The American DePIN startup DIMO will enter the Japanese market.

The blockchain startup DIMO announced the launch of a joint venture with the Japanese Web3 company Hakuhodo KEY3 to begin expansion into the Japanese market under the brand DIMO Japan. This was reported by Decrypt.

The goal is to provide automakers access to a decentralized infrastructure for data exchange and to help them monetize information from connected cars.

According to the press release, DIMO is a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) that creates a two-sided data marketplace. The DIMO ecosystem includes over 180,000 vehicles worldwide. Drivers connect their cars through a mobile app and receive tokens as rewards for the anonymous sharing of data.

While drivers retain ownership of their data, automakers gain aggregated analytics to develop new features, particularly real-time diagnostics and usage-based insurance, according to a statement.

The team of the crypto project noted that Japan accounts for about 10% of the world's auto production, with brands like Toyota, Suzuki, and Honda, according to data from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association for 2024.

According to analysts, the market for connected and software-controlled cars will grow from $200 billion in 2024 to over $1 trillion by 2030. At the same time, most data is still "locked" in corporate systems, and automakers lack the infrastructure to effectively utilize it.

Partnership with DIMO provides the opportunity to overcome technical barriers while complying with the strict privacy requirements in Japan.

According to the DIMO decentralized governance model, the community of token holders must approve key decisions, including the funding of new projects.

On June 16, 2025, participants will vote to allocate $500,000 in USDT and 4 million DIMO tokens in exchange for a 33% stake in a Japanese company. This will ensure transparency and democratic decision-making regarding expansion.

Let us remind you that DePIN projects regularly attract capital in funding rounds, in particular at the beginning of 2025, the startup Starpower received investments of $2.5 million, and in March of this year, another project XMAQUINA, specializing in the tokenization of autonomous robots, recorded $0.9 million in funding.