What NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. does

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. is a Japanese publicly traded automotive retailer founded in December 1998 by Seiji Hirota and headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market in July 2013, was promoted to the First Section (later Prime Market) and is now dual-listed on the TSE Prime and Nagoya Stock Exchange Premier markets under ticker 3186.T. It operates a nationwide multi-format retail network covering Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa, selling new and used vehicles through General Stores (総合店), SUV specialty stores (SUV LAND), imported-car specialty stores (UNIVERSE), and authorized dealerships for Volvo, Audi, JAGUAR, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Maserati, BYD AUTO, and BMW. As of May 31, 2026, the company had 9,025 consolidated employees.

The business model spans the full automotive lifecycle. Revenue streams include one-time new and used vehicle sales (sourced largely through automobile auctions for the used-car business), recurring maintenance/inspection and repair services at general stores, used-car purchasing via standalone purchasing stores, on-site purchasing, and an app-based channel, insurance agency commissions, car exterior coating through subsidiary ASAP Co., Ltd., body paint and repair through subsidiary ADVANCE Co., Ltd., and car rental through subsidiary Universe Rent a Car Co., Ltd. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through physical retail, supplemented by Amazon Japan marketplace listings (since June 2014) and online/app-based purchasing. The primary customer segment is individual Japanese consumers seeking personal-use vehicles across price points and categories; a secondary segment serves corporate fleet and dealer-business customers.

FY2025 (year ended November 30, 2025) consolidated net sales were ¥652,072 million with operating profit of ¥19,597 million and profit attributable to owners of parent of ¥12,811 million. As of May 31, 2026, total assets were ¥256,338 million, net assets ¥84,792 million, and the equity ratio stood at 33.1%. Ownership is concentrated, with SMN Company, Ltd. holding 35.0% as the largest shareholder, while founder Seiji Hirota retains 2.1%; institutional holders include The Chase Manhattan Bank (7.6%), Japan Master Trust Bank (7.4%), and Sompo Japan Insurance (4.3%). Growth has been driven by a combination of organic store openings (notably new Volvo, Maserati, and BYD AUTO authorized dealerships) and acquisitions such as ALC Co., Ltd. in February 2024.

Name

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd.

Legal name

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd.

Website

https://ir.nextage.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. is a Japanese publicly traded automotive retailer headquartered in Nagoya, operating a nationwide network of new and used car dealerships plus authorized imported-car franchises. It sells vehicles, provides maintenance, insurance, and trade-in services to individual consumers across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New and Used Vehicle Sales: Sales of new vehicles (including imported car dealerships) and used vehicles through multiple retail store formats across Japan
2. Automobile Maintenance Services: Vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance services through general stores equipped with maintenance facilities
3. Used Car Purchasing: Purchase of used vehicles from customers through standalone purchasing stores, store-embedded purchasing, on-site purchasing, and app-based services
4. Insurance Agency: Sales of automobile insurance products as an insurance agency
5. Car Exterior Coating: Car coating services through subsidiary ASAP Co., Ltd.
6. Car Rental: Car rental services through subsidiary Universe Rent a Car Co., Ltd.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. operates a nationwide network of automotive retail stores across Japan, primarily selling new and used vehicles through multiple proprietary store formats including SUV LAND, UNIVERSE, and General Stores. The company also offers authorized dealerships for brands such as Volvo and Audi, alongside ancillary services including vehicle maintenance, repair, insurance agency, used car purchasing, automotive exterior coating (through subsidiary ASAP), and car rental (through Universe Rent a Car).

