What DRD4 Co does

DRD4 Co (DRD4株式会社) is a Tokyo-based automotive fintech founded in May 2022 that operates Enkilo (エンキロ), a distance-based car lease subscription platform in Japan. The core proposition restructures how Japanese consumers pay for personal vehicles: customers pay a fixed monthly base fee calibrated to a high residual value, plus variable per-kilometer charges calculated from actual driving distance, rather than the flat-rate structures of traditional leases that assume 1,000–1,500 km/month. This directly targets the structural mismatch in the Japanese market, where the average driver covers only ~370 km/month, causing most consumers to overpay for unused capacity. The platform offers new vehicles from all major Japanese OEMs (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Lexus) plus imported brands (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, MINI, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroën) and a used-car inventory of 300+ units, with lease terms ranging from 3 to 11 years.

The technology layer is built around a proprietary telematics-based billing and pricing calculation system, which has been granted two patents (September 2025 on the fee calculation system; March 2026 on the billing processing system for distance-charged auto finance). The customer journey is digital-first: a ~5-minute online application, followed by phone/online consultation with car-life planners recruited from domestic auto dealerships and finance companies. Physical service delivery — inspections, maintenance, repairs — is fulfilled through a nationwide partner network of approximately 15,000 service locations, eliminating the need for DRD4 to own service centers. The company also operates car-finance.jp, a content platform that educates consumers on car financing concepts and supports top-of-funnel acquisition. Supporting products include optional maintenance packs (light and full), Enkilo Lease Insurance (launched January 2025, covering early-termination penalties from accident or theft), KeePer coating services, and a custom-car program.

The business model is recurring subscription: a monthly base fee plus variable per-km charges, with add-on revenue from maintenance, insurance, accessories, and coating. The primary customer segment is individual consumers who are short-distance or weekend drivers, with secondary segments in small business owners/SOHO and a corporate/fleet channel launched in March 2026. DRD4 is privately held and venture-backed at founding by CyberAgent Capital, W Fund, Nissay Capital, East Ventures, Norinchukin Capital, Mobile Internet Capital, United Inc., and DG Resona Ventures. The company has been recognized by Forbes Japan (2024 Notable Japanese Startups 100) and received the 2024 Good Design Award from the Japan Design Promotion Association.

Name

DRD4 Co

Legal name

DRD4株式会社

Website

https://yenkilo.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DRD4 Co operates Enkilo, a Japan-based distance-based car lease subscription platform charging a monthly base fee plus per-kilometer usage fees, targeting short-distance and weekend drivers underserved by traditional fixed-fee leases. Founded 2022 in Tokyo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Distance-based car leasing services

NAICS

Passenger Car Leasing (532112), Passenger Car Rental (532111), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Auto & Vehicle Leasing (Personal Use) (FSAKANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Used Vehicle Leasing (Pre-Owned Lease Programs) (TLABAAAG)

Keywords

• Distance-based car leasing
• Pay-per-kilometer auto lease
• Subscription car lease
• Corporate fleet leasing
• Used car leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Distance-Based Car Lease (距離払いカーリース): Primary revenue stream. Customers pay a fixed monthly base fee plus variable per-kilometer charges. The base fee is set based on a high residual value assumption, keeping monthly payments low. Additional revenue comes from optional maintenance packs, insurance products, and accessories. The model aligns costs with actual usage, targeting short-distance and weekend drivers who traditionally overpay in standard fixed-fee leases.
2. Maintenance and Related Services: Optional light and full maintenance packs, KeePer coating services, and other accessories are offered as add-ons to the base lease. These services contribute additional recurring and one-time revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DRD4 Co operates Enkilo, a distance-based car lease subscription service where customers pay a fixed monthly base fee plus variable per-kilometer charges for actual usage. The service offers new domestic vehicles across all major Japanese brands (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Lexus), imported cars (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, MINI, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroen), and over 300 used vehicles, with flexible lease terms of 3-11 years. Supporting offerings include optional maintenance packs, proprietary Enkilo Car Lease Insurance, KeePer coating services, custom car programs, and Business Contract Plans launched for corporate fleet customers.

