AIC

What AIC does

AIC Corporation (株式会社エー・アイ・シー) is a Shikoku-based regional media company headquartered in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan, founded on April 1, 1983, and led by CEO Takahashi Masayuki (高橋 正行). The company operates four business lines serving local consumers, automotive dealers, real estate agents, and regional advertisers across Ehime, Kagawa, Tokushima, and Kochi prefectures. Its automotive information division publishes Web Magazine Mj and Mj.net, aggregating approximately 14,000 used car listings and 6,000 motorcycle listings, with a multilingual interface (Japanese, English, Chinese) and a proprietary real-time data integration system called TOWER that connects dealer inventory. The lifestyle division distributes Ehime Komachi, a free regional magazine reaching 168,000 households monthly via door-to-door, bookstore, convenience store, and digital channels including Amazon Kindle, Fujisan, and d Magazine. The housing information division operates Sumauzu and Ehime no Ie, supported by the TREE real-time housing data system, while the promotion services division provides sales promotion planning, website production, and video production to regional clients.

AIC's revenue model combines print and digital advertising sales, listing subscription fees from dealers and real estate agents, distribution and partnership economics, and growing software/tool revenue from products such as the Number Mask app (an AI-based license plate masking tool for automotive listings, launched May 2023) and the recently acquired Docomama business (2024). Strategic positioning has shifted toward digital transformation, evidenced by METI DX certification in April 2024, partnerships with Ehime Bank (2023) and Webike (2022-09), and a 2025 d Magazine distribution launch, while operational restructuring (Tokushima office consolidation into Kagawa Branch in 2025) signals efficiency discipline alongside expansion.

Name

AIC

Legal name

株式会社アイクコーポレーション

Website

https://aic.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AIC Corporation is a Shikoku-based regional media company operating automotive listings (Mj, Mj.net, TOWER), lifestyle magazine distribution (Ehime Komachi, 168,000 households monthly), housing information platforms (Sumauzu, TREE), and promotion services for dealers, real estate agents, and SMB advertisers across Ehime, Kagawa, Tokushima, and Kochi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Media Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting) (MPAJAMAC)

Keywords

• Regional media publishing
• Used car information
• Real estate information
• Home building magazines
• Advertising services

Headquarters

HQ city

Matsuyama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Publishing and Advertising: Publishes magazines covering automotive, lifestyle, housing, and regional information. Revenue generated through magazine sales and advertising placements. Key publications include Mj Magazine, Ehime Komachi, Sumauzu series, and regional free magazines (ここまち).
2. Digital Services and Website Subscriptions: Operates multiple websites including Mj.net (used car portal), MjBike.com (motorcycle portal), and Sumauzu (real estate portal). Generates revenue through digital advertising and premium listings.
3. Promotion and Creative Services: Provides design and production services for printed materials, digital content, and promotional items. Services include business cards, flyers, banners, calendars, and custom merchandise.
4. System Solutions: Offers website building packages (TOWER, TREE) for car dealers and real estate companies. Includes system development, server management, and portal site operation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AIC operates a regional media business across the four prefectures of Shikoku, Japan, publishing print magazines and operating digital portals in four verticals: automotive (Mj, MjBIKE.com), lifestyle (Ehime Komachi, Docomama), housing (Sumauzu, regional homebuilding magazines), and local community (Kokomachi). The company also sells website building packages (TOWER for car dealers, TREE for real estate firms) and creative/promotion services to local businesses.

Product overview

AIC (株式会社アイクコーポレーション) operates a multi-platform regional information media business spanning Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima prefectures in Shikoku, Japan. The portfolio is organized into four core divisions: (1) Automotive Information (Mj magazine/website and MjBike.com for used cars and motorcycles); (2) Lifestyle Information (愛媛こまち women's magazine, ドコママ parenting magazine, and various niche publications); (3) Housing Information (すまいズ real estate magazines, 愛媛の家/香川の家/高知の家 homebuilding magazines, ここまち door-to-door free local magazines, 家づくりスタジオ consultation studios, and TREE/TOWER website builder packages for real estate and automotive dealers); and (4) Promotion Services (custom creative production for print and digital). Key platforms share real-time data: TOWER connects dealer websites with Mj.net inventory, and TREE connects real estate sites with すまいズ listings. The company also operates niche specialty publications (四国のおすすめリーン場, 四国のラーメン) and a consumer-facing smartphone app (ナンバーマスク). AIC generates revenue through print advertising, digital advertising, and production services, distributing its publications via direct sales, Amazon, Fujisan, and d Magazine e-book platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 月刊 愛媛こまち: Ehime lifestyle information magazine targeting young women in Ehime prefecture, covering gourmet, fashion, shopping, leisure, beauty, and entertainment information.
• エムジェー (Mj)
• MjBIKE.com
• すまいズ (Sumauzu)
• 愛媛の家 / 香川の家 / 高知の家
• ここまち
• ここまち Coupon Site
• えひめ企業図鑑
• 的家づくりスタジオ
• ドコママ
• TOWER
• TREE
• 妈妈こまち

