What Carbon Link does

Carbon Link (カーボンリンク株式会社) is a Tokyo-based carbon credit trading infrastructure company operating across Japan's J-Credit, JCM, and GX-ETS markets. Founded in August 2023 as Kaguoku Inc. and rebranded to Carbonlink Inc. in June 2024, the company runs a three-product platform: the Carbon Offset Desk (a B2B procurement marketplace for corporate buyers seeking to offset Scope 1/2 emissions or comply with GX-ETS), the J-Credit Buyback Center (a direct purchase desk for credit holders seeking to monetize holdings via electronic contracts and 30-day payment terms), and OTC Hub (an over-the-counter intermediary trading platform launched June 2026, where Carbonlink acts as counterparty while maintaining end-client confidentiality through Chinese Wall separation). All transactions are verified against official public registries (J-Credit registry administered by METI/MOE/MAFF), and Carbon Link handles retirement (cancellation) documentation end-to-end.

The company's revenue model is transaction-based, capturing spread on buy-side sales, direct buyback purchases, and OTC intermediary matches, with reference prices linked to Tokyo Stock Exchange carbon market benchmarks (¥3,520–¥4,390/t-CO₂ for J-Credits as of July 2026). The company has accumulated ¥350M+ in cumulative transaction volume and 30,000 t-CO₂ in direct purchases, and serves Japanese enterprise customers including TSE Prime listed companies, general trading houses, e-commerce platforms, power companies, travel services, IT manufacturers, and public interest corporations. Distribution is hybrid: sales-led enterprise engagement for large-volume procurement combined with self-serve online platforms requiring member registration.

Supporting the core business is Carbonlink Research, a GX-focused research media outlet supervised by Representative Director Masuyama with 40+ articles establishing thought leadership in Japanese carbon markets, and Kaguoku AI, a self-service AI home staging tool (¥1,480 per image, five design styles) that serves real estate companies and represents a holdover from the original Kaguoku business. The company has completed three funding rounds (October 2023 seed, December 2024 second round, June 2026 Series A with DRG Fund as lead), with all amounts undisclosed; capital as of June 2026 stood at ¥76 million including capital reserves.

Name

Carbon Link

Legal name

カーボンリンク株式会社

Website

https://carbonlink.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carbon Link (Tokyo, Japan) operates a carbon credit trading infrastructure platform serving Japanese corporations through three services: a B2B procurement marketplace (Carbon Offset Desk), a J-Credit buyback desk, and an OTC intermediary trading platform (OTC Hub).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Trading Platform

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Credit Brokerage & Trading (Spot, Forward, Structured Products) (EUABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Registries & Issuance Platforms (Project/credit lifecycle, serials, issuance, retirement) (EUABAAAA), Carbon Exchanges & Trading Venues (Spot, forward, auction platforms) (EUABAAAB), Market Access, Connectivity & Trading Technology (APIs, OMS/EMS, FIX connectivity, venue gateways) (EUABAAAF), Carbon Market Data, Indexing & Price Reporting (Benchmarks, indices, market data feeds) (EUABAAAD), Project-Originated Carbon Credit Marketing & Offtake (Primary Market) (EUAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Carbon credit trading
• J-Credit brokerage
• Carbon offset procurement
• OTC trading platform
• AI home staging

Headquarters

HQ city

Minato

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Sales (Carbon Offset Desk): Revenue from selling carbon credits (J-Credits, JCM credits, GX-ETS allowances) to corporate buyers. Carbon Link acts as seller on the marketplace, with pricing per credit varying by type (renewable energy, energy efficiency, forestry, etc.) ranging from ¥3,520 to ¥4,390 per t-CO₂ as of July 2026. Prices are displayed post-registration and fluctuate with market conditions.
2. J-Credit Buyback Services: Direct purchase of J-Credits from credit holders, with Carbon Link buying credits at reference prices linked to Tokyo Stock Exchange carbon market benchmarks. The company has completed approximately ¥200 million (30,000 t-CO₂) in cumulative direct purchases, generating revenue through price arbitrage between buyback and resale.
3. OTC Hub Platform Services: Free-to-use platform for carbon credit intermediaries to aggregate bids/offers and execute OTC trades. Carbon Link acts as counterparty, generating revenue through the spread between matched transactions. The platform enables anonymous trading while maintaining intermediary client relationships.
4. Kaguoku AI Home Staging: Self-service AI image processing service for empty real estate properties. Revenue generated through per-ticket pricing at ¥1,480 per image (tax included) with no monthly subscription. Browser-based upload with processing completion in approximately 1 minute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carbon Link operates a carbon credit trading infrastructure for the Japanese market, providing a B2B online marketplace (Carbon Offset Desk) for procuring J-Credits, JCM credits, and GX-ETS allowances with full retirement handling, a direct buyback service (J-Credit Buyback Center) for credit holders seeking liquidity, and an OTC trading platform (OTC Hub) for carbon credit intermediaries. The company also offers Kaguoku AI, a self-service AI-powered virtual home staging service for real estate companies.

