MOTA
MOTA operates a Japan-wide online car-auction and content platform (autoc-one.jp) that connects individual car sellers with 1,555 partner used-car dealers via a sealed-bid marketplace, monetising dealer lead-generation and adjacent auto-media services while offering consumers free appraisal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2026
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What MOTA does
MOTA, Inc. (株式会社MOTA) is a Tokyo-headquartered private Japanese digital media and transaction platform that operates an online used-car appraisal and reverse-auction marketplace under the consumer-facing domain autoc-one.jp. Its flagship product, MOTA車買取, lets individual car sellers submit vehicle details via a 45-second online form and receive web-based bids from up to 20 pre-vetted partner used-car dealers, with only the top three highest bidders permitted to contact the seller — a design intended to eliminate the phone-spam and opaque-pricing problems of legacy one-stop appraisal aggregators. MOTA also operates あんしん決済 (Anshin Payment), an escrow-style settlement layer intermediating vehicle payments between seller and buyer to reduce transaction fraud.
The core two-sided marketplace is built on a network of 1,555 partner used-car dealers across all 47 Japanese prefectures, supported by twice-daily bid cutoffs at 12:00 and 18:00, ¥600 ex-tax per vehicle-information view, ¥2,900–3,000 ex-tax per personal-information disclosure, and a premium MOTA車買取Plus subscription in which MOTA dispatches its own inspector. The auction engine is embedded inside a broader auto-content and transaction ecosystem that includes an automotive catalog (国産車・輸入車), a used-car search marketplace, a new-car lease lead-gen module, a dealer locator, an in-house accessory mail-order shop, a Car Sommelier UGC community, and market-price reference data — all driven by an in-house editorial team plus external motor journalists and amplified by mass-media YouTube/radio commercials fronted by comedian Bakarhythm.
MOTA monetises primarily on the supply side: the consumer-facing appraisal service is positioned as free (査定費用・売却手数料なし), while dealer lead-generation fees, subscription revenue, affiliate commerce from the accessory shop and cross-vertical lead-gen to MOTA不動産査定 (real-estate appraisal) and MOTA引越し見積もり (moving quotes) drive the revenue mix. The corporate footer lists Aucnet (オークネット), Auc Service (オークサービス), Auc Service Solution (オークサービスソリューション), and FLEX as 関連企業 (related companies), and the website carries supervisory endorsement from the Japan Automobile Purchase Association (JPUC). The company is privately held with no disclosed ticker, no investor-relations page, and no disclosed funding rounds or revenue figures in the supplied source material.
MOTA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MOTA
- Legal name
- MOTA, Inc. (株式会社MOTA)
- Website
- https://autoc-one.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2026
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- MOTA operates a Japan-wide online car-auction and content platform (autoc-one.jp) that connects individual car sellers with 1,555 partner used-car dealers via a sealed-bid marketplace, monetising dealer lead-generation and adjacent auto-media services while offering consumers free appraisal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MOTA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Car Auction Platform
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)
Keywords
Where MOTA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
MOTA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dealer lead-generation and personal-information provision fees: Recurring B2B revenue from partner used-car dealers. Dealers pay ¥600 ex-tax per vehicle-information view and a 2025/12–2026/12 promotional rate of ¥2,900 ex-tax (down from ¥3,000 ex-tax) per personal-information disclosure (consumer contact details). Active listings average 2,000+ vehicles per day across all 47 prefectures.
- MOTA 車買取Plus (dealer subscription service): Premium dealer offering under which MOTA assigns its own inspector to record the seller's vehicle information; dealer subscriptions generate recurring revenue beyond pay-per-lead.
- Affiliate commerce & advertising (auto-accessory shop, dealer listings, real-estate/moving leads): Revenue from the in-house car-accessory mail-order shop, new-car dealer listings, car-leasing referrals, and lead generation for sister services MOTA不動産査定 (real-estate appraisal) and MOTA引越し見積もり (moving quotes). Affiliate corporate entities include オークネット, オークサービス, オークサービスソリューション and FLEX.
