CAA

What CAA does

CAA Co., Ltd. (株式会社シーエーエー) operates one of Japan's largest used car wholesale auto auction networks, serving licensed used car dealers (中古車取扱業者) across the country. Founded in August 1987 and headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, the company runs four physical auction venues — Chubu (flagship, 10 lanes, 6,500-vehicle capacity), Tokyo (Kashiwa, Chiba, 6 lanes), Gifu (Hashima), and Tohoku (Shiwa, Iwate) — hosting weekly auctions for tens of thousands of dealer members. The Chubu venue hosts 1,000+ attending companies per event, with group-wide throughput exceeding 8,400 vehicles per auction session and approximately 400,000 vehicles listed annually.

The company's core technology stack comprises a proprietary multi-lane auction management system with an automated evaluation score calculation engine (評価点自動算定システム) that eliminates inspector variability, touch-panel multi-purpose terminals enabling industry's only 4-lane simultaneous bidding, tablet-based inspection (deployed April 2019 across all venues), automatic multi-angle photography with 360-degree panoramic interior imaging, and the TC-webΣ internet auction platform connecting 90+ venues nationwide for real-time remote bidding. A subsidiary, Sigma Networks, develops and operates TC-webΣ, while a smartphone app (TCアプリ, launched April 2020) extends mobile access. A 2005 capital and business partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Auto Works anchors CAA within the Toyota group ecosystem, enabling cross-network bidding between CAA and Toyota Auto Auction (TAA) venues.

CAA generates revenue primarily through per-vehicle auction transaction fees at both physical venues and via TC-webΣ, supplemented by a one-time 30,000 yen admission fee and 50,000 yen refundable deposit per member — with no recurring annual or monthly membership dues. Members must hold valid antiques dealer permits (古物商許可) to participate. Value-added services include vehicle preparation (Product Center / 商品化センター) and inter-venue transportation logistics (Sigma Transport Center / シグマ輸送センター). The company is led by President and Representative Director Saito Keita (斉藤啓太).

Name

CAA

Legal name

株式会社シーエーエー (CAA CO.,LTD.)

Website

https://caanet.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CAA (株式会社シーエーエー) operates one of Japan's largest wholesale used car auto auction networks, running four physical venues (Chubu, Tokyo, Gifu, Tohoku) and the TC-webΣ internet platform connecting 90+ venues for ~36,000 licensed used car dealer members, listing approximately 400,000 vehicles annually under a Toyota Motor capital partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Used Car Auto Auction Services

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dealer-to-Dealer (B2B) Vehicle Remarketing Networks (TLABAKAB), B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale auto auctions
• Used car auctions
• Online auction platform
• Vehicle inspection services
• B2B auto marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Toyota

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Transaction Fees: CAA generates revenue through transaction fees charged on successful auctions conducted at its physical venues and via the TC-webΣ internet platform. While specific fee rates are not disclosed, the model is transactional — fees apply per vehicle bought and sold. No annual or monthly membership fees are charged.
2. Membership Fees (入会金・保証金): One-time admission fee of 30,000 yen (excl. tax) and a deposit of 50,000 yen are required from each member. No recurring annual or monthly dues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAA operates a B2B wholesale used car auto auction network through four physical venues (Chubu, Tokyo, Gifu, Tohoku) and the TC-webΣ internet auction platform connecting 90+ venues nationwide. Licensed used car dealers list and purchase vehicles through multi-lane in-person auctions or remote online bidding, supported by automated vehicle inspection, evaluation scoring, and automated photography systems. The service is membership-based, generating revenue from per-transaction auction fees.

Product overview

CAA (株式会社シーエーエー) operates one of Japan's largest used car auto auction networks, consisting of four physical auction venues (Chubu, Tokyo, Gifu, Tohoku) and the internet auction platform TC-webΣ connecting 90+ venues nationwide. The core offering is the CAA Auto Auction, a membership-based wholesale market where dealers buy and sell used vehicles through competitive bidding. Each venue hosts weekly auctions with automated vehicle inspection, photography, and evaluation systems. The TC-webΣ platform enables remote online participation, extending auction access beyond physical venues. Supporting services include professional vehicle inspection with automated scoring, vehicle preparation (Product Center), and transportation logistics (Sigma Transport Center). The company was founded in 1987 and became part of the Toyota group through capital partnership in 2005.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TC-webΣ: Internet auction service enabling dealers to bid on vehicles from 90+ connected venues nationwide via office or home computers.
• TCアプリ

