Taiki Technologies, which is building an AI-powered global auto-parts marketplace, said on March 16 that since launching its service in January 2024 it has completed transactions in more than 100 countries as of the end of February. The company reported roughly 2,000 cumulative transactions and KRW 2 billion (about $1.5 million) in total sales.
Taiki Technologies CEO Tae-yoon Lim previously founded shared-kitchen startup SimpleKitchen and sold it for about KRW 10 billion (roughly $7.5 million). After the exit, he spent around four years in global roles — including head of real estate development in Korea, country manager for Korea, and APAC head of business development and strategy — building international experience before founding Taiki in 2023.
Taiki now purchases auto parts directly and exports them to validate cross-border price gaps and trading inefficiencies. The company says it uses big data and cash-flow analysis to identify which parts trade most competitively and where, aiming to go beyond simple distribution in a market marked by severe information asymmetry.
The company plans to convert the pattern data gathered from these direct trades into an efficient, AI-driven global marketplace that connects parts sellers and buyers worldwide.
Taiki has implemented AX (AI transformation) across its operations to maximize productivity. The company enables individual team members — without relying on dedicated developers — to use AI for data collection, analysis, and building automated operational systems. Taiki says per-employee productivity has improved at least fivefold compared with a year ago. Backed by a parent company with about KRW 300 billion in annual revenue (≈ $225 million), the startup says it has a stable financial foundation that allows for aggressive market validation despite its early stage.
“The auto parts market suffers from large country-to-country gaps in price and technical information, yet trading methods have changed little in the past 20 years,” Lim said. “We will validate the market through direct trades and use those insights to build an online trading environment that connects sellers and buyers around the world more efficiently.”
[Money Today startup media platform Unicorn Factory]
