Rakuten
- Company typePublic
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Rakuten firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rakuten
- Legal name
- Rakuten Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://global.rakuten.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rakuten industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Internet Services Conglomerate (E-commerce, Fintech, Mobile, Content)
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- OTC Desks & Block Trading (Exchange-Operated) (FSADAAAE), Virtualized Security & SASE for Telco Networks (vFW, vDDoS, vSEC, Secure Edge) (HDAIAIAK), Customer Support, CRM & Retention Tooling (Helpdesk, Churn, Messaging) (MPAHAJAM)
Keywords
Where Rakuten is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices9 records
Markets served
Rakuten business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- E-commerce Marketplace: Rakuten Ichiba operates as Japan's largest online marketplace with 27% market share. Revenue derived from commissions on transactions, listing fees from merchants, and advertising services to sellers. Nearly 6 trillion yen in domestic GMS in 2024.
- FinTech Services: Comprehensive financial services including Rakuten Card (credit card), Rakuten Bank, Rakuten Securities, Rakuten Life Insurance, and Rakuten General Insurance. Revenue from transaction fees, interest income, and insurance premiums.
- Mobile Communications: Rakuten Mobile telecom services generating subscription revenue. Company achieved profitability in mobile segment as of FY2025. Open RAN network serving millions of subscribers with 5G services.
- Advertising and Marketing: Rakuten Advertising and Rakuten Marketing Platform providing digital marketing services to brands, leveraging rich consumer data and insights from the Rakuten ecosystem.
- Content and Entertainment: Rakuten TV streaming service, Rakuten Viki video-on-demand platform with volunteer-translated content, and Rakuten Kobo e-reading service generating subscription and transaction revenue.
- Travel and Experience Services: Rakuten Travel online reservation service and Rakuten Travel Experiences offering tours, activities and tickets, generating commission revenue from bookings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Rakuten Points loyalty currency convertible across ecosystem services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rakuten product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rakuten operates a multi-vertical internet services ecosystem anchored by Rakuten Ichiba, Japan's largest online marketplace with approximately 27% market share and 6 trillion yen in gross merchandise sales. The company delivers an integrated portfolio of e-commerce, fintech (banking, credit card, securities, insurance), mobile telecommunications, digital content, and advertising services, unified by the Rakuten Points loyalty currency. It also operates Rakuten Symphony, providing cloud-native Open RAN telecom infrastructure solutions to global mobile operators.
Product overview
Rakuten is a comprehensive technology conglomerate operating a multi-sided ecosystem platform with interconnected services across e-commerce, fintech, mobile telecommunications, digital content, advertising, and B2B services. The core platform centers on Rakuten Ichiba (Japan's largest online marketplace with ~27% market share and ~100M members) and the Rakuten Super Points loyalty program that connects all services. E-commerce offerings include Rakuten Rakuma (C2C marketplace), Rakuten Travel (global travel booking), and specialty categories (Beauty, Car, Fashion, 24-hour essentials). Fintech services encompass Rakuten Card (credit card), Rakuten Bank (digital banking), Rakuten Securities (brokerage), Rakuten Life Insurance, Rakuten General Insurance (with AI avatar customer service), and Rakuten Payment. Mobile segment includes Rakuten Mobile (Open RAN-based 5G with 10M+ subscribers, 350K+ cells) and Viber (global messaging/VoIP). Digital content features Rakuten Viki (streaming with 200+ language translations), Rakuten Kobo (e-reading with 20M+ users), and Rakuten TV (European CTV/FAST streaming). B2B services comprise Rakuten Advertising (affiliate marketing via Linkshare), Rakuten Symphony (Open RAN telecom infrastructure, including Altiostar and Robin Systems acquisitions), and Rakuten AI (enterprise automation with Claude multi-agent systems). Sports sponsorships include Golden State Warriors, Vissel Kobe, and FC Barcelona. The ecosystem generates network effects where users earn and spend points across services, driving engagement and cross-service usage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rakuten Ichiba: Japan's leading online marketplace with 27% market share and approximately JPY 6 trillion in domestic gross merchandise sales in 2024.
- Rakuten Mobile
- Rakuten Rewards
- Rakuten Kobo
- Rakuten Viki
- Viber
- Rakuten TV
- Rakuten Symphony
- Rakuten Travel
Products and services
- Rakuten Ichiba Japan's largest online marketplace connecting third-party merchants with consumers, offering tens of millions of products across categories including fashion, electronics, food, and household goods. Holds approximately 27% domestic market share with around 6 trillion yen in gross merchandise sales.
- Rakuten Mobile Japan's fourth mobile network operator offering wireless voice and data services to consumers and businesses, with plans structured around unlimited data usage. Operates on cloud-native, fully virtualized network infrastructure.
- Rakuten Card Credit card issuance and consumer lending services integrated with Rakuten Points rewards, offered to individual consumers and corporate cardholders across Japan.
- Rakuten Bank Online retail banking services for individual and corporate customers in Japan, including deposits, payments, remittances, foreign exchange, and investment-linked deposit products.
