Osaka venture's warranty app expands to cars, housing; flags future use of AI for appraisals

The Osaka-based venture behind a smartphone app that allows people to register warranty certificates and order repairs for appliances online has branched out to car and housing information while flagging the future use of artificial intelligence. Warrantee Inc., which has grown to tens of thousands of users since it was launched in 2014, is hoping to reach 1 million users by the end of the year. It also wants to enable users to sell or dispose of used appliances using the app, it said. The free app works by scanning a product bar code after purchase and taking pictures of the warranty certificate and receipt via a smartphone camera. Last month, the company started offering a new function, allowing users to manage car and housing information.