What Rakuten Drive does

Rakuten Drive is a cloud-based file transfer and storage service operated by Rakuten Symphony Korea (under Rakuten Group, Inc.) with operational roots tracing back to Estmob's 2012 launch of the Send Anywhere product. The service combines a large-file transfer capability (up to 50GB per transfer) with cloud storage of up to 3TB per user, delivered across web, iOS, Android, and a Chrome extension. Its primary technical differentiators are integrations with workplace messengers (Slack, Chatwork) and email clients that allow files to be sent directly from these surfaces, combined with a three-layer security model of password-protected links, expiration dates, and access permissions. The service is built on AWS infrastructure with Stripe handling payments and holds ISO 27001 certification.

The business model is a freemium subscription model with three tiers: a free tier (10GB storage, 10GB max upload, 48-hour link expiration) serving as the acquisition funnel, the Rakuten Drive PRO plan for individuals at $8.99/month (1TB storage, 50GB uploads, customizable link expiration), and the Rakuten Drive Business plan for teams at $11.99/member/month with a 5-seat minimum (3TB per member, team profiles, administrative tools, activity monitoring). GTM combines product-led growth via self-serve sign-up and app stores with business-tier positioning for SMBs. Cumulative downloads exceed 50M across 230 countries, with 7M monthly active users (as of 2022), 390M annual file transfers, and 27PB of data transferred per year.

Rakuten Drive has rebranded twice — to Rakuten Symphony Korea in 2022 and to Rakuten Drive in 2023 — reflecting its full integration into the Rakuten Group cloud services portfolio. The platform targets creative professionals, SMBs, software and R&D companies, and e-commerce businesses, with named case-study customers in animation (302planet), software development (Ahn Software Lab), and e-commerce (UkiUki). It has established API or MOU partnerships with Samsung (Galaxy integration), Polaris Office, and Naver, and operates alongside sub-brands Send Anywhere PLUS, Sendy, and HyTDiS. Cumulative external funding from Rakuten Ventures totals $10M across three rounds (2014 seed, 2016 Series A, 2019 bridge).

Name

Rakuten Drive

Legal name

Rakuten Mobile, Inc.

Website

https://home.rakuten-drive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rakuten Drive is a cloud-based file transfer and storage platform (formerly Send Anywhere), operated under Rakuten Group, offering up to 50GB transfers and 3TB storage per user across web, mobile, and Chrome extension, targeting SMBs and creative professionals via freemium and team subscription plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Storage and File Transfer

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service) (HDABAAAK)

Keywords

• Cloud file transfer
• Cloud storage services
• Large file sharing
• Team file collaboration
• Secure file transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription - PRO Plan: Monthly subscription model with tiered pricing based on billing cycle length. PRO plan offers 1TB cloud storage, unlimited My Link storage, 50GB max file upload per link, customizable link expiration up to 30 days, and unlimited Chrome extension use. Users can choose monthly, quarterly (save 3%), semi-annual (save 6%), or annual (save 15%) billing cycles.
2. Subscription - Business Plan: Per-member monthly subscription at $11.99 per member with minimum 5 users. Includes all PRO features plus 3TB cloud storage per member, team profile setup, administrative tools, Team Drive features, and member activity monitoring.
3. Free Tier: Free tier providing 10GB storage, 10GB max file upload per link, 48-hour link expiration, limited Chrome extension use (max 3 times), and basic login device management. Serves as acquisition funnel for paid upgrades.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rakuten Drive is a cloud-based file transfer and storage platform that allows users to send files up to 50GB per transfer and store up to 3TB per user in the cloud. The service combines direct large-file sharing with persistent cloud storage and integrates with business communication tools such as Slack, Chatwork, and email. It is available across web, iOS, Android, desktop, and Chrome browser, targeting both individual professionals and small business teams.