- Rakuten Securities Online brokerage and securities services offering stock, fund, foreign exchange, and derivatives trading to retail investors through web and mobile platforms.
- Rakuten Insurance Online life insurance products, including term and whole-life policies, sold directly to consumers with simplified digital underwriting.
- Rakuten Symphony Provides cloud-native, Open RAN-based telecom platform solutions to mobile network operators globally, including RAN software, orchestration, and end-to-end network consulting and integration services.
- Rakuten Pay Mobile QR-code-based payment service enabling consumers to pay at in-store merchants and online retailers, and providing merchants a digital payments acceptance solution.
- Rakuten Travel Online hotel and travel booking platform enabling consumers to search and book domestic and international accommodation and travel packages.
- Rakuten Kobo E-book reader and digital bookstore service offering e-books, audiobooks, and e-readers to consumers globally across multiple regions.
- Rakuten Viki Streaming platform offering licensed and subtitled Asian and international TV shows, movies, and original content to global consumers, with both ad-supported and subscription tiers.
- Viber Cross-platform messaging and VoIP application offering free messaging, voice, and video calls to consumers worldwide.
- Rakuten Advertising Performance-based digital advertising and affiliate marketing platform connecting brands with publishers and consumers, offering display, programmatic, affiliate, and measurement solutions to advertisers and agencies.
- Rakuten Rewards Cash-back shopping loyalty service in North America allowing members to earn cash back when shopping at partner retailers through the website or browser extension.
- Rakuten TV European on-demand video streaming service offering films, TV series, and free ad-supported content to consumers, with native integration on smart TVs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 27% market share in Japan's online shopping market with nearly 6 trillion yen in domestic GMS (2024)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rakuten
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Rakuten technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration24 records
AI capability15 records
Feature5 records
Rakuten partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and emerging.
- Majilash (Plus Company)minorTokyo-based beauty brand specializing in self-adhesive 1day eyelashes officially launched online store on Rakuten Marketplace to expand brand reach and accessibility, enabling customers to earn and redeem Rakuten points.
- AST SpaceMobilecoreJoint venture to build dedicated LEO satellite communications network for Japan targeting direct-to-device satellite services. Rakuten and ASTS planning equal-stakes JV in 2026 to compete with SpaceX Starlink. Japanese government providing 150 billion yen ($912 million) subsidy for satellite launches and ground infrastructure over three years.
- Golden State WarriorscoreExtended nine-year founding partnership transitioning from jersey badge to focus on fan engagement and community impact. Includes contributions exceeding $12 million to the Golden State Community Foundation. Rakuten positioned as longest-committed partner in Golden State Valkyries history. Partnership began in 2017.
- impact.comcoreQ1 platform innovation and partnership economy expansion announcement. Alliance with Rakuten positioned as fundamental industry shift elevating partnership marketing to compete alongside major performance platforms.
- SwarmeremergingDrone autonomy software company expanding into Japan through Rakuten partnership. Swarmer supported 100,000+ combat missions in Ukraine. Rakuten supporting entry into Japan's advanced unmanned systems ecosystem for research, security, infrastructure, and industry applications.
- MPG Media ServicesminorMPG Media Services signed distribution deal with Rakuten TV to distribute FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels on Rakuten TV platform.
- impact.comcoreStrategic alliance making impact.com Rakuten's exclusive technology platform. Rakuten Advertising contributes strategic expertise and program management while impact.com provides infrastructure for tracking, contracting, and payments across commerce partnerships. Rakuten becomes Titanium partner. Collaboration aims to position partnership marketing alongside Google, Meta, and Amazon.
- VIDAA (V)coreExpanded advertising partnership with VIDAA smart TV operating system covering key European markets including Germany, UK, and France. Enables Rakuten TV Enterprise to deliver targeted advertising within VIDAA ecosystem including in-stream video and native display placements.
- FamilyMartcoreFamilyMart joined Rakuten Ichiba's Super Points Up (SPU) program as first non-Rakuten Group participant company. Shoppers can now earn bonus points on convenience store purchases, integrating offline retail with digital ecosystem.
- Amazon JapanminorSimultaneous product availability with Rakuten Market for award-winning heat stroke prevention products (Dick Corporation). Both platforms offering promotional discounts.
- Mohodori Distillery (Sun Apple Brewing Japan)minorDistillery launched Lovevados Plum Wine on Rakuten T-BOX platform. Product won gold medal at Feminalise World Wine Competition 2026. Partnership includes Nanbu Town regional revitalization effort.
- AnthropicemergingRakuten adopted Claude Managed Agents for enterprise automation with cron schedules and credential vaults. Replaced in-house scheduling systems with authenticated tool invocation capabilities. Part of broader enterprise AI adoption case studies from OpenAI B2B Signals report.
- Samsung, Nokia, NECcoreRakuten Mobile's Open RAN ecosystem supported by major telecom infrastructure vendors. Samsung, Nokia, and NEC provide network components and technology for cloud-native 5G network with 350,000+ cells across Japan.