- Auto catalog / article / dealer-search advertising media: Editorial and catalog content on autoc-one.jp monetises through brand advertising, manufacturer promotional articles, and dealer/showroom referrals; the site carries dedicated キャンペーン情報 and 特集 sections.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer car-selling service – free |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Dealer per-listing and per-lead data fees |
| Subscription | Monthly | MOTA車買取Plus – premium dealer service |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
MOTA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MOTA operates a web-based sealed-bid auction platform (MOTA車買取) that connects individual Japanese car sellers with up to 20 vetted used-car dealers across all 47 prefectures. Sellers submit vehicle information in approximately 45 seconds via an online form; up to 20 partner dealers place bids, results are disclosed within ~3 hours, and only the top 3 highest bidders are allowed to contact the seller. The service is free for consumers, monetised through per-lead fees (¥600 per vehicle-info view, ¥2,900–3,000 per personal-info disclosure) from the 1,555+ dealer network.
Product overview
MOTA is best described as a platform-plus-modules digital automotive media and transaction business built around one core product — MOTA車買取, an online car-auction service that lets sellers receive web-based bids from up to 20 partnered dealers and negotiate only with the top 3. That auction engine is surrounded by an integrated content and transaction ecosystem: a comprehensive new-car 自動車カタログ (Auto Catalog) with rankings and reviews; a 中古車検索 (Used Car Search) marketplace; a 新車リース (New Car Lease) offering; a ディーラー検索 (Dealer Search); a カー用品通販 (Car Goods Shop) for tires and car-nav systems; the カーソムリエ (Car Sommelier) UGC community; an 車買取相場 (Market Price) reference database; and the あんしん決済 (Anshin Payment) escrow trust layer that bolts on to the auction flow to safeguard payouts. Adjacent non-auto services — MOTA不動産査定 (Real Estate Appraisal) and MOTA引越し見積もり (Moving Estimates) — extend the platform to life-event use cases (urban relocation) that often trigger car disposal. A B2B 加盟店プログラム recruits the 1,555+ dealer partners whose bids power the auction, while a large editorial operation (MOTA編集部 + external motor journalists) feeds the catalog, news and know-how content that drives acquisition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MOTA車買取 (MOTA Car Buying / Used Car Appraisal): Online used-car appraisal/auction service connecting sellers with up to 20 partner used-car dealers, where communication is limited to the top 3 highest bidders.
- MOTA車買取Plus (MOTA Plus)
- MOTAあんしん決済 (MOTA Secure Payment / Anshin Payment)
- MOTA不動産査定 (MOTA Real Estate Appraisal)
- MOTA引越し見積もり (MOTA Moving Quote)
- カーソムリエ (Car Sommelier)
Products and services
- MOTA車買取 (MOTA Car Purchase / Online Car Auction) Web-based reverse-auction service for individual car sellers in Japan; ~45-second online submission, up to 20 partner dealers bid, results disclosed in ~3 hours, only top 3 contact seller. Average realised price reported ~¥30.3万 higher than dealer trade-in (n=3,645).
- あんしん決済 (Anshin Payment / MOTA Escrow) Third-party escrow service that intermediates the vehicle-payment transfer between seller and buyer to prevent transaction fraud, rolled out progressively across partner dealers.
- 自動車カタログ (Auto Catalog) Comprehensive searchable catalog covering Japanese and imported brands, body types, engine types, fuel efficiency, prices, model year and review data for each vehicle.
- 中古車検索 (Used Car Search) Searchable nationwide used-vehicle inventory across Japan with filters for maker, body type, price range and prefecture, including used-car rankings.
- 新車リース (New Car Lease) Monthly subscription-style new-car leasing service that lets users obtain a new car for a fixed monthly payment, integrated into the MOTA portal as an alternative to outright purchase.
- ディーラー検索 (Dealer Search) Directory for finding new-car dealers and sales outlets, enabling users to locate nearby dealerships from the MOTA platform.