Products and services

• CAA Auto Auction (CAAオートオークション) Membership-based wholesale used car auction held weekly across CAA's four physical venues, where licensed dealers list and purchase vehicles through real-time multi-lane bidding supported by automated vehicle inspection, evaluation scoring, and photography systems.
• TC-webΣ (Internet Auction Platform) Internet auction service enabling CAA members to bid on vehicles from office or home PCs and smartphones, connecting to 90+ auction venues nationwide with real-time bidding, pre-auction inspection data access, automatic bidding capabilities, and integration with the TAA network.
• Vehicle Inspection Service (車両検査サービス) Professional vehicle inspection service performed by certified inspectors using strict evaluation criteria, with automated evaluation scoring to ensure objective and consistent assessments across all auction vehicles; results published as digital inspection reports.
• TC App (TCアプリ) Smartphone application for TC-webΣ members enabling mobile auction participation, vehicle inspection data access, and real-time notifications from anywhere.
• Product Center (商品化センター) Vehicle preparation service providing interior cleaning, body polishing, decal removal, and detailing before vehicles are listed for auction, ensuring presentation-ready condition for buyers.
• Sigma Transport Center (シグマ輸送センター) Vehicle transportation service handling logistics between CAA venues and providing carrier car reservation and transport inquiry services for delivered vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Auction events achieve listing volumes of 8,400+ vehicles across four venues in a single session
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• トヨタ自動車株式会社 (Toyota Motor Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2005Capital and business partnership established December 2005. Toyota Motor holds equity in CAA, strengthening CAA's position within the Toyota ecosystem and enabling cross-network membership with Toyota Auto Auction (TAA).
• 株式会社トヨタユーゼック (Toyota Auto Lease Co.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2005Capital and business partnership established December 2005. Toyota Auto Lease's T-web platform was integrated into TC-webΣ in 2014, enabling member mutualization between CAA and TAA networks and center sharing of auction systems.
• 株式会社シグマネットワークス (Sigma Networks)coreTechnology or IntegrationCAA's subsidiary operating the TC-webΣ internet auction platform. Sigma Networks (established November 2005) develops and manages the online auction infrastructure connecting CAA's venues with over 80 partner locations nationwide. Located at Kyobashi Office, Tokyo.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aucnet Inc. Japanese live and digital auction platform with automotive auction operations among other verticals. Comparable to CAA's TC-webΣ as a real-time internet auction infrastructure connecting multiple venues for B2B used vehicle transactions.
• USS Co., Ltd. Japan's largest auto auction operator with multiple physical venues and the USS network. Directly comparable to CAA as a wholesale used vehicle auction business serving licensed dealers, and the dominant scale benchmark CAA competes against domestically.
• Honda Auto Auction (HAA): Honda-affiliated wholesale auto auction service with venues across Japan. Comparable to CAA as a membership-based B2B auction for used vehicles, though affiliated with a single OEM.
• Toyota Auto Auction (TAA): Toyota-affiliated auto auction network operating five venues that are directly interconnected with CAA's TC-webΣ platform. Closest operational peer given the integrated member mutualization and cross-venue bidding, though TAA operates under Toyota Auto Lease rather than independently.
• Japan Auto Auction (JAA): Long-established Japanese auto auction operator partnered with CAA via internet auction connectivity since 2005. Comparable as a multi-venue wholesale auction operator serving licensed used car dealers.

Regional players

• Bay-Aucc Co., Ltd. Japanese used car auction venue connected to CAA's network since 2010 for mutual membership participation. Comparable as a smaller regional auction venue with cross-network integration, providing benchmark on partner-network economics.
• JU Corporation: Japanese auto auction operator running the JU入札ネット bidding platform and partnered with CAA since 2004. Comparable as a domestic dealer cooperative auction network, though smaller in scale than CAA's venues.

Broad incumbents

• Copart Inc. Global online auto auction platform with significant scale in salvage and used vehicles. Comparable to CAA's TC-webΣ as a digital-first wholesale auction business, though focused on insurance/salvage vehicles and North American markets.
• Manheim (Cox Automotive): Global leader in wholesale used vehicle auctions operating physical and digital channels. Comparable to CAA's auction model and venue-network approach, though Manheim is US-centric and operates within Cox Automotive's broader dealer-services portfolio.

Emerging players

• IDOM Inc. (Gulliver): Major Japanese used car retailer and dealer network that increasingly intermediates B2B and B2C vehicle transactions. Comparable to CAA as a competitive channel for used vehicle distribution, though IDOM owns retail inventory rather than operating an auction marketplace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caa-co.-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 CAA