SBI Art Auction

What SBI Art Auction does

SBI Art Auction Co., Ltd. (SBIアートオークション) is a Tokyo-based art auction house operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SBI Holdings (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 8473), one of Japan's largest online financial services conglomerates. Founded in 2015, the company runs a recurring auction program — 2 to 4 events per year — anchored by its flagship 'Modern and Contemporary Art' series, with the 82nd auction completed in July 2026 featuring 397 lots across two days at the Hillside Forum venue in Daikanyama, Tokyo. Its technology stack comprises a digital online catalogue with artist, category, and estimate-based filtering, a proprietary live-streaming bidding platform (live.sbiartauction.co.jp) for real-time remote participation, and a customer registration/account portal. The platform supports both in-person bidding at physical Tokyo venues and remote online bidding via live video, with auction lots spanning paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, and design objects at estimates ranging from JPY 50,000 to JPY 50,000,000.

The company generates revenue primarily through buyer premiums and seller commissions on successful auction transactions, supplemented by private sale commissions (プライベートセール), art-backed finance and lending services, and auction event consulting. Consignment and valuation services are provided free of charge to attract sellers, with specialists producing estimates and reserve recommendations to optimize sale outcomes. Go-to-market is hybrid — event-driven through scheduled auctions coupled with a consultative sales motion — and the company maintains separate service tracks for individual and corporate collectors. Specialty auction categories have been layered onto the flagship program over time, including NFT (2021), Bloom Now (2023), Tokyo Contemporary: Redefined (2024), Fine & Rare Wines, and Modern Legacy. Marketing spans a multilingual website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletters, press coverage in domestic art publications (美術手帖, アートコレクターズ, 月刊美術), and gallery/dealer referral networks, with cross-promotion leverage from the SBI Holdings parent brand.

Name

SBI Art Auction

Legal name

SBI Art Auction Co., Ltd.

Website

https://www.sbiartauction.co.jp/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SBI Art Auction is a Tokyo-based art auction house and wholly-owned subsidiary of SBI Holdings, conducting recurring modern and contemporary art auctions in Tokyo with live-streamed remote bidding, and offering adjacent private sales, valuations, and art finance services to individual collectors, corporate clients, and galleries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Auction Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Art auction services
• Modern contemporary art
• Private art sales
• Artwork valuations
• Art finance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission: The company earns commissions on successful art sales at auction. Sellers pay consignment fees based on sale price, with estimates and reserve prices set to optimize outcomes. The company takes a percentage of the final sale price as compensation for facilitating transactions.
2. Private Sales Commission: Private sale (委託販売) services where the company acts as intermediary for direct collector-to-collector or collector-to-institution sales outside of auction setting, earning commission on successful transactions
3. Artwork Valuation Services: Valuation services provided to consignors, free of charge for auction consignment, with specialists providing estimates (エスティメイト) and reserve price recommendations to help sellers achieve optimal sale outcomes
4. Finance Services: Art-related financial services including lending against artwork as collateral and other art finance solutions for collectors and corporate clients

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SBI Art Auction operates a Japanese art auction house conducting scheduled modern and contemporary art auctions (2-4 per year, ~200-400 lots each) at physical Tokyo venues and via a proprietary live-streaming platform. Complementary services include private sales (consignment), specialist artwork valuations, art-backed finance/lending, and auction event consulting, with separate tailored programs for individual collectors and corporate clients.

