Common
Common inc. is a Japanese SaaS and digital services company that builds AI-powered supply chain, cost, and marketing software primarily for the automotive industry, with cross-border marketing and SME DX adjacencies. It sells eight products including Nigoori, Kuruma AI, GENKA, and HOKYU to importers, dealers, and manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Common does
Common inc. (common株式会社) is a private Japanese SaaS and digital services company founded in October 2019 and headquartered in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. The company sells an eight-product portfolio organized into three categories — SaaS on AI, Marketing, and DX/HR — with its primary focus on the Japanese automotive value chain. The core SaaS suite includes Nigoori (supply chain management for automotive importers with native SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrations), Kuruma AI (a conversational AI agent for sales, inventory, and regulatory decisions), GENKA (factory cost calculation reducing monthly closing from 3-5 days to under one day), and HOKYU (parts replenishment management for tens of thousands of SKUs). Marketing services comprise MotoMarke (domestic digital marketing) and Borderless Marketing (trilingual JA/EN/CN cross-border marketing), while DX/HR includes common.DX (SME digital transformation diagnostics) and Wheels (automotive industry talent recruitment).
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining enterprise SaaS sales with project-based digital marketing services. Revenue is generated through SaaS subscriptions, professional services retainers, and a low-ARPU BPO data entry layer (Nigoori BPO at ¥50,000/month). Customer segments span automotive distributors and importers (primary), automotive dealers and service centers, manufacturing plants, and SMEs outside automotive. Named enterprise clients include TOYOTA, SUBARU, ISUZU, Sojitz, PwC, EY, and Renault Japan (a strategic co-development partner since 2021). AI capabilities are central to the value proposition — predictive forecasting, vehicle allocation optimization, and a domain-specialized agent — though the company does not develop foundational models and instead builds applied AI on third-party infrastructure (AWS).
In 2025-2026, the company has executed multiple product launches, obtained CSA STAR Level 1 security certification, relocated headquarters, expanded into SME DX and cross-border marketing, and divested its Report Analyze AI business to focus on the automotive core.
Common firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common
- Legal name
- common株式会社
- Website
- https://commoncoltd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Common inc. is a Japanese SaaS and digital services company that builds AI-powered supply chain, cost, and marketing software primarily for the automotive industry, with cross-border marketing and SME DX adjacencies. It sells eight products including Nigoori, Kuruma AI, GENKA, and HOKYU to importers, dealers, and manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Industry SaaS
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Retailers (4413), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734), Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Parts & Accessories Online Retailers (CRAFADAK)
Keywords
Where Common is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Common business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from AI-powered SaaS products including Nigoori, Kuruma AI, GENKA, and HOKYU for automotive industry clients
- Digital Marketing Services: Professional digital marketing services including SEO, advertising, content creation, and website production through Motomarke and Borderless Marketing
- DX Consulting and Implementation: Digital transformation consulting and implementation services for small and medium enterprises through common.DX
- Talent Introduction Services: Automotive industry specialized recruitment services through Wheels brand
- Nigoori BPO Plan: Data entry outsourcing BPO service for Nigoori customers, providing full data input support at 50,000 yen per month
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Entry Sprint - 30 days LP and advertising package with tracking |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | SEO Gap Audit - 2 weeks technical/content/authority analysis |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Retainer - Multi-channel operations with weekly testing and reporting |
| Subscription | Monthly | SEO Consulting - Search engine optimization recommendations via online meetings |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Web Article Creation - Content creation for credibility and traffic |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Website/Landing Page Production - Localized website creation for Japan market |
| Subscription | Monthly | Site Analysis - Comprehensive traffic, competitor, and keyword research |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ad Management - Optimization and performance analysis |
| Subscription | Monthly | Nigoori BPO Plan - Data entry outsourcing service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Common product offering
Product offeringCore offering
common inc. develops and operates AI-powered SaaS products and digital marketing services primarily for the Japanese automotive industry. Its core offerings include Nigoori (automotive supply chain management SaaS with AI forecasting), Kuruma AI (automotive-specialized conversational AI agent), GENKA (factory cost calculation SaaS), and HOKYU (parts inventory management SaaS), sold via subscriptions to automotive importers, dealers, and manufacturers. Complementary offerings include Motomarke domestic digital marketing, Borderless Marketing cross-border marketing, common.DX SME DX consulting, and Wheels automotive-specialized recruitment services.