Product overview

Carbonlink operates a multi-product portfolio centered on Japanese carbon credit markets, consisting of three core services: Carbon Offset Desk (buy-side procurement marketplace), J-Credit Buyback Center (sell-side direct purchase), and OTC Hub (intermediary trading platform). Supporting these is Carbonlink Research, a GX-focused media outlet drawing on the company's ¥350M+ cumulative trading experience. The company previously operated under the name カグオク株式会社, which now also encompasses カグオクAI, an AI-powered self-service home staging tool for real estate properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• カーボンオフセットデスク (Carbon Offset Desk): Buy-side procurement platform for carbon credits from Japan's largest inventory, offering J-Credits, JCM credits, and GX-ETS allowances with retirement and reporting services.
• J-クレジット買取センター (J-Credit Buyback Center)
• OTC Hub
• Carbonlink Research
• カグオークAI (Kaguoku AI)

Products and services

• Carbon Offset Desk (カーボンオフセットデスク) B2B online marketplace for carbon credit procurement that enables corporate clients to purchase J-Credits, JCM credits, and GX-ETS allowances from Japan's largest carbon credit inventory. Features real-time inventory display, pricing transparency, no credit check, pre-payment and invoice payment options, electronic contracts, and full-service retirement (cancellation) handling with invalidation report issuance. Target customers are Japanese corporations for Scope 1/2 offset, GX-ETS compliance, SHK reporting, and voluntary carbon neutrality goals.
• J-Credit Buyback Center (J-クレジット買取センター) Direct purchase desk that enables companies holding J-Credits to monetize credits online through reference buyback pricing linked to Tokyo Stock Exchange carbon market benchmarks. Offers electronic contracts with non-face-to-face completion and payment within 30 days of registry transfer confirmation. Carries cumulative direct purchase track record of approximately ¥200 million (30,000 t-CO2). Target customers are J-Credit holders seeking to liquidate credit inventory for cash.
• OTC Hub OTC trading platform for carbon credit intermediaries that aggregates bid and offer information across multiple markets for J-Credit OTC transactions. Carbonlink acts as counterparty, executing matching and transfer on behalf of intermediaries while maintaining end-client confidentiality. Free to use with no usage or brokerage fees. Features Chinese Wall separation between platform operations and Carbonlink's own trading desk. Target customers are registered carbon credit intermediary companies.
• Kaguoku AI (カグオクAI) Self-service AI-powered virtual home staging tool that transforms photos of vacant real estate properties into furnished images using five design styles (Modern, Japanese Modern, Nordic, Luxury, American). Browser-based upload with AI processing completing in approximately 1 minute. Priced at ¥1,480 per image (tax included) with no monthly subscription or fixed costs. Average 76% increase in inquiry rates for properties using the service. Target customers are real estate companies and property managers.
• Kaguoku (カグオク) - Self-Service Home Staging Self-service home staging service for vacant real estate properties. Originally launched as Kaguoku in April 2024 and continued as a parent service encompassing Kaguoku AI (the new AI model released November 2025) and Kaguoku Keshivirtual furniture removal service. Target customers are real estate companies and property managers seeking to improve tenant inquiry rates on vacant units.

Quantifiable outcome

• ¥200 million cumulative direct J-Credit purchases (30,000 t-CO₂)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration2 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Persefoni: Climate management and accounting platform enabling enterprises to measure, report, and offset emissions; comparable as a technology-enabled carbon infrastructure provider serving enterprise sustainability teams and offset procurement.
• NTT Data Group: Major Japanese IT services group operating carbon registry systems and enterprise sustainability platforms; comparable in providing infrastructure for J-Credit registry interactions and serving large Japanese corporate compliance needs.

Direct peers

• KlimaDAO: Decentralized carbon credit trading platform aggregating credits across registries for on-chain trading; comparable to Carbon Link's OTC Hub as a marketplace aggregating bid/offer across fragmented carbon markets.
• Green Carbon Co., Ltd. Japanese carbon credit intermediary focused on J-Credits, JCM, and forest sink credits with a marketplace model similar to Carbon Link's Carbon Offset Desk—most direct comparable in the domestic market.
• Virtual Staging AI: AI-powered virtual home staging tool that transforms empty room photos into furnished images via browser upload; directly comparable to Carbon Link's Kaguoku AI side business in product, pricing model, and target customer.
• roOomy: 3D virtual staging platform serving real estate agents and property managers with AI-rendered furnished rooms; comparable to Kaguoku AI in targeting vacant real estate listings with self-service AI staging output.
• Pachama: Carbon credit marketplace leveraging satellite and AI for MRV with focus on forestry and nature-based credits; comparable in operating a digital platform connecting credit buyers to project developers with technology-enabled transparency.
• Carbonfuture: End-to-end carbon removal marketplace issuing certified digital carbon credits with public registry infrastructure; comparable in operating registry-linked trading and retirement services with technology-led transparency.
• Patch: API-first carbon credit marketplace enabling businesses to embed offset purchases directly into their platforms; comparable in operating a high-volume B2B carbon credit marketplace with API/inventory aggregation.
• More Communication Inc. Japanese environmental commodities broker active in J-Credit and voluntary carbon market intermediation; comparable as a domestic carbon credit brokerage serving Japanese corporate compliance and voluntary demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaguoku

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Carbon Link