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About us

Designed around your cat

Hanakuto began with two cats who struggled with conventional litter boxes: one weighed 22 pounds, and another could not step over a high edge after an accident. The team set out to create an open-top litter box with an easier way in.

Open by design

A low entrance, an open tray and a one-piece 304 stainless-steel surface shape the design. Facial recognition and individual visit tracking are designed to help owners understand each cat’s routine.

Our name

“Hanakuto” means picking up the flowers others walked past. Made for the cats others didn’t design for.

Where we are today

Hanakuto is preparing for crowdfunding. Product development is ongoing; read the development timeline and planned milestones below.

INSIDE THE ENGINEERING

Real hardware. Put to work.

See the gears, the motors and the prototypes behind the product.

Play to watch
Inside the metal drivetrain.
01

Metal gears. Up close.

An inside look at the metal drivetrain and its removable gear assemblies.

Play to watch
Prototype life testing in progress.
02

10 prototypes. In testing.

A look inside the workshop, where engineering samples are running life tests.

Play to watch
Workshop footage · motor bench test.
03

Motors on the test bench.

Watch the motor and drive-shaft assemblies running side by side.

Play to watch
Demonstration footage · 6 kg test setup.
04

A loaded cleaning test.

Watch the prototype push through a weighted cleaning trial.

Filmed with engineering prototypes during development.

CAMPAIGN STRETCH GOALS

More backing. More for everyone.

Every milestone adds value for every backer, across every reward tier.

Campaign progress

Coming to Kickstarter

Funding and backer totals will appear when the campaign launches. Explore the planned milestones below.

  • 1,000 backers

    Tooling kickoff + 40 additional leak-proof waste bags per unit. Added value: $29 per backer.

  • $150,000

    Worldwide warranty extended to 2.5 years + priority access to the latest designs and product updates. Added value: $39.

  • $300,000

    Beta access to all new AI features before general release. Your feedback helps shape future updates. Added value: $49.

  • $450,000

    Shipping 7–10 days earlier + 50% lifetime discount on optional cloud storage plans. Added value: $79.

  • $600,000

    3-year worldwide warranty + early beta access to future products. Free lifetime AI OTA updates continue for every unit. Added value: $149.

Each target is independent. Planned stretch goals are shown here; funding and unlock status will be available when the Kickstarter campaign launches.

THE ROAD AHEAD

From prototype to your doorstep.

Estimated shipping: May 2027.

Ten Hanakuto prototypes arranged in a testing area
From the workshop: prototype testing in progress.
Completed

Design & prototypes

More than 40 design iterations completed. Life testing is running on 10 units, according to the Hanakuto team.

Next steps

Tooling & validation

Tooling is planned to begin at 1,000 backers. T0: approximately 45 days. T1 validation: approximately 60 days.

Estimated timing

Production & delivery

Mass production is planned within 45 days after T1 approval. Estimated shipping: May 2027, followed by overseas warehousing and local delivery in approximately 2–5 days.

The Hanakuto team reports a reserved factory, a dedicated production line, and core components already purchased and approved through sample review. Dates are production targets.

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