- Navy GroupminorTokyo-based e-commerce support company participating as main speaker at EC Festival Conference 2026 co-hosted with Rakuten and Amazon. Navy Group supports 4,000+ companies with data-driven marketing strategies and algorithm insights.
- OpenAIemergingRakuten featured in OpenAI B2B Signals report as case study for production-level AI deployment. Part of industry shift toward multi-agent autonomous features for enterprise customers alongside Anthropic Claude integration.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rakuten competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon: Amazon is the global e-commerce and cloud incumbent whose Amazon Japan operation directly competes with Rakuten Ichiba. Both operate marketplace platforms, logistics, advertising, and consumer-facing AI shopping assistants (Rufus). Rakuten competes with Amazon Japan on marketplace share, and Amazon's Prime ecosystem mirrors Rakuten's loyalty points flywheel.
- Alibaba Group: Alibaba operates the largest e-commerce marketplaces in Asia (Taobao, Tmall) with integrated fintech (Alipay), cloud, and logistics. Rakuten's Ichiba-plus-Pay-plus-Mobile ecosystem mirrors Alibaba's super-app strategy, and both companies are explicitly cited as competitors in AI-powered shopping services.
- KDDI: KDDI is one of Japan's three major mobile network operators, competing directly with Rakuten Mobile in the Japanese telecom market. KDDI also runs an ecosystem of fintech (au PAY) and digital services, making it a comparable incumbent telecom-platform player in the Japanese market.
- NTT Docomo: NTT Docomo is Japan's largest mobile network operator and a competitor to Rakuten Mobile. Both companies offer integrated mobile, payment (d-Barai vs Rakuten Pay), and digital content services, and Docomo's parent NTT is also exploring Open RAN and satellite communications.
Direct peers
- SoftBank Group: SoftBank Group is a Japanese tech conglomerate with overlapping telecom (SoftBank Mobile/Y!mobile), investment, and ecosystem plays (Yahoo Japan, LINE, PayPay). Comparable to Rakuten as a diversified Japanese internet/telecom holding company pursuing ecosystem strategies across consumer and enterprise markets.
- Sea Limited: Sea Limited operates Shopee (e-commerce), SeaMoney (fintech), and Garena (digital entertainment) across Southeast Asia. Sea has explicitly established an AI investment team to compete against Rakuten, Amazon, Alibaba, and ByteDance. Both companies pursue a multi-vertical consumer ecosystem strategy with integrated payments.
- Mercari: Mercari operates Japan's leading C2C marketplace (Mercari) and the crypto exchange (Mercari Bitcoin via crypto-asset subsidiary). Rakuten operates Rakuma (C2C marketplace), Rakuten Pay, and Rakuten Wallet, putting the two in direct competition across Japanese consumer e-commerce and crypto trading.
- LINE Yahoo: LINE Yahoo operates Japan's largest messaging app (LINE), Yahoo Japan auction/shopping, PayPay payments, and a fintech stack. Rakuten's Viber (messaging), Ichiba (marketplace), and Rakuten Pay compete head-to-head with LINE Yahoo in Japan's consumer internet ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Coupang: Coupang operates an Asian e-commerce marketplace with integrated logistics, fintech (Coupang Pay), and Rocket delivery. Comparable to Rakuten Ichiba plus Rakuten Pay in operating a vertically integrated commerce-plus-payments platform, though focused on Korea and other Asian markets.
- Vinted: Vinted is a global C2C marketplace for secondhand goods, comparable to Rakuten Rakuma (Fril). Both focus on peer-to-peer resale with mobile-first UX, though Vinted operates primarily in Europe while Rakuten Rakuma is Japan-centric.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rakuten social profiles
Digital presenceRakuten compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Rakuten financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rakuten leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Rakuten subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries16 records
Rakuten funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rakuten M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A37 records
Investments83 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rakuten
What does Rakuten do?
Rakuten operates a multi-vertical internet services ecosystem anchored by Rakuten Ichiba, Japan's largest online marketplace with approximately 27% market share and 6 trillion yen in gross merchandise sales. The company delivers an integrated portfolio of e-commerce, fintech (banking, credit card, securities, insurance), mobile telecommunications, digital content, and advertising services, unified by the Rakuten Points loyalty currency. It also operates Rakuten Symphony, providing cloud-native Open RAN telecom infrastructure solutions to global mobile operators.
Is Rakuten a public or private company?
Rakuten is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Rakuten founded?
Rakuten was founded in 1997. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Rakuten based?
Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Rakuten make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Marketplace is the primary driver. The others are finTech Services, mobile Communications, advertising and Marketing, content and Entertainment and travel and Experience Services.
Who are Rakuten's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon, Alibaba Group, KDDI and NTT Docomo. Direct peers are SoftBank Group, Sea Limited, Mercari and LINE Yahoo. Emerging players are Coupang and Vinted.
Does Rakuten have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rakuten.
What industry is Rakuten in?
Rakuten's product category is Internet Services Conglomerate (E-commerce, Fintech, Mobile, Content). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAD, Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers, with a secondary code of FSADAAAE, OTC Desks & Block Trading (Exchange-Operated). Its NAICS code is 51621 and its SIC code is 6199.