BASE
BASE, Inc. operates a Japanese e-commerce platform serving 2 million+ shops through integrated shop creation, payment processing (PAY.JP), buyer-facing shopping (PAY ID with 8M+ users), merchant financing (YELL BANK), and logistics apps, targeting individual creators, SMBs, and local government partnerships.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BASE does
BASE, Inc. (BASE株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered e-commerce platform company founded in December 2012 by Yuta Tsuruoka and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market under ticker 4477. The company operates a freemium online shop creation service used by over 2 million shops in Japan, combined with integrated payment processing via PAY.JP, a buyer-facing shopping application called PAY ID with 8 million+ registered users, and merchant financing through YELL BANK. The technology stack is web-based with iOS/Android mobile apps, an extensible app marketplace (BASE Apps covering shipping, subscriptions, email, community, and invoicing), and integration partners including Square, Yamato Transport, Japan Post, Sagawa Express, and Instagram/Meta. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on sales, a subscription Growth Plan (2.9% fee tier for shops above ¥170,000/month), payment processing fees from PAY.JP, fees on YELL BANK financing, and recently invoice-purchase services; the company also operates managed EC services through subsidiary E-Store Corporation and cross-border commerce via acquired want.jp. BASE serves individual creators, SMB merchants, local government partnerships for e-commerce education, and select retail collaborations, with physical retail pop-ups such as SHIBUYA BASE in partnership with Marui Group. As of December 2025, BASE has 401 consolidated employees and is undergoing a take-private transaction with Haveli Investments announced in June 2025 at $24.50 per share.
BASE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BASE
- Legal name
- BASE株式会社
- Website
- https://binc.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- BASE, Inc. operates a Japanese e-commerce platform serving 2 million+ shops through integrated shop creation, payment processing (PAY.JP), buyer-facing shopping (PAY ID with 8M+ users), merchant financing (YELL BANK), and logistics apps, targeting individual creators, SMBs, and local government partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BASE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
BASE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees (Standard): Primary revenue from transaction fees charged when shops make sales. Free tier charges fees only when products sell, making it accessible for startups and individual sellers
- Growth Plan Subscription: Monthly subscription plan with reduced transaction fee rate (2.9%) for shops with monthly sales exceeding ¥170,000, providing predictable recurring revenue
- Invoice Purchase (請求書買い取り): Early monetization of unpaid invoices for shop owners, generating revenue through fees on the invoice purchase service
- Payment Processing (PAY.JP): Payment gateway service with API integration, generating revenue from payment processing on both BASE platform and external merchants
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Plan - Free for shops with sales below ¥170,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Growth Plan - Monthly subscription with reduced fees for high-volume shops |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
BASE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BASE operates an integrated e-commerce platform-as-a-service that lets individuals and small merchants in Japan create and run online shops with no upfront cost. The platform combines shop creation (BASE), payment processing (PAY.JP), a buyer-facing shopping app (PAY ID), risk-free invoice financing (YELL BANK), and managed EC support (E-Store Shopserve), along with an extensible app marketplace for shipping, marketing AI, social commerce and subscription features.
Product overview
BASE, Inc. operates a comprehensive e-commerce ecosystem in Japan built around its core online shop creation platform BASE (used by 2 million+ shops). The platform integrates multiple services: PAY JP provides payment processing APIs; PAY ID serves as the buyer-facing shopping service; YELL BANK offers shop owner financing; and E-Store ショップサーブ provides managed EC support. Additional apps extend functionality for shipping (送り状一括印刷 supporting Japan Post/Yamato/Sagawa), social commerce (Instagram/Facebook integration), and marketing (AI-powered push notifications and email). Physical retail spaces like SHIBUYA BASE enable omnichannel commerce, while new services like PAY JP Invoice Purchase expand financing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PAY ID: Shopping service that provides seamless payment experience and discovery of new products for online shoppers using BASE platform. Relaunched under current logo and name on May 7, 2026.
