LinkShare Corporation
LinkShare Corporation operates Rakuten Advertising, a global affiliate marketing network connecting enterprise brands and agencies with publishers and influencers across 10+ regional markets. The platform uses AI-powered Affiliate Intelligence for partner discovery, forecasting, and benchmarking, reaching 1.2B+ consumers via transaction-fee revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What LinkShare Corporation does
LinkShare Corporation, founded in 1996, is a New York-headquartered affiliate marketing network that now operates as Rakuten Advertising following its 2005 acquisition by Japan's Rakuten Group for approximately $425 million. The company operates a global two-sided platform connecting enterprise advertisers (brands and agencies) with publishers, influencers, and payment partners across more than 10 regional markets including the US, APAC, Brazil, Canada, and major European countries. Its technology stack centers on an AI-powered suite called Affiliate Intelligence, which provides predictive analytics, partner discovery, forecasting, and benchmarking capabilities built on what the company describes as the industry's largest data science team and exclusive proprietary data.
The product portfolio extends beyond core affiliate tracking to include Audience Engine (audience targeting), Detect (measurement), Influencer Marketing, Media, Display advertising, an Insights & Analytics Portal, and a Developer Portal with API access. The platform has reportedly reached 1.2 billion consumers and processed over 200 million transactions, holding the #1 ranking in global affiliate traffic. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based commissions on successful affiliate conversions, with the business operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly traded Rakuten Group (TSE: 4755.T). In 2024, the company formed a strategic partnership with impact.com to extend its partner marketing capabilities.
The company targets global brands, agencies, and publishers across Financial Services, Retail, and Travel verticals, with named enterprise customers including H&M, JD Sports, Icelandair, OUAI, and Cleo. Distribution combines enterprise direct sales for advertisers with self-service publisher onboarding. No standalone revenue, ARR, or headcount growth disclosures are publicly available, and the LinkShare entity is not separately reported within Rakuten Group's segment financials.
LinkShare Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LinkShare Corporation
- Legal name
- LinkShare Corporation
- Website
- https://linkshare.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- LinkShare Corporation operates Rakuten Advertising, a global affiliate marketing network connecting enterprise brands and agencies with publishers and influencers across 10+ regional markets. The platform uses AI-powered Affiliate Intelligence for partner discovery, forecasting, and benchmarking, reaching 1.2B+ consumers via transaction-fee revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LinkShare Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Affiliate Marketing
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affiliate & Partner Marketing (Performance Partnerships) (BPAFACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks (BPAMALAI), Affiliate Marketing & Partner Program Management (MPAAACAD), Affiliate & Partner Lead Generation Networks (BPAFAKAL)
Keywords
Where LinkShare Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
LinkShare Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Marketing Services: Performance-based affiliate marketing network connecting advertisers with publishers. Revenue generated through commissions on successful transactions and partnerships across the network.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
LinkShare Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LinkShare Corporation, operating as Rakuten Advertising, operates a global affiliate marketing network that connects enterprise advertisers and brands with a curated network of publishers, influencers, and payment partners for performance-based marketing campaigns. The platform combines the core Affiliate network with AI-powered Affiliate Intelligence tools for partner discovery, forecasting, and benchmarking, supported by an Insights & Analytics Portal and Developer APIs. Revenue is generated through commissions on successful transactions across the network spanning awareness, engagement, sales, and loyalty stages.
Product overview
LinkShare Corporation, now operating under Rakuten Advertising, is a leading global affiliate marketing network with 25+ years of experience. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem combining the core Affiliate network with AI-powered intelligence tools (Affiliate Intelligence), audience targeting (Audience Engine), influencer marketing capabilities, and integrated media solutions. The suite includes dedicated portals for advertisers (dashboard.linkshare.com), publishers, and developers, all connected through a full-funnel global partner network reaching 1.2B+ consumers across multiple verticals including Financial Services, Retail, and Travel.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Affiliate
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.2B+ consumers reached through the network
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LinkShare Corporation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LinkShare Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
LinkShare Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- impact.comcoreRakuten Advertising and impact.com form a strategic partnership, combining two industry titans to create a powerful force in partner marketing. The partnership provides more opportunities, deeper intelligence, greater clarity, and stronger performance for clients.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LinkShare Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon Associates: Amazon's first-party affiliate program, a foundational ecosystem player that captures publisher-promoted commerce. Competes with LinkShare indirectly by owning its own massive retail-media-meets-affiliate inventory and increasingly pulling spend from open networks.