Products and services

• Mj (エムジェー) Used Car Magazine and Portal Regional used-car magazine and web portal covering Shikoku (Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, Tokushima) with approximately 14,000 used vehicle listings and 100+ daily updates; targets both car shoppers and car dealers.
• MjBIKE.com Motorcycle Information Portal Used motorcycle information web portal and magazine for the Chugoku-Shikoku region, listing approximately 6,000 used motorcycles in real time; expanded to include SNS hashtag integration and event coverage.
• 月刊 愛媛こまち (Ehime Komachi) Lifestyle Magazine Monthly lifestyle magazine and website targeting young women (F1 demographic) in Ehime Prefecture, covering local dining, fashion, beauty, shopping, and entertainment; includes a dedicated parenting spin-off.
• ドコママ (Docomama) Parenting Magazine Local parenting and family magazine and website for Ehime Prefecture, covering childcare, local family events, and community information for parents and young families.
• 月刊 すまいズ (Sumauzu) Real Estate Magazine Regional real estate and housing information magazine and web portal covering Ehime, Kagawa, and Kochi, presenting property listings organized by local real estate companies for renters and buyers.
• 愛媛の家 / 香川の家 / 高知の家 Homebuilding Magazines Local homebuilding information magazines for Ehime, Kagawa, and Kochi prefectures, featuring local builder showcases, house construction examples, expert advice columns, and local housing company guides.
• ここまち (Kokomachi) Free Local Magazine Monthly door-to-door free magazine distributed in Niihama, Saijo, and Imabari covering local dining, beauty, lifestyle, and retail with coupons; also available as a mobile-optimized web platform with integrated coupon functionality.
• 家づくりスタジオ (Iezukuri Studio) Homebuilding Consultation Service Face-to-face homebuilding consultation service staffed by advisors who help prospective homeowners identify builders, learn the homebuilding process, and select properties; operates branches in Takamatsu and Matsuyama.
• えひめ企業図鑑 (Ehime Company Guide) Career and company introduction magazine and web portal for Ehime Prefecture, designed to help students and job seekers discover local companies; includes profiles of 37 local enterprises.
• TOWER Car Dealer Website System One-stop website building package for used-car dealers featuring real-time inventory data synchronization with Mj.net, SEO tools, custom domains, and a smartphone-optimized version; targeted at car dealers seeking an always-up-to-date online showroom.
• TREE Real Estate Website System Website building package for real estate companies with real-time synchronization of property listings with the Sumauzu portal, eliminating manual listing updates; includes SEO features and custom domain support.
• ナンバーマスク (Number Mask) Camera App Smartphone camera app using AI to automatically detect and mask vehicle license plates in photos, with region-specific stamp designs based on GPS location; available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• AIC Promotion Services (Creative/Production) Promotional creative services offering print and digital collateral including business cards, logos, calendars, posters, banners, hand fans, clear files, tent signs, greeting cards, anniversary logos, social media templates, landing pages, and custom merchandise; targets local businesses in Shikoku.
• LP制作「らくピ！」 Landing Page Production Service Short-lead-time, low-cost landing page production service offering responsive and smartphone-only variants with optional maintenance service; responsive from ¥90,000, smartphone-only from ¥70,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-day lead time from editorial to retail shelf for magazine publishing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and key.

• Matsuyama Kishi Nursery (松山きし保育園)minorOthers · 1 June 2026Corporate alliance providing priority admission slots for employees' children at company-led nursery school, supporting work-life balance.
• DAIS ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Multi-company collaboration project for regional revitalization (CSR) and next-generation leadership development. Addresses local government challenges through corporate cooperation.
• Matsuyama City SDGs Promotion Council (松山市SDGs推進拹議会)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Joined municipal council bringing together diverse stakeholders (industry, academia, citizens, government, finance) for sustainable regional development through partnership.
• Ehime Bank (愛媛銀行)keyGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2023Collaboration on Himegin App providing exclusive coupons from Ehime Komachi magazine to Ehime Bank customers. Monthly magazines curated coupons for dining, beauty, services, and leisure available through app display.
• Webike (リバークレイン)keyTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2022Data partnership for motorcycle inventory sharing between MjBike.com and Webike Bike Selection sites. Dealers can list on both platforms simultaneously, reducing duplication effort.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aic_recruit

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AIC