Cetras
Cetras Inc. (株式会社セトラス) operates a Japan-based citizen-participatory dashcam video distribution platform connecting networked vehicle dashcams with municipal police, insurance companies, and road managers. Its CETRAS Biz, GARRECO, and Mirudora products serve government, consumer, and public audiences respectively.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersShinkawa, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Cetras does
Cetras Inc. (株式会社セトラス) is a Tokyo-based startup founded on August 17, 2021, that operates a citizen-participatory dashcam video distribution platform. The company connects network-enabled vehicle dashcams (branded CETRA LINK) to law enforcement and municipal authorities, enabling drivers to contribute dashcam footage relevant to incidents, accidents, and traffic investigations. Cetras operates three named products: CETRAS Biz, a B2B SaaS platform through which municipalities and police search, order, and receive video evidence; GARRECO, a consumer mobile application that allows drivers to upload, review, and monetize their dashcam recordings; and Mirudora, a public-facing web browser that surfaces anonymized incident video. The company has also announced GAR Coin, a planned proprietary cryptocurrency intended to compensate citizens who contribute footage.
The business model is anchored on B2B SaaS licensing to police agencies and municipal governments, which pay for access to the platform's video ordering, authentication, and routing features. Consumers are compensated through points currently redeemable for Amazon gift cards, with a planned transition to GAR Coin-based rewards. Secondary customer segments include insurance companies (claim investigation) and road managers / urban planners, the latter accessed through a partnership with KAYABA established via the Sagamihara Innovation Gate program in December 2023. Initial capital was 1,000,000 JPY and no external venture funding or revenue figures have been publicly disclosed.
Cetras acquired the underlying CETRA business from Prime Servant in October 2021, which supplied the foundational intellectual property for the platform, and participated in Plug and Play Japan's Smart Cities accelerator in June 2024. The company has stated an intention to pursue a public listing within a five-year horizon. No headcount, revenue, or external funding figures have been disclosed in the available input data.
Cetras firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cetras
- Legal name
- 株式会社セトラス
- Website
- https://cetras.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Cetras Inc. (株式会社セトラス) operates a Japan-based citizen-participatory dashcam video distribution platform connecting networked vehicle dashcams with municipal police, insurance companies, and road managers. Its CETRAS Biz, GARRECO, and Mirudora products serve government, consumer, and public audiences respectively.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cetras industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Safety Video Platform
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- akta.pro industry
- Compliance, Privacy & Video Retention Management ServicesHome & Personal Services/Home Security, Alarm & Smart Home Services/Video Surveillance (CCTV) Systems & Monitoring
Keywords
Where Cetras is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shinkawa
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cetras business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Citizen Dashboard Rewards / Points System: Citizens who have their footage used receive points, which are redeemable for Amazon gift cards. This is a cost-per-acquisition model where rewards incentivize participation in the video-sharing network. Revenue offsets from police/municipal subscription fees or advertising within the Mirudora platform are implied but not detailed.
- Administrative Support Reward via Cryptocurrency (GAR Coin): A proposed new business model where local governments can compensate citizens for dashcam footage without requiring separate budget line items, using a cryptocurrency token (GAR Coin) to bridge the gap between administrative budget constraints and citizen compensation needs. The token is intended to solve the paradox of public-sector demand wanting free footage and citizens wanting sufficient reward for participation.
- CETRAS Platform Licensing / B2B SaaS: Municipalities and police departments subscribe to or license the CETRAS platform to issue footage requests and receive footage from the citizen network. Enterprise customers access via CETRAS Biz login. Revenue is generated through platform fees, potentially per-request or via subscription.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer citizens receive points for footage usage, redeemable for Amazon gift cards |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cetras product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cetras operates the CETRAS (Citizen Entry Type Record Application System) platform, a cloud-based video distribution system that networks CETRA LINK-compatible dashcams so authorized parties (police, municipal governments, insurers) can issue location/time-based footage requests and receive matching clips automatically. Citizens contribute dashcam footage via the GARRECO mobile app and earn usage-based rewards redeemable for Amazon gift cards, while institutional customers access the CETRAS Biz portal to manage requests and retrieve evidence.
Product overview
Cetras operates a unified platform-plus-application architecture built around its core CETRAS (Citizen Entry Type Record Application System) product — a citizen-participatory dashcam video distribution platform. On the consumer side, the GARRECO (ガルレコ) Android app allows citizens to record and contribute dashcam footage to the network. On the business/government side, CETRAS Biz provides a portal for law enforcement and municipalities to submit location/time-targeted video requests. A related public-facing video browsing site, Miludora (ミルドラ), makes a curated selection of footage accessible to general users. A nascent cryptocurrency-based incentive token, GAR Coin (ガルコイン), is also in development to compensate video contributors without requiring government budget outlays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GARコイン: 行政支援報酬暗号通貨。ドライブレコーダー映像提供の報酬対価として市民に還元する暗号通貨ベースの報酬システム。
- ミルドラ
- ガルレコ(GARRECO)
- CETRAS Biz
Products and services
- CETRAS Biz (B2B platform) Web-based B2B portal where police, municipal governments, and enterprise customers (insurers) log in, specify position and time parameters for footage requests, and receive matching dashcam clips from the citizen network automatically. Replaces manual dashcam evidence collection with rapid, distributed retrieval.
- GARRECO mobile app (Android) Consumer-facing Android application that records dashcam footage, receives network-delivered image orders from the CETRAS platform, automatically searches the device's local storage for matching segments, and submits them. Citizens can also voluntarily post recordings. Posted footage that is utilized earns points redeemable for Amazon gift cards.
