TRANBI

About TRANBI

TRANBI Inc. operates Japan's largest online M&A platform, designed to connect business sellers directly with potential buyers. The company was established to address the critical issue of business succession in Japan, where many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were facing closure due to the lack of a successor.

The service originated in 2011 as a division of Ask Industries Co., Ltd., a manufacturing company in Nagano. The founder, So Takahashi, after taking over his family's business, witnessed firsthand that many of his suppliers and partners, though profitable, were ceasing operations because of succession problems. Traditional M&A services were often inaccessible and too costly for these smaller businesses. This personal experience, combined with insights from his time in the U.S. where business sales are more common, motivated him to create an accessible online marketplace. The platform, initially called "TRANBI," was spun off into a separate entity, Astrad Co., Ltd., in 2016 and later renamed TRANBI Inc.

The platform serves a wide range of clients, from individual entrepreneurs and sole proprietors to large corporations, facilitating deals of various sizes, from a few hundred thousand to several billion yen. By providing a space for sellers to anonymously list their businesses, it allows them to attract a nationwide pool of potential buyers, a reversal of the traditional M&A model. This approach significantly lowers costs and increases the visibility of businesses for sale. The business model shifted from a commission-based fee on successful deals to a subscription model for buyers in January 2021. Sellers can list their businesses for free, while buyers pay a monthly fee based on the scale of the deals they wish to pursue, with no success fees charged.

TRANBI offers more than just a marketplace. It has built an ecosystem that includes educational content, seminars, and user communities like "M&A na Bu" to support individuals, including salaried workers, in acquiring businesses. The platform has seen significant growth, surpassing 200,000 registered users by March 2025. It also collaborates with over 300 financial institutions and M&A experts to foster a national network that supports business succession and regional economic revitalization.