Flare (Thailand) Co., a Japanese startup that places advertising on vehicles in the Southeast Asian kingdom, will expand operations to Cambodia from February alongside Japanese recycling firm ReNet Japan Group Inc.

The firms aim to sign up 5,000 drivers and handle ads worth 300 million yen ($2.7 million) in the next three years, said a ReNet Japan statement released Wednesday.

The service, Flare AD, puts ads on vehicles and pays their owners according to the length and duration of journeys calculated via its mobile application, which tracks vehicle locations by the global positioning system or GPS, according to the company.

Flare will provide software and operational know-how while ReNet Japan will handle sales, Kazuki Kamiya, CEO of Flare, told NNA by email.

The Nagoya-based recycling firm, which runs several businesses in Cambodia -- including sales of used cars and car purchase finance -- will mainly focus on offering the system to existing customers, such as taxi drivers, a ReNet Japan spokeswoman told NNA by email.

By offering ads, ReNet Japan aims to secure income for car purchasers while monitoring vehicle locations via Flare's application, according to the statement. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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