- PAY.JP
- YELL BANK
- ショップサーブ (E-Store Shopserve)
- SHIBUYA BASE
- BASE Book
- BASE PRODUCT TEAM BLOG
- ECのカクシゴト
Products and services
- BASE (Online Shop Creation Service) Japanese e-commerce shop-creation platform enabling individuals and SMBs to open an online shop in minutes with integrated payments, design themes and transaction analytics; used by 2 million+ shops.
- PAY ID (Shopping Service) Buyer-facing shopping service for all BASE shops, providing seamless ID-based checkout, credit card and Pay Later (post-pay) options, push notifications and follow features for favorite shops; 8 million+ registered users.
- YELL BANK (Shop Owner Funding Service) Risk-free, instant invoice-purchase / funding service that lets BASE shop owners convert unpaid invoices into immediate working capital.
- PAY.JP (Online Payment Service) Online payment processing service with simple API integration, diverse features and transparent pricing, PCI-DSS Version 4.0.1 compliant, used by BASE shops and external merchants.
- E-Store Shopserve (伴走型EC構築・運営支援サービス) Managed, accompaniment-style EC build-and-operate support service for merchants from launch through growth phases.
- Kintore (Premium Gold Trading Card Service) Premium gold trading card service combining IP, trading cards and pure-gold collectibles, certified by Japan Mint with serial-number tracking.
- SHIBUYA BASE (Physical Retail Pop-up) Physical retail pop-up space at Shibuya Modi in partnership with Marui Group, integrated with Square Register and Square Connect App for real-time inventory synchronization between online shops and the physical storefront.
- Instagram Sales App (Instagram販売 App) Integration app that lets BASE merchants sell through Instagram with Facebook Shop compatibility and collection-display features for social commerce.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 million+ shops created on the platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BASE
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BASE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
BASE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and regional.
- Upstone Inc.minorKintore premium gold trading card service launched as collaboration between Base Inc. and Upstone Inc., combining IP, trading cards, and pure gold collectibles with Japan Mint hallmark certification and serial number tracking.
- Square (Block, Inc.)coreSquare has launched its 2nd Generation Square Register at SHIBUYA BASE, the physical retail space operated by BASE in partnership with Marui Group. The all-in-one payment terminal supports various cashless payment methods and integrates with the Square Connect App to enable centralized inventory management with real-time synchronization between online shops and physical store locations.
- Marui GroupcoreMarui Group collaborates with BASE to operate SHIBUYA BASE, a physical retail space at Shibuya Modi in Tokyo. This partnership enables online shop owners to expand into physical retail, creating an omnichannel commerce experience.
- want.jp Inc.coreBASE acquired want.jp Inc., a cross-border e-commerce business based in Minato, Tokyo, for approximately ¥750 million. The acquisition strengthens BASE's cross-border e-commerce functions and supports shop owners in expanding international sales channels. want.jp had sales of ¥1.93 billion.
- Oita PrefectureregionalComprehensive partnership agreement signed August 2022 for regional e-commerce support and local business digitalization
- Kumamoto CityregionalComprehensive partnership agreement signed April 2023 for e-commerce support and local business online presence
- Kyoto City Board of EducationregionalPartnership agreement signed May 2023 for e-commerce education support in schools
- Sapporo City Board of EducationregionalPartnership agreement signed December 2023 for e-commerce education support in schools
- Miyagi Prefectural Board of EducationregionalPartnership agreement signed May 2024 for e-commerce education support
- Kagoshima Prefectural Board of EducationregionalPartnership agreement signed April 2026 for e-commerce education and student career development
- Shimonoseki CityregionalCollaboration to open 'Shimonoseki BASE' specialty goods e-commerce platform featuring local products
- Yamato Transport, Sagawa Express, Japan PostcoreIntegrated shipping label printing and delivery service partnerships enabling seamless logistics for BASE merchants. Japan Post integration added in 2026 for Yu-pack and 4 other Japan Post shipping services.
