SAZO, a South Korean-founded, Nagoya-based AI cross-border commerce startup, has closed a Series A round of KRW 15.2 billion, and combined with additional credit-based financing from major Japanese financial institutions, has secured total funding of KRW 29.5 billionin this round. The company’s cumulative capital raised to date now stands at KRW 21.7 billion.
Japan Post Capital and Suzuyo, which had led SAZO’s earlier Pre-Series A round, returned to co-lead this Series A as well, reaffirming their confidence in the company’s growth trajectory. Naver D2SF, along with Japanese venture capital firms Partners Fund and Design for Ventures (D4V), also joined as investors in the round. In addition, SAZO secured credit-based financing from Japan’s so-called three megabanks, including Sumitomo Mitsui and Mizuho, which the company said demonstrates its business stability and financial soundness.
Founded by CEO Gil Maro, SAZO is a Korean-founded startup headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, that operates an AI-powered cross-border commerce platform enabling users to buy and sell overseas products as easily as shopping domestically. The service automatically calculates additional costs involved in cross-border shipping — including customs fees, tariffs, and delivery charges — based on product type and specifications.
Korean consumers can currently use SAZO to conveniently purchase items from Japanese platforms such as Mercari, Rakuten, and Rakuma. For shopping sites not directly integrated with the platform, users can simply enter a product page URL, and SAZO’s AI translates and localizes the product description and purchase options while handling the buying process on the user’s behalf. Key automated functions include translating and localizing product information, calculating tariffs, VAT, and shipping costs, and generating HS codes (harmonized system codes for classifying traded goods) along with customs documentation. SAZO currently operates in Korea, the United States, and Japan.
SAZO plans to use the newly secured capital to build out agentic commerce infrastructure, strengthening R&D while accelerating global expansion and talent acquisition. The company aims to expand into additional countries and establish itself as a leading player in the global cross-border agentic commerce market.
