Asterisk marks 20 years as AsReader pushes RFID growth

Asterisk, the Osaka parent of AsReader, celebrated its 20th anniversary in July 2026 as the company highlighted growth in North America and a broader push into RFID and retail automation. The milestone comes as AsReader expands in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and looks to deepen retail and logistics partnerships.

Why it matters: - Asterisk’s 20th anniversary marks a longer run for the Osaka tech company behind AsReader’s RFID and barcode reading business. - The milestone highlights AsReader’s push to grow in North America, Europe and across retail, logistics and supply-chain markets. - The company is positioning RFID adoption as a practical tool for retailers, warehouses, healthcare providers and manufacturers.

What happened: - Asterisk celebrated its 20th year in July 2026 at its headquarters in Osaka, Japan. - AsReader COO and Vice President Paul A. Whitney attended the event and spoke to about 65 employees and shareholders. - Whitney highlighted AsReader’s progress in North America and discussed customer wins in logistics and transportation. - Whitney also pointed to new global retail clients on the horizon. - Asterisk founder and CEO Noriyuki Suzuki opened the celebration dressed as his YouTube character, Luke Suzukiwalker.

The details: - Asterisk was founded in 2006 with four people in its Osaka office. - Suzuki reportedly came to work fresh off the rugby field in the company’s early days, and business partner and CTO Naoki Kumamoto was one of his original college rugby teammates. - The company hit a difficult stretch in 2014, its ninth year, when it struggled to meet goals it had previously exceeded. - AsReader was founded in the U.S. in 2015 and is now headquartered in Portland, Oregon. - Asterisk went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2021 under ticker TSE:6522. - Asterisk now says it holds 25 patents. - The company says its U.S. workforce has expanded, with teams in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. - Whitney discussed AsReader’s RFID Antenna TUB, which the U.S. Patent Office recognized. - The RFID Antenna TUB is a point-of-sale device that lets shoppers place a basket, tote or container into a reading tub that identifies multiple tagged items at once. - AsReader plans to work directly with retailers and expand partnerships with POS system providers, RFID tag manufacturers, system integrators and other technology partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. - AsReader specializes in mobile barcode scanners, RFID readers and writers, and broader automatic identification and data capture products. - Major customers cited include a North American beverage and snack logistics company using more than 25,000 AsReaders, Toyota, Kawasaki, Tokyu Hands, Aoyama, a drugstore chain using more than 10,000 AsReaders, more than 350 hospitals worldwide and a Japanese package delivery company using more than 30,000 AsReaders.

Between the lines: - The anniversary event blended celebration with a sales pitch, signaling that Asterisk wants its corporate culture and growth strategy to reinforce each other. - The focus on employee happiness and “win-win” customer outcomes suggests the company is framing culture as a business advantage, not just an internal value. - AsReader’s emphasis on retail apparel, grocery, supermarket, healthcare, logistics, warehouse, manufacturing and supply-chain use cases shows a broadening market strategy rather than reliance on one vertical. - The company’s North American expansion suggests the U.S. is becoming a larger priority as RFID adoption spreads beyond early enterprise users.

What’s next: - AsReader will keep building business in North America and Europe. - The company plans more direct retailer relationships and wider channel partnerships across North America. - Growth in retail apparel is expected to continue, while AsReader also sees opportunity in grocery, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing. - The company’s expanded workforce and patent portfolio suggest it is preparing for a longer sales cycle and a broader product rollout.

The bottom line: - Asterisk used its 20th anniversary to underline a simple message: the company wants to turn decades of hardware and RFID development into faster global growth for AsReader.