aube

What aube does

Aube Co., Ltd. (株式会社オーブ) is a privately held Japanese apparel and lifestyle goods wholesaler established on February 1, 2007, founded by Kan Eiki (金 永輝). The company designs and manufactures women's apparel and lifestyle goods in-house, operating a multi-brand portfolio (Em Dot En / M DN, Pluse Borelme, Jolie Space) and selling exclusively on a B2B wholesale basis to retail stores and fashion boutiques across Japan. Aube does not sell directly to end consumers, does not accept returns from individual customers, and routes new business inquiries through email; buyers access inventory through online catalogs and stock lists while new product launches are showcased on an Instagram channel. The company is headquartered in Chikushino City, Fukuoka Prefecture (relocated to a new building in January 2023), with additional offices in Tokyo (Shibuya) and Osaka (relocated July 2024), and a Suzhou, China office supporting international operations. Registered capital is 12 million yen and the company employs 39 people, consistent with an SMB-scale niche wholesaler.

Underlying operations are traditional rather than technology-led: no proprietary platform, API, mobile app, or AI/ML capability is disclosed, and product merchandising is driven by Instagram content for wholesale buyers rather than a digital B2B portal with analytics. Revenue mechanics are straightforward wholesale transactions (transaction-fee B2B sales) priced through buyer-specific negotiations rather than publicly disclosed pricing, with seasonality implied by seasonal collection tags (e.g., 2022ss, 2022sscollection) and an active daily SKU cadence across dresses, tops, bottoms and pullovers.

Name

aube

Legal name

株式会社オーブ (Kabushiki Kaisha Aube)

Website

https://aube-zakka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aube Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based B2B wholesaler (founded 2007, 39 staff) that designs and distributes women's apparel and lifestyle goods through a multi-brand portfolio to retail stores and fashion boutiques across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Apparel and Lifestyle Goods

NAICS

Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers (4243), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (42435), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAAAAAN

Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Apparel Brands & Manufacturing

SECONDARYIMAOAEAM

Contract / Private Label Cut & Sew Manufacturing (OEM/ODM)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Textiles, Apparel & Leather Manufacturing/Apparel Manufacturing (Cut & Sew)

Keywords

• Wholesale apparel
• Women's casual clothing
• Lifestyle goods
• Fashion accessories
• B2B apparel distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Suzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale of Apparel and Lifestyle Goods: B2B wholesale distribution of women's apparel, fashion accessories, and lifestyle goods. Company designs and manufactures products in-house and sells to retail stores.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Aube designs, manufactures, and wholesales women's casual apparel (shirts, pants, dresses, pullovers), fashion accessories, and lifestyle goods through a B2B wholesale channel. The company operates multi-brand in-house labels (Em Dot En, Pluse Borelme, Jolie Space) targeting the Nordic-natural-aesthetic, budget-friendly segment of the Japanese retail market. Products are listed on an online stock list and catalog and sold only to retail stores and fashion boutiques; the company does not sell directly to end consumers.

Product overview

Aube is a Japanese wholesale company specializing in apparel accessories (服飾雑貨), lifestyle goods (生活雑貨), and ladies wear (レディースFCFFF) manufacturing and wholesale. The company operates B2B wholesale operations through catalogs and stock lists, offering a range of apparel products including tops, bottoms, and dresses. Their product line features items such as oversized shirts, balloon pants, gathered dresses, sleeveless dresses, and linen pullovers. The company markets under the 'aube' brand and offers products through brands including Em Dot En (エムドットエヌ), Plu Volme (プリュスボルメ), and Jolie Space (ジョリースペース).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oversized Shirt (オーバーシャツ) Wide-silhouette short-sleeve shirt with a small collar, made with crisp fabric that maintains a casual yet polished look and is recommended for boyish styling. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Balloon Pants (バルーンパンツ) Pants with large darts at the hem creating a puffy silhouette, all-elastic waist with front opening and inner drawstring for comfort. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Boil Gathered Dress (ボイルギャザーワンピース) Long-sleeve gathered dress with ample gathering from below the yoke to the hem for a beautiful drape, recommended for layering with pants or skirts. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Sleeveless Lace Hem Dress (ノースリーブワンピース) Sleeveless dress with lace embroidery fabric at the hem, made with comfortable cut-and-sew material that is also suitable as a petti top. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Camisole Dress with Ribbon (キャミソールワンピース) Camisole dress with a decorative ribbon at the back and tucks at the waist creating a relaxed yet streamlined silhouette. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Linen Ribbed Pullover / 5-Minute Sleeve Pullover (5分袖リブ付きプルオーバー) Pullover with ribbed trim at neckline and sleeves, made with 100% linen fabric for an elegant casual look. Sold wholesale to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Em Dot En (エムドットエヌ / M DN) brand line In-house apparel and lifestyle goods brand under the Aube Co., Ltd. wholesale portfolio, sold through the company's B2B wholesale channel to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Pluse Borelme (プリュスボルメ) brand line In-house apparel and lifestyle goods brand under the Aube Co., Ltd. wholesale portfolio, sold through the company's B2B wholesale channel to retail stores and fashion boutiques.
• Jolie Space (ジョリースペース) brand line In-house apparel and lifestyle goods brand under the Aube Co., Ltd. wholesale portfolio, sold through the company's B2B wholesale channel to retail stores and fashion boutiques.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sanei International Co., Ltd. Japanese women's apparel maker-wholesaler operating brands such as Apuweiser-rike and FRAY I.D. Closely mirrors Aube's own-brand, design-led wholesale model with comparable customer base of Japanese specialty boutiques.
• Baroque Japan Limited: Tokyo-listed Japanese multi-brand apparel maker-wholesaler behind brands such as MOUSSY, SLY, and RODEO CROWNSWIDE. Shares Aube's B2B wholesale model, own-brand portfolio approach, and boutique-channel focus, while operating at larger scale across Japan and internationally.
• Stripe International Inc. Japanese multi-brand apparel maker-wholesaler operating labels including earth, music & ecology, E Hyphen, and Samansa Mosudo. Directly comparable to Aube in combining in-house design with wholesale distribution to Japanese boutiques, with a similarly accessible price-positioning.
• Mark STYLER Co., Ltd. Japanese multi-brand apparel company operating labels such as MERCURYDUO and dazzy with in-house planning and B2B wholesale distribution to boutiques. Most comparable to Aube in business model — own-brand portfolio, domestic Japan wholesale, design-led — though at meaningfully larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Adastria Co., Ltd. Major Japanese apparel company operating well-known brands including LOWRYS FARM, GLOBAL WORK, and niko and... through both retail and wholesale channels. A broader incumbent overlapping with Aube in casual women's apparel and lifestyle-coordinated aesthetics.
• World Co., Ltd. One of Japan's largest apparel maker-wholesalers with a broad multi-brand portfolio (UNTITLED, COOMB, etc.). Operates the same in-house design-plus-wholesale model as Aube but at significantly greater scale, providing broader portfolio coverage across Japan.
• PAL Group Holdings Co., Ltd. Japanese apparel holding company behind brands such as 3COINS, Ciaopanic, and one after another. Comparable to Aube as a multi-brand apparel operator targeting trend-conscious Japanese consumers, but operating at significantly greater scale across retail and wholesale.
• TSI Holdings Co., Ltd. Tokyo-listed holding company aggregating multiple Japanese apparel brands such as NATURAL BEAUTY BASIC, Jill Stuart, and PEARLY GATES. A vertically integrated, broader incumbent in the same own-brand B2B wholesale category as Aube.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aube_001

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 aube