The story behind the development of the small, slim wallet Hitoe® Fold
Hitoe® Fold "The pioneer of small, thin wallets"
The Hitoe® Fold series is a bi-fold mini wallet that has been supported by many people who are looking for "wallets that are as thin and small as possible" in this cashless era.
Since development began in 2019, we have taken on numerous challenges and won awards, pioneering a new genre of "small, thin wallets."
We will summarize the development story and progress made so far.
The context of "small, thin wallet"
Thin wallets existed before the Hitoe® Fold was released, but Hitoe® Fold pioneered a new field with a design that went beyond just being thin to being small.
+ View the timeline of major "thin wallets" before Hitoe® Fold
| 2008.07 | Sartore Wallet (Sartore) |
| December 2009 | Thin Wallet (Value Innovation) |
| 2017.01 | Komodo (ULYSSES) |
| 2018.06 | Hitoe® L-zip S (SYRINX) |
| 2018.11 | Piastra (Mpiu) |
| 2019.09 | Jitan (JACAJACA) |
| 2019.11 | Hitoe® Fold (SYRINX) |
Invention and Presentation: Minimalism in Action
Summer 2019 - Development begins
He invented the "inner hook," which uses the stored card itself as a fastener. After repeated trial and error, he pursued the ultimate in thinness, simplicity, and ease of use, and filed for a design application in October, and a patent application in November, at the same time unveiling the prototype.
Immediate response after release
The launch of the prototype saw a surge in access, with a peak of 24,000 sessions in one day. The minimalist design and user experience resonated with users.
Timeline of the challenge: Crowdfunding and evolution
2019–2021: From birth to establishment
Just a few years after the release of the original Hitoe® Fold, we achieved a new record for the highest amount of crowdfunding in Japan and launched a series of new models. Centered on the invention of the inner hook, we developed derivative models such as Aria and Less, establishing our position as a new standard for bifold wallets.
- 2019.11 - Hitoe® Fold launched
- February 2020 - Crowdfunding for the first Hitoe® Fold launched. It reached over 10 million yen within three minutes of launch. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign ended on the 18th with 3,500 units raised, but still recorded the highest amount in Japan at the time. Winner of the Campfire Crowdfunding Award 2020 .
- December 2020 - Hitoe® Fold Aria launched. It features bill holders and a unique design. The total amount of support exceeded 78 million yen, setting a new record in Japan.
- April 2021 - Crowdfunding for Hitoe® Fold (2nd generation) . Bill holders were added, and the total amount of support exceeded 55 million yen.
- December 2021 - Hitoe® Fold Less launched. The ultimate thin model, limited to storing three cards.
2023–2025: Deepening design
With the arrival of the third-generation Hitoe® Fold, the size and storage design have been further optimized. It has also received significant support through crowdfunding on its website. In 2024, the company launched the "Mushroom" collection, which is derived from mushroom mycelium. In 2025, it released the "Antico" collection to commemorate its 5th anniversary. The last remaining structural issues have been resolved, evolving into a truly complete product.
- May 2023 - Hitoe® Fold (3rd generation) was announced. Despite being released on the company's own website, it achieved support of over 40 million yen.
- May 2025 - Release of the 5th anniversary collection "Antico." Updated the shape of the coin pocket.
Awards
The Hitoe® Fold series alone has won 20 awards ( 31 awards for SYRINX as a whole). It has received high praise both domestically and internationally, including the world's three major design awards (iF, Red Dot, IDEA).
Major awards (World's top three design awards)
- iF Design Award 2019, 2022, 2023
- Red Dot Award 2022
- IDEA 2018, 2023
+ View the list of awards by year
2020
- Campfire Crowdfunding Award 2020
- Hospitality Selection 2020
2021
- Hospitality Selection 2021
- K-DESIGN AWARD 2021
- European Product Design Award 2021
- MUSE Design Awards 2021
- NY Product Design Awards 2021
- IDA Design Awards 2021
- London International Creative Competition 2021
2022
- Red Dot Award 2022
- iF Design Award 2022
- A' Design Award & Competition 2022
- Hospitality Selection 2022
- DNA Paris Design Awards 2022
- DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022
- Chicago Good Design Award 2022
2023
- German Design Awards 2023
- iF Design Award 2023
- IDEA 2023
2025
- Social Products Awards 2025
Towards the next five years
Not only is it small and thin,
Even easier to use and more beautiful
We will continue to pursue this ideal and take on new challenges.