- Walmart Connect (and other retail media networks): First-party retail media networks that increasingly absorb affiliate-style demand. Included as a peer because they represent the structural competitive threat disintermediating open affiliate networks like LinkShare by owning publisher-of-record and attribution.
Direct peers
- PartnerStack: B2B-focused partner management platform for SaaS affiliate and referral programs. Competes with Rakuten Advertising's broader affiliate suite for B2B SaaS and vertical-specific partnership budgets, particularly in software and financial services.
- Partnerize: AI-powered partner marketing automation platform serving enterprise brands and agencies. Competes with Rakuten Advertising/LinkShare's tech stack and affiliate intelligence capabilities, particularly on SaaS delivery and partner discovery.
- Pepperjam (Ascend): Affiliate and partner marketing platform owned by Partnerize's parent. Provides network and SaaS-style technology similar to Rakuten Advertising for mid-market and enterprise advertisers, with category overlap in retail and DTC.
- impact.com: Global partner marketing platform covering affiliate, influencer, and B2B partnerships. Now a strategic partner of Rakuten Advertising/LinkShare, the two are marketed together as the dominant combined affiliate force serving identical enterprise brand advertisers.
- Awin (including ShareASale): Global affiliate marketing network formed through the merger of Affiliate Window and ShareASale, owned by Axel Springer. Direct competitor offering a comparable performance-based publisher network for enterprise brands, with strong European presence and growing North American share.
- CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): One of the longest-standing global affiliate networks, owned by Publicis Groupe's WPP/Publicis affiliate. Directly competes with Rakuten Advertising/LinkShare for the same enterprise brand advertisers across retail, travel, and financial services verticals.
Emerging players
- Sovrn //Commerce: Publisher-focused ad tech and affiliate platform serving independent publishers. Comparable in affiliate commerce monetization and competing for the publisher supply side that Rakuten Advertising aggregates into its curated network.
- Refersion: Affiliate and influencer marketing platform focused on DTC and Shopify brands. Comparable on the SMB/mid-market side of affiliate technology that overlaps with the lower tier of Rakuten Advertising's publisher ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LinkShare Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceLinkShare Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LinkShare Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
LinkShare Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LinkShare Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LinkShare Corporation
What does LinkShare Corporation do?
LinkShare Corporation, operating as Rakuten Advertising, operates a global affiliate marketing network that connects enterprise advertisers and brands with a curated network of publishers, influencers, and payment partners for performance-based marketing campaigns. The platform combines the core Affiliate network with AI-powered Affiliate Intelligence tools for partner discovery, forecasting, and benchmarking, supported by an Insights & Analytics Portal and Developer APIs. Revenue is generated through commissions on successful transactions across the network spanning awareness, engagement, sales, and loyalty stages.
Is LinkShare Corporation a public or private company?
LinkShare Corporation is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LinkShare Corporation founded?
LinkShare Corporation was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is LinkShare Corporation based?
LinkShare Corporation is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does LinkShare Corporation make money?
One revenue line is on record: affiliate Marketing Services.
Who are LinkShare Corporation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon Associates and Walmart Connect (and other retail media networks). Direct peers are PartnerStack, Partnerize, Pepperjam (Ascend), impact.com, Awin (including ShareASale) and CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction). Emerging players are Sovrn //Commerce and Refersion.
Does LinkShare Corporation have an API?
Yes. LinkShare Corporation exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at developers.rakutenadvertising.com.
What industry is LinkShare Corporation in?
LinkShare Corporation's product category is Affiliate Marketing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFACAE, Affiliate & Partner Marketing (Performance Partnerships), with a secondary code of BPAMALAI, Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.