Product overview

SBI Art Auction operates as an art auction platform offering multiple auction event series and related services. The core offering includes the Modern and Contemporary Art flagship auction series, LIVE STREAM AUCTION for remote participation, and specialized events like Bloom Now, Modern Legacy, and Tokyo Contemporary: Redefined. The platform also offers digital services including an online catalog for browsing lots and bidding, a live auction platform for real-time participation, and assessment/valuation services. Additional services include private sales (consignment), finance options, auction event consulting, and specialty auctions for NFTs and fine wines. Services are segmented for individual collectors and corporate clients, all under the SBI Holdings group umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modern and Contemporary Art Auction Flagship recurring auction series featuring modern and contemporary artworks (20th century onward), including paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, and ceramics, held at Hillside Forum in Tokyo with ~200-400+ lots per event.
• LIVE STREAM AUCTION Live-streamed auction format enabling real-time remote bidding via the company's proprietary live.sbiartauction.co.jp platform with online catalog and condition information.
• Private Sales (委託販売) Private sale and consignment service for artworks bought and sold outside the public auction setting, with specialist consultation for discreet collector-to-collector or collector-to-institution transactions.
• Artwork Valuations (買取査定) Professional artwork valuation and appraisal service conducted by specialists, providing estimates and reserve price recommendations for consignors based on artist, size, technique, year, exhibition history, condition, and comparable sales.
• Art Finance Services Financial services related to art purchases and consignment arrangements, including lending against artwork as collateral for collectors and corporate clients.
• Auction Event Consulting Consulting services for planning and executing auction events for institutional clients.
• Bloom Now Auction Curated auction event series featuring contemporary artists and emerging works.
• Modern Legacy Auction Auction series focusing on important Japanese collections of 20th and 21st century masters, including dedicated single-collection sales.
• Tokyo Contemporary: Redefined Auction Specialized auction event focusing on contemporary art from Tokyo.
• NFT Auction Specialized auction category for non-fungible tokens and digital artworks.
• Fine & Rare Wines Auction Specialty auction category for fine and rare wines.
• For Individuals Service Program Art auction and related services (consignment, valuation, finance, private sale) packaged and tailored for individual collectors.
• For Corporations Service Program Art auction and related services (volume consignment management, advisory, confidentiality, corporate collections) packaged and tailored for corporate clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 396 works featured in flagship July 2026 Modern and Contemporary Art auction
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mainichi Auction: One of Japan's largest art auction houses, also focused on modern and contemporary art with regular Tokyo auction events. Directly comparable in business model, geography, and target consignor/collector base to SBI Art Auction.
• Shinwa Art Auction: Japanese auction house specializing in modern and contemporary art, holding regular Tokyo-based sales with online bidding. Competes head-to-head with SBI Art Auction for Japanese consignors and collectors.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's: Global incumbent auction house with a deep presence in modern and contemporary art, including major Asian sale events. Comparable business model and category but vastly larger scale, brand recognition, and geographic reach.
• Christie's: One of the world's two dominant art auction houses, with significant Asian operations including Hong Kong sale rooms. Same core auction commission business model, vastly broader geographic and category coverage than SBI.
• Phillips Auctioneers: International auction house with strong focus on contemporary art and 20th-century design. Direct overlap with SBI's flagship Modern and Contemporary Art category but global scale and deeper buyer network.
• Bonhams: Global auction house covering modern, contemporary, and Asian art categories. Comparable transactional auction model with broader geographic footprint than SBI Art Auction's Japan-only operations.

Emerging players

• YOD Group: Japanese art advisory and auction-adjacent firm focused on contemporary art curation and collector services. Partial overlap with SBI in the Japanese modern/contemporary segment with a more boutique, advisory-led positioning.
• Artnet: Online art marketplace and auction platform with global coverage of modern and contemporary works. Comparable technology-enabled art transaction model with much larger online bidder base, though auction events are less central to its business.

Regional players

• Heritage Auctions: US-headquartered auction house with growing presence in Asian art and modern/contemporary categories. Comparable auction house transactional model but primarily serves a different geographic market than SBI's Japan-only footprint.
• Seoul Auction: Korean auction house specializing in modern and contemporary Asian art with regional East Asian bidder base. Comparable auction house model targeting Asian collectors, operating in an adjacent but non-overlapping geography from SBI Art Auction.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC32a7MUOI-xI1DY-CghG-KA
• Facebookfacebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/SBI-Art-Auction/1432777986933623
• Instagraminstagram.com/sbiartauction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SBI Art Auction