Product overview
common inc. offers a portfolio of 8 distinct products organized across 3 categories: SaaS on AI, Marketing, and DX/HR solutions. The AI-powered SaaS suite includes Kuruma AI (automotive AI agent), Nigoori (supply chain management), GENKA (factory cost calculation), and HOKYU (parts replenishment management). Marketing services comprise MotoMarke (domestic digital marketing) and Borderless Marketing (cross-border digital marketing). DX and HR solutions include common.DX (SME DX support) and Wheels (automotive talent recruitment). The products target the automotive industry primarily, with some services (common.DX, MotoMarke expansion) serving broader industries including manufacturing, retail, and construction. The portfolio is designed to address profit optimization through cost reduction (AI/IT-driven), revenue creation (DX-driven), and systematic profit design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kuruma AI: AI agent specialized for the automotive industry, supporting sales forecasting, vehicle allocation, operations, and regulatory research.
- Nigoori
- GENKA
- HOKYU
- モトemarks (Motomarke)
- Borderless Marketing
- common.DX
- ウィールズ (Wheels)
Products and services
- Kuruma AI AI-powered conversational agent specialized for the automotive industry. Provides decision support for vehicle sales forecasting, allocation table creation (荷繰り表), business operations, and regulatory compliance research through dialogue-based interaction. Designed for automotive distributors, dealers, and service operations teams that need on-demand answers for sales, service, and inventory decisions.
- Nigoori SaaS platform for automotive supply chain management that consolidates inventory, sales data, and AI-powered demand forecasting. Features API integrations with SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365, an AI analytics dashboard, and an optional BPO data entry service (Nigoori BPO Plan). Built for automotive importers and distributors seeking to centralize supply chain data and apply AI-based forecasting and optimization.
- GENKA Factory cost calculation and analysis SaaS that automates work-in-progress management and cost tracking, reducing monthly cost closing from 3-5 days to within 1 day. Designed for automotive assembly and parts manufacturing plants that need faster and more accurate production cost visibility.
- HOKYU Parts replenishment management SaaS for automotive parts inventory. Manages tens of thousands of parts SKUs, reduces stockout rates, and stabilizes gross profit through data-driven inventory optimization. Targeted at parts operations and after-sales supply chains in the automotive industry.
- Motomarke (モトマーケ) Domestic BtoB and BtoC digital marketing service initially specialized for automotive dealers, used car sellers, repair shops, and parts retailers, now expanded to additional industries. Provides SEO, advertising operations, social media, website production, and content creation as a one-stop offering. Built for automotive and SMB marketers needing integrated digital customer acquisition.
- Borderless Marketing Cross-border digital marketing service supporting companies entering the Japanese market or expanding overseas. Provides multilingual execution in Japanese, English, and Chinese including SEO, performance advertising, landing page creation, and content strategy. Built for foreign companies entering Japan and Japanese companies expanding globally that need localized, trilingual digital marketing.
- common.DX Digital transformation support service for small and medium-sized enterprises facing labor shortages and IT adoption challenges. Provides immediate diagnosis of profit challenges through five key metrics, with one-stop delivery of system development, web-based customer acquisition, and on-site operational improvement. Targeted at SMEs in manufacturing, retail, and construction industries that need an integrated, low-friction DX partner.
- Wheels (ウィールズ) Automotive industry-specialized high-class talent recruitment service. Connects automotive companies with experienced professionals using domain-specific knowledge to address executive and technical hiring needs within the automotive sector.
- Nigoori BPO Plan Outsourced data entry BPO service for Nigoori users. Common's team handles all data input on behalf of the customer to reduce operational burden and free internal staff for analysis and improvement work. Priced from 50,000 yen per month.