Product overview

Enkilo operates as a distance-based car lease subscription platform where customers pay a monthly base fee plus per-kilometer charges. The core offering is the Enkilo distance-based car lease service, which allows selection from new domestic vehicles (all Japanese manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Lexus), imported vehicles, and used cars. Supporting services include maintenance packs, specialized lease insurance, KeePer coating services, and custom car programs. The company also publishes a car-finance magazine and provides car-life planner consultation services. Business contract plans were launched in March 2026 for corporate customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YenKilo: Distance-based car lease service where customers pay base monthly fee plus per-kilometer charges.
• car-finance.jp

Products and services

• Enkilo Distance-based Car Lease A subscription car lease service where customers pay a fixed monthly base fee plus per-kilometer charges for actual usage. Covers new domestic vehicles (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Lexus), imported cars (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, MINI, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroen), and used vehicles. Lease terms of 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 years. Automobile tax, weight tax, compulsory insurance, and registration fees are included in the base plan. Application takes about 5 minutes online, with home delivery included.
• Enkilo Business Contract Plans Corporate-focused distance-based car lease plans for business customers managing vehicle fleets or providing vehicles to employees, with usage-based cost structures tailored for corporate fleet needs.
• Domestic and Imported Used Car Leasing Used car leasing and sales offerings covering domestic Japanese used vehicles and imported used vehicles, with over 300 units in used car inventory offered on the same distance-based pricing model.
• Maintenance Pack Services Optional Light Maintenance Pack and Full Maintenance Pack covering vehicle inspection, maintenance, and registration services. Available at more than 15,000 service locations nationwide across Japan.
• Enkilo Car Lease Insurance Specialized lease insurance that compensates for cancellation penalties in case of accidents or theft, included as part of the Enkilo lease service offering.
• KeePer Coating Service Vehicle coating service offered through partnership with KeePer for vehicle appearance protection, offered as an accessory option through Enkilo's maintenance network.
• Custom Car Program Custom vehicle offerings for customers seeking personalized vehicle configurations, available through the Enkilo platform.
• Car-Life Planner Consultation Consultation service provided by car lifestyle planners (former automotive dealership and finance professionals) who advise on vehicle selection, insurance, financing options, and plan comparisons through phone or online meetings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customers can save up to 1,000km worth of charges compared to competitors in some cases

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 全国15,000箇所のメンテナンスnetwork (15,000 Maintenance Network Locations)coreOthersA nationwide maintenance partner network covering approximately 15,000 service locations across Japan, enabling EnKilo customers to access maintenance and inspection services throughout the country.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance: Major Japanese leasing company with automotive leasing exposure. Director Shinji Nagamine's prior employer provides relevant operational comparison as a large incumbent lessor with traditional lease products.
• ORIX Auto Corporation: One of Japan's largest auto leasing and rental operators, offering both consumer and corporate leasing plus fleet management. Comparable to DRD4 in consumer auto leasing but with vastly larger scale, captive financing, and a broad fleet management portfolio rather than a single usage-based pricing differentiator.
• Honda Financial Services: Honda's captive finance and leasing arm offering consumer auto leases in Japan. Comparable in product category (consumer auto leasing) but as an OEM-backed incumbent with traditional fixed-fee structures rather than DRD4's usage-based model.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service: Major Japanese auto leasing company (SMBC group affiliate) operating consumer and corporate leasing plus fleet management. Comparable activity but at much larger scale and with traditional lease structures, not a usage-based differentiator.
• Nissan Financial Services: Nissan's captive leasing and finance arm for retail and corporate customers in Japan. Overlaps with DRD4 in consumer auto leasing but with traditional fixed-fee lease products and OEM-supplied inventory scale.
• NTT TC Leasing (NTTファイナンス): Large Japanese leasing subsidiary of NTT, with consumer and corporate auto leasing products. Comparable in leasing activity but operates as a broad incumbent across multiple equipment categories rather than specializing in distance-based consumer auto leasing.

Direct peers

• KINTO: Toyota's mobility and subscription leasing brand offering fixed-fee vehicle subscriptions across Japan. Most direct comparator to Enkilo given overlapping consumer leasing focus, Toyota-aligned inventory, and subscription-style contracts; KINTO has the OEM backing and balance sheet DRD4 lacks.

Emerging players

• SmartDrive: Japanese telematics and fleet management platform serving mobility and leasing operators with connected-car data and SaaS tooling. Adjacent competitor and potential technology partner to DRD4 given shared interest in usage-based data from vehicle fleets.
• Carstay / Outdoors-style auto subscription startups: Japanese mobility and vehicle subscription startups operating at the consumer/lifestyle end of the market. Comparable as emerging subscription-model peers in the Japanese consumer mobility space, though typically more niche than DRD4's nationwide leasing offering.

Others

• SOMPO Holdings (SOMPO Mobility / insurance): Major Japanese insurance group with growing mobility and connected-car initiatives, including auto insurance offerings. Adjacent to DRD4 through Enkilo Lease Insurance; could be a future B2B partner or competitor in usage-based insurance tied to leasing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 DRD4 Co