Gafs, Co., Ltd.

What Gafs, Co., Ltd. does

GAFS Co., Ltd. (株式会社GAFS, "Global Associates For Solution") is a privately held Japanese solution provider founded on January 6, 2014, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, with 1–10 employees. The company sells measurement, logging, diagnostics, and test automation tooling primarily to automotive OEMs and tiered suppliers in Japan, with extension into aerospace and medical device verticals through its process management offering.

The company's product portfolio spans three connected layers: (1) diagnostic data and execution, including Q-Tester.Expert (an ODX-compliant next-generation diagnostic tester supporting the full vehicle lifecycle), Q-Studio (an OTX/ISO 13209-compliant diagnostic sequence development environment), and VisualODX (an Excel-to-ODX/CDD/DEXT automatic conversion tool developed by partner WINDHILL); (2) process management, delivered via authorized dealership of UL Solutions' STAGES tool with consulting and engineering services; and (3) measurement and logging, comprising IPEmotion setup software, IPEcloud2 fleet management, environment-resistant data loggers, and measurement modules. Underlying technology relies on international automotive standards—ODX (ISO 22901), OTX (ISO 13209), and broader ASAM frameworks—with GAFS holding ASAM membership since November 2020.

Commercially, GAFS operates a sales-led, consultative GTM combining direct enterprise engagement, contact-based quote pricing (annual subscription cadence), engineering and consulting services (test automation, toolchain construction), and recurring presence at Japanese industry events such as the Automotive Technology Expo in Yokohama and Nagoya. The authorized STAGES dealership and WINDHILL VisualODX distribution relationships are integral revenue channels, and the company maintains additional professional services revenue streams in test automation and engineering support.

Name

Gafs, Co., Ltd.

Legal name

株式会社GAFS

Website

https://gafs.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GAFS Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese solution provider, founded 2014 in Kariya, Aichi, that sells ODX/OTX-compliant automotive diagnostic software (Q-Tester.Expert, Q-Studio, VisualODX), UL Solutions' STAGES process management tools, and measurement/data logging hardware to Japanese automotive OEMs, tiered suppliers, aerospace, and medical device firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Diagnostic Software

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Automotive diagnostic software
• Vehicle measurement logging
• ECU test automation
• ODX OTX diagnostics
• Development process management

Headquarters

HQ city

Kariya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Products: Sale of diagnostic software products including Q-Tester.Expert, Q-Studio, VisualODX, and data logger/measurement hardware products.
2. STAGES Licensing: Authorized dealer for UL Solutions' STAGES process management tool, providing license sales and support services.
3. Engineering and Consulting Services: Services including test automation support, toolchain investigation and construction, and engineering services for process improvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GAFS provides measurement, logging, diagnostics, and test automation solutions for the automotive and engineering industries. Its portfolio includes ODX/OTX-compliant diagnostic software (Q-Tester.Expert, Q-Studio, VisualODX), the STAGES process management tool (resold under license from UL Solutions), data logging hardware and modules, the IPEmotion measurement setup software, and the IPEcloud2 fleet management platform, supported by engineering and consulting services.

Product overview

GAFS offers a portfolio of automotive diagnostic and measurement solutions. The core diagnostic tools include Q-Tester.Expert (ODX-based diagnostic tester), Q-Studio (OTX sequence development), and VisualODX (Excel-to-diagnostic format converter), which form an integrated diagnostic development workflow. For process management, STAGES provides enterprise-level process management for automotive and aerospace industries. In measurement and logging, the company offers IPEmotion (setup software), IPEcloud2 (fleet management), environment-resistant data loggers, and measurement modules. Services include test automation support, toolchain research and construction, and engineering services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STAGES: UL Solutionsのプロセス管理ツール。自動車・航空宇宙産業などの分野で、プロセス管理ツールとして企业中企業に採用されている。GAFSはSTAGESの正規代理店としてライセンス販売およびサポート、プロセス改善のためのコンサルティング・エンジニアリングサービスを提供している。