Quantifiable outcome
- Monthly cost closing reduced from 3-5 days to within 1 day (GENKA)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Common
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Common technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability9 records
Feature5 records
Common partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Renault Japan (ルノー・ジャボン株式会社)coreStrategic partnership established in September 2021 for joint development of Nigoori SaaS - an automotive distribution DX solution. Renault Japan serves as a development partner, sharing business and management challenges while common develops the system. The partnership aims to serve automotive distributors domestically and internationally upon completion.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Common competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ABEJA: Japanese AI platform company offering AI/ML infrastructure, analytics, and digital transformation services to enterprises. Comparable for the AI-first SaaS platform positioning and DX consulting offering common provides through common.DX and Kuruma AI.
- Septeni Holdings: Japanese digital advertising and marketing holding company with strong SEO and performance marketing capabilities. Comparable for the digital marketing services line and similar mid-market and enterprise client base.
- Abeam Consulting: Major Japanese management and IT consulting firm with a strong digital transformation practice serving automotive and manufacturing clients. Comparable for the DX consulting motion (similar to common.DX) and enterprise customer base, though much larger.
- CDK Global: Global provider of automotive dealer management systems (DMS) and SaaS to OEMs and dealers worldwide. Comparable as automotive-vertical SaaS serving dealers and distributors, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than common.
- BrainPad: Established Japanese AI and data analytics consulting firm serving enterprise clients across industries. Comparable for its AI/data consulting orientation and enterprise sales motion, though broader in industry focus than common's automotive specialization.
- trans-cosmos: Large Japanese BPO and digital marketing services company with significant automotive industry client work. Comparable for the combination of BPO/data-entry services and digital marketing, similar to common's Nigoori BPO Plan and Motomarke offerings.
- CARTA HOLDINGS: Japanese digital marketing and advertising technology holding company. Comparable for its multi-line digital marketing services and data-driven approach, though significantly larger and broader than common.
Direct peers
- SmartDrive: Japanese mobility data and SaaS company offering telematics, fleet management, and driver-behavior analytics. Directly comparable as a Japanese SaaS business focused on the automotive/mobility vertical, with enterprise customers and data-driven products addressing Japanese fleets and OEMs.
- iRep: Japanese digital marketing agency known for SEO retainer services and integrated marketing analytics for SMB and mid-market clients. Closely matches common's Motomarke and Borderless Marketing service offerings, pricing models, and target segments.
Emerging players
- Tekion: US-based automotive retail SaaS platform for dealers, built cloud-native with integrated CRM, inventory, and consumer-facing tools. Comparable as a modern cloud-native SaaS serving automotive dealers, though focused on the US market and larger dealers than common's typical customer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Common social profiles
Digital presenceCommon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Common financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Common funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common 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 Common
What does Common do?
common inc. develops and operates AI-powered SaaS products and digital marketing services primarily for the Japanese automotive industry. Its core offerings include Nigoori (automotive supply chain management SaaS with AI forecasting), Kuruma AI (automotive-specialized conversational AI agent), GENKA (factory cost calculation SaaS), and HOKYU (parts inventory management SaaS), sold via subscriptions to automotive importers, dealers, and manufacturers. Complementary offerings include Motomarke domestic digital marketing, Borderless Marketing cross-border marketing, common.DX SME DX consulting, and Wheels automotive-specialized recruitment services.
Is Common a public or private company?
Common is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Common founded?
Common was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Common based?
Common is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Common make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Marketing Services, DX Consulting and Implementation, talent Introduction Services and nigoori BPO Plan.
Who are Common's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ABEJA, Septeni Holdings, Abeam Consulting, CDK Global, BrainPad, trans-cosmos and CARTA HOLDINGS. Direct peers are SmartDrive and iRep. Tekion is listed as an emerging player.
Does Common have an API?
Yes. Nigoori provides API integration with enterprise ERP systems including SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365, enabling existing systems to leverage AI analysis and sales forecasting directly within their current infrastructure.
What industry is Common in?
Common's product category is Automotive Industry SaaS. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFADAK, Automotive Parts & Accessories Online Retailers. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 5734.