founders
Dr. Seiuemon Inaba
Founded
1972
Headquarters
Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Kenji Yamaguchi (since 2019)
Where was FANUC founded?
FANUC was founded in Yamanashi, Japan in 1972.
When was FANUC founded?
FANUC was founded in 1972.
Who started FANUC?
FANUC was founded by Dr. Seiuemon Inaba.
How old is FANUC?
FANUC is 54 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

FANUC began in 1955 as a numerical-control project inside Fuji Tsushinki (later Fujitsu), led by engineer Dr. Seiuemon Inaba. The team built Japan's first commercial NC and servo systems in 1956. As the business grew, Fujitsu spun it out in 1972 as Fujitsu FANUC, short for Fuji Automatic NUmerical Control. The company later moved its headquarters and factories to the foot of Mount Fuji and adopted the yellow color that still marks its products.

Dr. Seiuemon Inaba

Co-founder 1955

Background

Seiuemon Inaba (1925-2020) was an engineer at Fuji Tsushinki, later Fujitsu, where he led the company's numerical-control development team from 1955 before becoming FANUC's founding president.

Role at FANUC Corporation

Dr. Seiuemon Inaba led the small numerical-control group inside Fujitsu that produced Japan's first commercial NC and servo systems in 1956. When the business was spun out as Fujitsu FANUC in 1972, he became its first president. He emphasized reliability and in-house engineering, moved the company to a campus at the foot of Mount Fuji, and made yellow the company's signature color. His son, Yoshiharu Inaba, later served as president and chairman.

Education: University of Tokyo. Dr. Seiuemon Inaba was born in 1925.

FANUC Corporation: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Kenji Yamaguchi

Representative Director, President and CEO

2019 – Present

Under Yamaguchi, FANUC reported record FY2025 sales of ~$5.75 billion (¥857.8 billion) and record Q1 FY2026 orders of ~$1.89 billion (¥281.9 billion).

Seiuemon Inaba

Founder and First President

1972 – Present

As the legendary founder, he pioneered the development of numerical control (NC) machines in Japan, completely transforming global manufacturing and establishing FANUC as an absolute monopoly in factory automation before retiring in 2013.

Keep researching FANUC

Who Founded FANUC? FAQ

How did Dr. Seiuemon Inaba create FANUC as an engineering initiative inside Fujitsu?

In 1956, Dr. Seiuemon Inaba, an effective young engineer at Japanese telecommunications giant Fujitsu, led a team of five engineers to develop Japan's first commercial numerical control (NC) system for machine tools. Their breakthrough NC controller was successfully commercialized in 1958.

When did FANUC spin off from Fujitsu as an independent company?

In 1972, Fujitsu spun off its numerical control division as an independent subsidiary named Fujitsu Fanuc Ltd., with Dr. Seiuemon Inaba as President. In 1982, the company officially renamed itself FANUC Ltd. as Fujitsu gradually divested its shareholding to make FANUC fully independent.

What was the landmark 1974 breakthrough that launched FANUC into industrial robotics?

In 1974, Dr. Seiuemon Inaba developed and installed FANUC's first commercial industrial robot (the cylindrical-coordinate ROBOT MODEL 1) to automate machine loading and unloading in FANUC's own factories, proving that robots could build machines.

Why did founder Dr. Seiuemon Inaba relocate corporate headquarters to Mount Fuji in 1980?

In 1980, Dr. Inaba relocated FANUC's entire headquarters, R&D laboratories, and manufacturing plants from Tokyo to a pristine 450-acre forest campus at the foot of Mount Fuji in Oshino, Yamanashi, seeking clean mountain air, isolation from urban distractions, and space for large automated factories.

How did the 1982 joint venture with General Motors (GMFanuc Robotics) accelerate global expansion?

In 1982, Dr. Inaba negotiated a 50-50 joint venture with General Motors to form GMFanuc Robotics Corporation in North America. The venture supplied robotic paint and welding lines for GM's automotive plants, establishing FANUC as the dominant robotics leader in the Americas before FANUC bought out GM's stake in 1992.

How has Dr. Seiuemon Inaba's founding legacy shaped modern industrial automation?

Dr. Inaba's vision of 'robots building robots' created the modern automated manufacturing model, enabling global industries to achieve extreme manufacturing scale, sub-micron precision, and around-the-clock automated productivity.

Who founded FANUC?

It was founded by Dr. Seiuemon Inaba. A brilliant but incredibly demanding engineer, he built FANUC's massive headquarters in a dense forest at the base of Mount Fuji to ensure his engineers were completely isolated from the distractions of Tokyo, forcing them to focus entirely on building perfect robots.

Related Founder Profiles

Compare founding stories, origins, and entrepreneurial journeys

Competitor

Siemens

View Founder Profiles
Competitor

Keyence

View Founder Profiles
Competitor

Hitachi

View Founder Profiles
Competitor

Fujitsu

View Founder Profiles
Competitor

Nvidia

View Founder Profiles

Explore FANUC

Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.