Product overview

Rakuten Drive is a cloud storage and file transfer platform that combines two core services: Rakuten Drive Transfer for sending files up to 50GB, and Rakuten Drive Cloud for storing up to 3TB per user. The platform operates on a freemium model with two paid tiers—Rakuten Drive PRO for individuals ($8.99/month) and Rakuten Drive Business for teams ($11.99/month per member, minimum 5 users). The service was rebranded in 2023 from Send Anywhere (which launched in 2012 and achieved 50M+ downloads) and is now part of Rakuten Symphony Korea under the Rakuten Group. Available across web, iOS, Android, and Chrome extension, it integrates with email clients and workplace messengers (Slack, Chatwork) for seamless workflow integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Send Anywhere PLUS: Premium version of Send Anywhere file transfer service with enhanced features
• Sendy
• HyTDiS
• Rakuten Drive PRO
• Rakuten Drive Business

Products and services

• Rakuten Drive A cloud-based file transfer and storage service that enables individuals and teams to send large files up to 50GB and store up to 3TB per user in the cloud. The platform supports cross-platform access via web, iOS, Android, desktop, and Chrome extension, and offers integrations with Slack, Chatwork, and email. It is offered through Free, PRO ($8.99/month), and Business ($11.99/member/month, minimum 5 members) plans, serving individual professionals as well as small business teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50GB large file transfer per time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SANDBOX NETWORK Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership established in 2021 for network and ecosystem development.
• SamsungcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015MOU with Samsung Printers (2015) and Samsung Galaxy integration (2016). Send Anywhere was integrated into Galaxy Note7 models as part of Samsung Galaxy ecosystem partnership. Strategic partnership with major global electronics conglomerate.
• Amazon Web ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary cloud infrastructure provider for service provision. AWS hosts user data including personal details, contact details, IP addresses, device identifiers, and account details. Data centers located in United States.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for secure payment transactions. Handles payment card details including cardholder name, card expiration date, CVC code, and card number. Transactional data including date, time, amount, and last four digits of card stored for up to 5 years for legal compliance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dropbox: Dropbox is a direct competitor in cloud storage and file sharing with a freemium model, team plans, and integrations with workplace tools. Both target SMB and individual professionals needing file sync, sharing, and collaboration, though Dropbox has significantly broader feature depth.
• WeTransfer: WeTransfer is the leading direct competitor in large file transfer, offering free and paid plans for sending files up to 200GB with similar email/messenger sharing workflows. Both services target creative professionals and SMBs needing large-file transfer without enterprise complexity.
• MASV: MASV is a direct competitor specializing in large file transfer for creative and media professionals, offering accelerated transfers and team features. Both services compete for the same animation/video production use cases that Rakuten Drive's 302planet case study targets.

Emerging players

• pCloud: pCloud is an emerging player in consumer and SMB cloud storage with lifetime pricing options and EU-based data residency. It overlaps with Rakuten Drive's freemium model and individual PRO plan positioning, particularly in European markets where data residency is a differentiator.
• Smash: Smash is an emerging player in large file transfer with a freemium model and creative professional focus, similar to Send Anywhere's original positioning. Both services target the design, video, and animation segments with similar UX patterns and pricing tiers.
• Filemail: Filemail is an emerging player offering large file transfer with cloud storage and team collaboration features, similar to Rakuten Drive's combined transfer + storage value proposition. It targets SMBs and creative professionals with comparable freemium and subscription plans.

Broad incumbents

• Box: Box is a broad incumbent in enterprise cloud content management with strong security, compliance, and admin controls. It competes with Rakuten Drive Business for the same team/admin-driven SMB and mid-market segment, with deeper enterprise integrations.
• Microsoft OneDrive: Microsoft OneDrive is a broad incumbent bundled with Microsoft 365 and Windows, offering 1TB+ storage for enterprise customers at no incremental cost. It represents the dominant enterprise cloud storage option that Rakuten Drive Business must compete against in the SMB and team segment.
• Google Drive: Google Drive is a broad incumbent offering 15GB free storage bundled with Google Workspace, Gmail, and Android — making it a default cloud storage option for consumers and businesses. Rakuten Drive's workplace messenger integrations are the primary differentiator against Google Drive's ecosystem lock-in.

Others

• Sendy (own subsidiary): Sendy is a wholly-owned subsidiary product within Rakuten Drive's portfolio, positioned as a professional file transfer service. While it competes in the same space, it is operated by the same parent company (Rakuten Symphony Korea) and represents an internal product line rather than an independent competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Rakuten_Drive

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rakuten Drive