- Miludora (ミラドラ) public video browsing site Publicly accessible website where anyone can browse a curated selection of dashcam footage from the CETRAS platform on a location basis, enabling pre-travel route confirmation, virtual moving recon, and virtual tourism.
- GAR Coin (ガルコイン) cryptocurrency compensation model A proposed cryptocurrency-based incentive mechanism that allows local governments to compensate citizens for dashcam footage through an administrative-support token, resolving the conflict between public-sector budget constraints and the need for meaningful contributor rewards.
Companies that use Cetras
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cetras technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Cetras partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Plug and Play JapanminorCETRAS was selected for Plug and Play Japan's Accelerator Program Summer/Fall 2024 Batch in the Smart Cities vertical. Participation provides access to exhibitions, pitch events, and potential corporate partnership opportunities. The program is described as supporting the company's exploration of opportunities to apply dashcam footage to smart city use cases such as public safety and disaster prevention.
- カヤバ株式会社 (KAYABA Co., Ltd.)coreIn the Sagamihara Innovation Gate open innovation competition (November 2023), Cetras was selected alongside KAYABA to conduct a joint proof-of-concept experiment from January–March 2024. The pilot combines KAYABA's road maintenance solutions with CETRAS's video distribution platform to test efficiency improvements in road inspection and urban infrastructure management, leveraging dashcam footage from citizens as a data source for road condition monitoring.
- CDRA (Collission Data Recorder Association / 衝突実験主办)minorCETRAS participated as a supporting company in a CDRA-organized collision experiment to test whether dashcam footage from nearby non-involved vehicles (passing traffic) could serve as admissible evidence in traffic accident litigation. The experiment evaluated whether CETRAS's approach of gathering footage from vehicles in the vicinity of an accident could reduce insurance company investigation costs and support faster claim processing.
- CETRA LINK compatible dashcam manufacturerscoreCETRAS relies on hardware partners to manufacture and sell CETRA LINK-compatible dashcams that are network-connectable. The company does not manufacture dashcams itself; it provides the platform, app, and network protocol while hardware partners produce compliant devices. Citizens must purchase these compatible dashcams to participate in the CETRAS network.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cetras competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Genetec: Genetec is a unified physical security platform providing video management, access control, and license plate recognition primarily for government and enterprise. Comparable to Cetras as a video management backbone for law enforcement and municipal security operations.
- Motorola Solutions: Motorola Solutions is a major public safety technology vendor with command center software, body cameras, and video evidence management. Comparable to Cetras as a large incumbent supplier of evidence and situational awareness infrastructure to police.
- Verkada: Verkada provides cloud-managed video surveillance and access control for enterprises and public sector. Compares to Cetras on the cloud video platform + AI analytics layer, though Verkada focuses on fixed enterprise cameras rather than crowdsourced dashcams.
- Axon Enterprise: Axon is a dominant US law enforcement technology company providing body cameras, digital evidence management, and its real-time operations platform (Axon Fusus). It is comparable to Cetras as a vendor of video evidence infrastructure and cloud platform for police, though much larger and operating a different capture source.
- Samsara: Samsara provides a connected operations cloud with dashcams, telematics, and AI-based video analysis for fleet and industrial customers. Comparable to Cetras on connected dashcam + cloud platform architecture, though serving commercial fleet rather than citizens.
- Eagle Eye Networks: Eagle Eye Networks delivers cloud-based video surveillance and AI analytics with a focus on cybersecurity and remote management. Comparable to Cetras as a cloud-native video management platform with API integrations for third-party cameras.
Emerging players
- BriefCam: BriefCam provides video analytics and investigation software for surveillance footage in security, safety, and operational efficiency use cases. Comparable to Cetras on the AI-driven video search and analytics layer for law enforcement evidence workflows.
- ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking): SoundThinking provides sensor-driven public safety intelligence, including gunshot detection, case management, and resource deployment. Comparable to Cetras as a tech-driven public safety evidence source feeding municipal and police decision-making.
Direct peers
- Lytx: Lytx is a leading dashcam telematics and fleet video platform using machine vision on commercial vehicle footage. Comparable to Cetras as a dashcam network ingesting driving footage for downstream analytics, with overlap in the insurance/risk use case.
- Flock Safety: Flock Safety operates a distributed network of license-plate-reading cameras and more recently video surveillance devices, with footage accessible to law enforcement. It is the closest analog to Cetras's model of a distributed citizen/municipal-fed surveillance network serving police investigations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cetras social profiles
Digital presenceCetras financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cetras leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cetras funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cetras 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 Cetras
What does Cetras do?
Cetras operates the CETRAS (Citizen Entry Type Record Application System) platform, a cloud-based video distribution system that networks CETRA LINK-compatible dashcams so authorized parties (police, municipal governments, insurers) can issue location/time-based footage requests and receive matching clips automatically. Citizens contribute dashcam footage via the GARRECO mobile app and earn usage-based rewards redeemable for Amazon gift cards, while institutional customers access the CETRAS Biz portal to manage requests and retrieve evidence.
Is Cetras a public or private company?
Cetras is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cetras founded?
Cetras was founded in 2021.
Where is Cetras based?
Cetras is headquartered in Shinkawa, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Cetras make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Citizen Dashboard Rewards / Points System is the primary driver. The others are administrative Support Reward via Cryptocurrency (GAR Coin) and CETRAS Platform Licensing / B2B SaaS.
Who are Cetras's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Genetec, Motorola Solutions, Verkada, Axon Enterprise, Samsara and Eagle Eye Networks. Emerging players are BriefCam and ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking). Direct peers are Lytx and Flock Safety.
Does Cetras have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cetras.
What industry is Cetras in?
Cetras's product category is Public Safety Video Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAHACAJ, Compliance, Privacy & Video Retention Management Services. Its NAICS code is 516210.