Dracon
Dracon operates DRACON, a cloud-based, self-serve freight matching platform connecting Japanese trucking carriers directly with shippers to bypass intermediary commissions. Run by Kabushiki Kaisha Evolution, the subscription service targets SMB trucking companies primarily in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNishio, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dracon does
Dracon is a self-serve, web-based freight matching platform serving the Japanese trucking industry, operated by Kabushiki Kaisha Evolution (株式会社エボリューション), a private corporation founded on December 25, 2006, and headquartered in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture. Under the brand DRACON, the platform connects carriers (求車) directly with shippers (求荷) without intermediary brokers, targeting SMB licensed trucking companies and cargo owners looking to avoid the commissions historically extracted by intermediaries (水屋) and to access fair freight pricing. As of September 2022, the operating company reported 38 employees and a capital base of 15,000,000 JPY, with adjacent business lines in job referral and worker dispatch (職業紹介、労働者派遣事業).
The product is a cloud-based matching service differentiated by a "narrow-and-deep" (狭く深く) methodology that contrasts with the "broad-and-shallow" information diffusion model used by conventional 求荷求車 platforms. Notable technical components include detailed upfront data input to maximize match precision, a duplicate-information prevention system, a minimum freight-rate enforcement mechanism to suppress race-to-bottom pricing, image-based cargo registration, relay/中間輸送 support for long-haul efficiency, and one-click transmission of dispatch and vehicle data (車番) to replace phone-based coordination. The platform is web-only (no mobile app, no public API) and operates as a fully self-service product with approximately 3-minute online registration.
DRACON monetizes via a flat monthly subscription of 8,800 JPY (tax excluded), beginning after a 3-month free trial, with no transaction or success fees on freight matches and no cancellation penalty. The go-to-market is product-led growth (PLG): users register and adopt without sales intervention, supported by instructional videos segmented for carriers and shippers, organic SEO on the company domain, and content marketing. Public scale signals are minimal — a single named SMB case-study customer (株式会社三ヶ根運輸 / Mikane Transport) — and the company has no disclosed funding, partnerships, M&A, or revenue figures, indicating an early-stage operation confined primarily to Aichi Prefecture.
Dracon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dracon
- Legal name
- 株式会社エボリューション
- Website
- https://dracon-web.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dracon operates DRACON, a cloud-based, self-serve freight matching platform connecting Japanese trucking carriers directly with shippers to bypass intermediary commissions. Run by Kabushiki Kaisha Evolution, the subscription service targets SMB trucking companies primarily in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dracon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Matching Platform
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drayage & Intermodal Truck Transfer (Port/Rail Ramp) (TLACACAE)
Keywords
Where Dracon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nishio
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dracon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Monthly subscription fee: The primary revenue stream is a flat monthly subscription fee of 8,800 JPY (tax excluded) charged to carrier and shipper members from month 4 onward. The first 3 months are free. There is no transaction fee or success-based commission on freight matches. Cancellation is allowed at any time without penalty.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free trial (3 months) — no charge |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard subscription — 8,800 JPY/month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Dracon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DRACON is a web-based freight matching platform that directly connects carriers (trucking companies, including general freight vehicles and light cargo vehicles) and shippers (cargo owners) in Japan, bypassing traditional intermediary brokers. The platform allows registered carriers to post available capacity and shippers to post available freight, with features including consolidated cargo registration with image support, relay transport support, automatic freight matching and duplicate prevention, and one-click dispatch with vehicle information transmission. The service is priced at 8,800 JPY/month (tax excluded) with a 3-month free trial and no cancellation penalty, applying a minimum freight rate to prevent race-to-bottom pricing.
Product overview
DRACON is a single unified freight matching platform for the Japanese trucking industry, operated by 株式会社エボリューション (Evolution Co., Ltd.). The platform connects trucking companies (実運送会社) directly with shippers (荷主) without intermediary brokers, featuring fair pricing controls, consolidated cargo registration, and relay transport support. Registration is free for the first 3 months, followed by a monthly fee of 8,800 yen (tax included).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DRACON (Freight Matching Platform) Cloud-based freight matching platform that connects carriers (trucking companies, including general freight vehicles and light cargo vehicles) and shippers (cargo owners) directly in Japan, eliminating intermediary brokers. Features include consolidated cargo registration with image support, relay transport support, automatic freight matching with duplicate prevention, one-click dispatch and vehicle information transmission, and a minimum freight rate enforcement mechanism. Priced at 8,800 JPY/month (tax excluded) with a 3-month free trial and no cancellation penalty.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3-month free trial with no cancellation penalty reduces risk for new users to adopt the platform
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Dracon
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dracon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Dracon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Dracon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hafny (ハーボロット / HafnyLogi): Japan-based digital freight matching platform for truck operators and shippers. Directly comparable product/customer set to DRACON with a similar focus on connecting carriers and shippers via a web/app marketplace.
- Transfix: US digital freight broker connecting shippers to truck capacity via a technology-driven marketplace. Directly comparable in product category and serves as a useful proxy for the direction DRACON could scale its matching and pricing technology.
- PickGo: Japanese on-demand freight and same-day delivery matching platform connecting shippers directly with carriers. Closest Japan-based analog to DRACON, operating a similar self-serve two-sided marketplace model in the domestic road-freight segment.
- Loadsmart: US digital freight broker offering full-truckload and intermodal matching plus automated pricing. Comparable as a technology-led freight-matching intermediary serving shippers and carriers, though broader in service scope than DRACON.
- NEXT Trucking: US-based digital freight marketplace connecting shippers with truck carriers. Directly comparable business model and technology approach, with broader product features but analogous matching-platform mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- Flexport: Global digital freight forwarder offering end-to-end logistics across ocean, air, and road. Broader in scope than DRACON, but represents the same shift toward technology-led disintermediation of traditional logistics intermediaries that DRACON pursues in the Japanese trucking market.
- Uber Freight: Global digital freight brokerage and matching platform operated by Uber. While broader in scope and geography, it represents the same fundamental product category (carrier-shipper matching) at scale, and serves as a useful benchmark for platform economics.
Regional players
- GoGoX (formerly GogoVan): Asia-Pacific on-demand vehicle and freight matching platform, primarily active in Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asian markets. Comparable business model (two-sided marketplace for transport jobs) but operates in different geographies than DRACON's Japan-only footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dracon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dracon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Dracon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dracon 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 Dracon
What does Dracon do?
DRACON is a web-based freight matching platform that directly connects carriers (trucking companies, including general freight vehicles and light cargo vehicles) and shippers (cargo owners) in Japan, bypassing traditional intermediary brokers. The platform allows registered carriers to post available capacity and shippers to post available freight, with features including consolidated cargo registration with image support, relay transport support, automatic freight matching and duplicate prevention, and one-click dispatch with vehicle information transmission. The service is priced at 8,800 JPY/month (tax excluded) with a 3-month free trial and no cancellation penalty, applying a minimum freight rate to prevent race-to-bottom pricing.
Is Dracon a public or private company?
Dracon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dracon founded?
Dracon was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dracon based?
Dracon is headquartered in Nishio, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Dracon make money?
One revenue line is on record: monthly subscription fee.
Who are Dracon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hafny (ハーボロット / HafnyLogi), Transfix, PickGo, Loadsmart and NEXT Trucking. Broad incumbents are Flexport and Uber Freight. GoGoX (formerly GogoVan) is listed as a regional player.
Does Dracon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dracon.
What industry is Dracon in?
Dracon's product category is Freight Matching Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACACAE, Drayage & Intermodal Truck Transfer (Port/Rail Ramp). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.