- CAMPFIREminorCapital and business alliance with crowdfunding operator CAMPFIRE for mutual service promotion
- Facebook/Meta (Instagram)coreInstagram selling app integration allowing shops to sell through Instagram with Facebook Shop integration
- Japan MintminorHallmark certification partnership for Kintore pure gold trading card service through Japan Mint
- Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center (JIFPRO)minorEnvironmental partnership donating based on Pay Later (Pay ID) transaction volume to support forest conservation and afforestation initiatives
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
BASE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shopify: Global leader in SMB e-commerce platform with shop creation, payment processing (Shopify Payments), and embedded financing (Shopify Capital). Closest functional peer to BASE in target customer (SMBs), core offering (online shop creation), and revenue model (transaction fees + subscriptions + payments).
- Makeshop (GMO Pepabo): Japanese e-commerce platform operated by GMO Pepabo, providing shop creation, payment processing, and design templates to Japanese SMBs. Direct domestic competitor to BASE in the SMB shop-creation segment with very similar feature sets and target market.
- Stores.jp (BRANDING): Long-standing Japanese e-commerce platform focused on individual creators and small businesses, with free-tier shop creation similar to BASE. Direct competitor in the Japanese individual-seller and SMB segment.
Emerging players
- Wix: Website builder with integrated e-commerce capabilities targeting SMBs and individuals. Comparable in enabling SMB shop creation with low technical barriers, though broader in scope (websites, not just commerce) and global rather than Japan-focused.
- BigCommerce: Global SMB-focused e-commerce platform with SaaS shop creation, payment integrations, and headless commerce capabilities. Comparable in core shop-creation and SMB focus, though more oriented toward mid-market merchants than BASE's individual-creator core.
- Squarespace: Website and commerce platform focused on individual creators and SMBs with design-led templates. Comparable in serving the creator/SMB seller segment, though more weighted toward content/branding and less specialized in commerce than BASE.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy: Global marketplace focused on individual creators and SMB sellers of handmade and vintage goods. Comparable to BASE in serving the creator/SMB seller segment with a marketplace model, though more vertically focused on craft/vintage goods.
- Mercari: Japan's leading C2C marketplace operator with payments and merchant services (Mercari Shops). While its core marketplace model differs, Mercari Shops overlaps with BASE in providing individual sellers and SMBs with storefront infrastructure.
- Rakuten Ichiba / RMS: Japan's largest e-commerce platform operator with broader commerce, fintech, mobile, and media ecosystem. While Rakuten Ichiba is a marketplace rather than a shop-creation tool, Rakuten RMS offers SMB shop infrastructure, making Rakuten a broad incumbent competing for the same Japanese SMB merchants.
Regional players
- Instamojo: India's leading payment and online store platform for SMBs and individual sellers. Comparable as a regional SMB commerce/payments platform; BASE itself invested in Instamojo in 2020 for cross-border learning, confirming strategic relevance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BASE social profiles
Digital presenceBASE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
BASE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BASE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
BASE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
BASE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BASE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BASE
What does BASE do?
BASE operates an integrated e-commerce platform-as-a-service that lets individuals and small merchants in Japan create and run online shops with no upfront cost. The platform combines shop creation (BASE), payment processing (PAY.JP), a buyer-facing shopping app (PAY ID), risk-free invoice financing (YELL BANK), and managed EC support (E-Store Shopserve), along with an extensible app marketplace for shipping, marketing AI, social commerce and subscription features.
Is BASE a public or private company?
BASE is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was BASE founded?
BASE was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is BASE based?
BASE is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does BASE make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees (Standard) is the primary driver. The others are growth Plan Subscription, invoice Purchase (請求書買い取り) and payment Processing (PAY.JP).
Who are BASE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shopify, Makeshop (GMO Pepabo) and Stores.jp (BRANDING). Emerging players are Wix, BigCommerce and Squarespace. Broad incumbents are Etsy, Mercari and Rakuten Ichiba / RMS. Instamojo is listed as a regional player.
Does BASE have an API?
Yes. PAY JP is an online payment service with a simple API, diverse features, and transparent pricing that enables merchants to accept payments online. Developer documentation is at pay.jp.