Product overview

NEXTAGE Co., Ltd. is an automobile retail company operating a multi-brand, multi-format business model. The company offers new and used vehicle sales, automobile maintenance, used car purchasing, and insurance agency services. Its product portfolio includes General Stores (総合店) offering comprehensive automotive services with rich inventories, SUV LAND specialty stores for SUV vehicles, and UNIVERSE stores specializing in imported used cars. Additionally, NEXTAGE operates authorized dealerships for imported new vehicle brands including Volvo, Audi, JAGUAR, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Maserati, BYD AUTO, and BMW through various subsidiaries. The company also provides car exterior coating services through its wholly-owned subsidiary ASAP Co., Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SUV LAND: Large-scale SUV specialty stores offering an experiential SUV car lifestyle
• UNIVERSE
• 総合店 (General Store)

Products and services

• Used Vehicle Sales (UNIVERSE / SUV LAND / General Store formats)
• New Vehicle Sales (Authorized Dealerships)
• Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Services

Quantifiable outcome

• High inventory turnover rate through 'freshness' management approach
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dealer Partners (Authorized Imported Car Dealerships)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNEXTAGE operates authorized dealerships for multiple imported vehicle brands including VOLVO, Audi, JAGUAR, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Maserati, BYD AUTO, and BMW. These are operated through wholly-owned subsidiaries and include brands handled by ALC Motors Group (BMW, Peugeot, Fiat, Abarth, Ferrari, Harley-Davidson, Jeep, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, MINI, DS automobiles).
• Amazon JapanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNEXTAGE began selling used vehicles on Amazon marketplace in June 2014, expanding sales channels for used vehicles beyond physical stores.
• Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLCcoreOthersDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC serves as the company's corporate auditor (有限責任監査法人トーマツ), providing independent financial auditing services.
• Trading Banks (MUFG, Mizuho, SMBC, Resona, Shizuoka, SBI Shinsei, Shinkin Central)coreOthersThe company maintains banking relationships with major Japanese financial institutions including MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Resona Bank, The Shizuoka Bank, SBI Shinsei Bank, and Shinkin Central Bank.
• School Corporation Toki Gakuen (学校法人土岐学園)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEXTAGE formed a business partnership with School Corporation Toki Gakuen in October 2019 to support technical training for automotive mechanics, helping to address recruitment of maintenance personnel.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation, Inc. Largest US automotive retailer with new/used vehicle sales, parts/service, and finance products across multiple franchise brands. Comparable to NEXTAGE's combined authorized imported-dealer portfolio plus general used-car stores.
• CarMax, Inc. Largest US used-car retailer with superstore format, in-house financing, and trade-in purchasing. Most established global benchmark for scaled, multi-format used-car retailing analogous to NEXTAGE's General Store / SUV LAND / UNIVERSE formats.
• USS Co., Ltd. Japan's largest operator of used-car auction sites (ticker 4732.T). Comparable as a key upstream used-car marketplace whose auction prices set industry-wide benchmarks that NEXTAGE's procurement costs and margins depend on.
• Lithia Motors, Inc. Large US franchised auto retailer with significant new and used vehicle operations plus digital channels (Driveway). Comparable on the breadth of new/used vehicle franchising and adjacent F&I services.

Emerging players

• Carvana Co. US online-first used-car retailer with home delivery and vending-machine pickup. Represents the digital-native model that could pressure traditional dealer economics; relevant as NEXTAGE's GTM remains predominantly physical.
• Droom Technology Pvt. Ltd. India's largest online used-vehicle marketplace with vehicle inspection, financing, and ancillary services. Emerging global peer highlighting how digital procurement/inspection tools are being deployed in used-car retail.

Regional players

• Carro: Asia-Pacific used-car marketplace and full-stack automotive platform operating primarily in Southeast Asia. Relevant regional peer illustrating how digital used-car platforms are scaling outside Japan.

Direct peers

• IDOM Inc. Japanese listed used-car retailer (formerly Gulliver International, ticker 3185.T) with a multi-format nationwide store network. Closely comparable to NEXTAGE on business model: multi-brand used-car sales, vehicle purchasing, and adjacent services.
• Bigmotor Co., Ltd. Major Japanese multi-brand used and new car dealer with a nationwide footprint. Direct competitor in retail used-car sales, maintenance, and vehicle purchasing; now under Bridgestone ownership following its 2023 governance crisis.

Others

• Cars.com Inc. US online automotive marketplace connecting consumers with dealers. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; relevant to NEXTAGE's exposure to digital demand-generation for used vehicles (no proprietary platform disclosed).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries14 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 NEXTAGE Co., Ltd.