- カー用品通販 (Car Goods Online Shop) Online storefront selling car accessories including studless tires & wheel sets, summer tires & wheel sets, and 2DIN car-navigation units.
- カーソムリエ (Car Sommelier) User-generated car ownership articles and reviews site allowing readers to browse real owner stories and contributing to MOTA's content ecosystem.
- MOTA不動産査定 (MOTA Real Estate Appraisal) Real-estate valuation service operated under the MOTA brand via mota-home.net, accessed from the autoc-one.jp footer.
- MOTA引っ越し見積もり (MOTA Moving Estimates) Moving-cost estimate service under the MOTA brand for users relocating to/from urban areas, often triggered together with disposing of a car.
- 車買取相場 (Car Purchase Market Price) Reference database of MOTA appraisal results and market purchase prices by maker, model, year and mileage, allowing users to look up values before requesting an appraisal.
- MOTA車買取加盟店プログラム (Partner Dealer Recruitment Program) B2B program recruiting used-car dealers to join the MOTA auction network; no initial fee, pay-per-lead (¥600 per vehicle-info view, ¥2,900–3,000 per personal-info lead), bidding twice daily at 12:00 and 18:00.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average +30.3万円 vs. dealer trade-in (n=3,645, June 2023–May 2024)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MOTA
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MOTA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
MOTA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- オークネット (Aucnet)flagshipListed in the autoc-one.jp footer as a 関連企業 (related company) alongside MOTA; Aucnet is a major Japanese auto-auction group, providing auction-pricing data and dealer-network infrastructure that underpins MOTA's appraisal and sourcing capabilities.
- オークサービス (Auc Service)coreListed in the autoc-one.jp footer as a 関連企業 (related company); a sibling entity in the Aucnet group supporting MOTA's operational and dealer-services stack.
- オークサービスソリューション (Auc Service Solution)coreListed in the autoc-one.jp footer as a 関連企業 (related company); provides shared services / solutions to the MOTA-affiliated group.
- FLEXcoreListed in the autoc-one.jp footer as a 関連企業 (related company); FLEX is a Japanese auto-related business serving as an affiliate of the MOTA corporate group.
- 一般社団法人日本自動車購入協会 (Japan Automobile Purchase Association / JPUC)coreIndustry body whose logo is displayed on MOTA車買取 with the note "MOTAは、一般社団法人日本自動車購入協会のウェブサイト監修を受けています". Provides supervisory endorsement of the MOTA website.
- LINE (LINE公式アカウント @tsx7904q)coreTop-of-funnel "LINE診断で愛車の状態がわかる!あなたの愛車は高く売れる?" free car-condition diagnostic widget linking to line.me/R/ti/p/@tsx7904q; used to convert organic traffic into qualified appraisal leads.
- CarMAX (Tottori)minorOne of MOTA's partner used-car dealers; ranked #1 in Tottori prefecture by MOTA review count (125 reviews). Closes actual transactions with consumers after winning the online bid.
- OXION (Kanagawa)minorSpecialist on-site car-buy dealer in the MOTA network (60 reviews); offers same-day cash purchase with cost-cut pricing.
- URU-BUY (Fukuoka, Chikugo)minorMOTA partner dealer ranked #1 in MOTA's national dealer-popularity ranking; 20+ years of experience, 53 reviews. Has a sister hybrid/SUV specialist store also on MOTA.
- Lucir Yokohama (Kanagawa)minorSmall-store MOTA partner offering nationwide free on-site appraisal; 51 reviews.
- Smile Cars Nishinomiya (Hyogo)minorMOTA partner dealer ranked #1 in MOTA's national reputation ranking (35 reviews); same-day payment, free pickup, no-price-reduction policy.
- ONES'BOX (Hyogo, Kobe)minorMOTA partner dealer focused on customer-centric service; 33 reviews.
- KR Motors (Fukuoka)minorMOTA partner dealer in Fukuoka (32 reviews); promises individual, careful appraisal of each vehicle.
- One Step Forward (Saitama, Misato)minorCommunity-rooted MOTA partner dealer in Saitama (29 reviews); flexible-timing appraisals for sellers without a fixed sale date.