Products and services

• Q-Tester.Expert ODX-compliant next-generation vehicle diagnostic software with an OTX runtime environment that supports full-vehicle diagnostics, individual ECU testing, and modular customization from development through aftermarket service.
• Q-Studio OTX diagnostic sequence development environment compliant with ISO 13209, offering visual drag-and-drop editing of OTX functions and parameters, ODX 2.2.0 data import, syntax verification, GUI development tools, debugging, and virtual vehicle simulation.
• VisualODX Automatic conversion tool for diagnostic data, enabling bidirectional conversion between Excel-based templates and ODX, CDD, and DEXT formats, handling 50–100+ ECUs, with built-in format checking and template customization.
• STAGES Model-based process management tool from UL Solutions, applicable to complex development processes with support for process definition, tailoring, ISO/CMMI/Automotive-SPICE mapping, process improvement cycles, and integration with Jira and Microsoft Project.
• ECU-TEST Test automation tool for ECU validation that GAFS began distributing in 2017 as part of its automotive test automation lineup.
• IPEmotion Setup software for data loggers and measurement modules, providing configuration and visualization for industrial measurement applications.
• IPEcloud2 Fleet management platform used together with GAFS measurement products to centrally manage data logger and measurement module deployments.
• Environment-Resistant Data Logger (耐環境データロガー) Environment-resistant data loggers designed for measurement and logging applications in harsh industrial and automotive environments.
• Environment-Resistant Measurement Modules (耐環境計測モジュール) Environment-resistant measurement modules for industrial measurement applications, paired with GAFS's IPEmotion setup software.
• Test Automation Support Service Engineering and consulting services that help automotive customers design and implement automated test workflows for vehicle and ECU validation.
• Toolchain Research and Construction Service Consulting and engineering services for investigating, selecting, and building integrated toolchains for automotive development and diagnostic workflows.
• Engineering Service General engineering services supporting customers in applying GAFS solutions to process improvement and product development challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% reduction in documentation and 4x improvement in response speed to market requirements (reported by an American aircraft manufacturer using STAGES)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UL SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGAFS is an authorized dealer for UL Solutions' STAGES product. GAFS provides license sales, support, and consulting/engineering services for STAGES implementation in Japan, particularly for automotive, aerospace, and medical device industries.
• WINDHILLcoreTechnology or IntegrationVisualODX was developed by WINDHILL based on their extensive expertise in automotive diagnostics. GAFS distributes VisualODX and provides engineering services including template customization.
• ASAM (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems)coreTechnology or IntegrationGAFS became an ASAM member on November 5, 2020. ASAM membership enables GAFS to provide ASAM-compliant software products and engineering services in areas of simulation, measurement, calibration, and test automation.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ACTIA Group: Provides vehicle diagnostics, telematics, and electronics for automotive OEMs and aftermarket service. Compares to GAFS in diagnostic tooling and electronics for vehicle service, with broader commercial vehicle and aftermarket exposure.
• Elektrobit: Automotive software vendor for ECU, ADAS, and connected vehicle domains with adjacent diagnostic and test tool offerings. Comparable to GAFS in serving automotive engineering teams, but with a much broader software and services portfolio.
• ETAS: Bosch-owned automotive tools vendor covering measurement, calibration, and test/validation across the ECU lifecycle. Broader portfolio than GAFS but overlapping in measurement modules and engineering services for OEMs and tier-1s.
• Bosch Automotive Service Solutions: Global incumbent providing OEM diagnostic testers, aftermarket scan tools, and test solutions. Overlaps with GAFS's diagnostic stack from development through service and represents a much larger, established competitor across the vehicle lifecycle.

Emerging players

• S&P Computersysteme: German supplier of ODX/OTX-compliant diagnostic test tools and engineering services to automotive OEMs. Smaller and more niche than GAFS's principal peers but directly competing in the same ASAM standards-based diagnostic tooling category.

Direct peers

• dSPACE: Supplies simulation, validation, and test automation platforms for automotive ECU and software development. Comparable to GAFS in the test automation and engineering services segment, with broader coverage of development-vs-production test workflows.
• IPETRONIK: Manufacturer of in-vehicle data loggers, measurement modules, and the IPEmotion software that GAFS distributes. Functionally overlaps with GAFS's measurement/logging product line and represents both a supplier and a parallel competitor in measurement-based solutions.
• Softing Automotive: Provides ODX-based diagnostic tools, data authoring, and vehicle communication interfaces for automotive OEMs and suppliers. Highly comparable to GAFS's ODX/OTX diagnostic stack and engineering services for global automotive customers.
• Vector Informatik: German automotive tools vendor offering CANalyzer/CANoe, diagnostic testers, and ODX/OTX-compliant solutions to OEMs and tier-1s. Direct competitor to GAFS's Q-Tester.Expert and Q-Studio in the automotive diagnostic software category, particularly across the same ODX/OTX standards.
• DSA Daten- und Systemtechnik: Specialist in ODX/OTX diagnostic data authoring, conversion, and validation tools used by OEMs worldwide. Closely comparable to GAFS's VisualODX and Q-Studio offerings and a direct competitor in standards-compliant diagnostic tooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gafsjapan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Gafs, Co., Ltd.