- Eiwa Automobile Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Ibaraki)minorMOTA partner dealer with a 30-year-veteran appraiser (24 reviews); combines auction, export and retail pricing benchmarks.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MOTA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aucnet (オークネット): Aucnet is a major Japanese auto-auction group and is listed in MOTA's footer as a related company. Operates upstream physical and digital auto auctions that complement MOTA's consumer-facing marketplace.
- Proto Corporation (Goo-net / グーネット): Proto operates Goo-net, one of Japan's leading automotive media and used-car listing portals. Comparable as a Japanese-language automotive content/marketplace platform that overlaps with autoc-one.jp.
- USS (ユー・エス・エス): USS is Japan's largest physical used-car auction operator. Indirectly comparable as it anchors the upstream dealer-sourcing channel that MOTA's dealer partners (e.g., Eiwa Automobile) also draw on for pricing.
- Nexstage (ネクステージ): Nexstage is one of Japan's largest used-car dealer chains and operates CarNext's online appraisal service. Functions both as a MOTA partner dealer and a competing buyer channel.
- Recruit (CarSensor / カーセンサー): Recruit's CarSensor is a leading Japanese used-car marketplace and automotive media property. A potential competitor or partner given its dominant consumer traffic and existing used-car transaction flow.
Direct peers
- IDOM (Gulliver): IDOM operates Gulliver, Japan's largest branded used-car buying/selling chain and a competing online car-appraisal service. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to MOTA車買取 in the consumer-to-dealer used-car flow.
- U-Pos (ユーポス): U-Pos is a Japanese used-car buying chain offering online appraisals and on-site purchases. Competes with MOTA at both the dealer-recruitment and consumer-seller funnels.
- CarNext (カーネクスト): CarNext (ネクステージグループ) runs an online used-car buying portal with auction-style offers. Directly comparable business model to MOTA車買取 and an active competitor in the C2B used-car appraisal segment.
- Carchs (カーチス, formerly Rabbit): Carchs operates a nationwide used-car buying network with online appraisal functionality. Directly comparable to MOTA's dealer-network plus online-bidding model.
- Car7 (カーセブン): Car7 is a Japanese online used-car buying service with a comparable 'multiple dealer offers' consumer experience. It competes for the same individual-seller audience that MOTA車買取 targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MOTA social profiles
Digital presenceMOTA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MOTA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
MOTA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MOTA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MOTA
What does MOTA do?
MOTA operates a web-based sealed-bid auction platform (MOTA車買取) that connects individual Japanese car sellers with up to 20 vetted used-car dealers across all 47 prefectures. Sellers submit vehicle information in approximately 45 seconds via an online form; up to 20 partner dealers place bids, results are disclosed within ~3 hours, and only the top 3 highest bidders are allowed to contact the seller. The service is free for consumers, monetised through per-lead fees (¥600 per vehicle-info view, ¥2,900–3,000 per personal-info disclosure) from the 1,555+ dealer network.
Is MOTA a public or private company?
MOTA is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was MOTA founded?
MOTA was founded in 2026. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is MOTA based?
MOTA is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does MOTA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dealer lead-generation and personal-information provision fees are the primary driver. The others are MOTA 車買取Plus (dealer subscription service), affiliate commerce & advertising (auto-accessory shop, dealer listings, real-estate/moving leads) and auto catalog / article / dealer-search advertising media.
Who are MOTA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Aucnet (オークネット), Proto Corporation (Goo-net / グーネット), USS (ユー・エス・エス), Nexstage (ネクステージ) and Recruit (CarSensor / カーセンサー). Direct peers are IDOM (Gulliver), U-Pos (ユーポス), CarNext (カーネクスト), Carchs (カーチス, formerly Rabbit) and Car7 (カーセブン).
Does MOTA have an API?
No public API is recorded for MOTA.
What industry is MOTA in?
MOTA's product category is Used Car Auction Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAA, Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online). Its NAICS code is 441 and its SIC code is 5500.