Base

E-commerce Platformthebase.in

BASE is a Japanese self-serve e-commerce platform that lets individuals and small businesses create online shops for free, monetizing via transaction fees and a subscription Growth Plan, with 2.6 million shops on the platform.

Company typePrivate
Founded2012
HeadquartersMinato, Japan
Headcount251–500
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingSoftware

What Base does

BASE (BASE株式会社, ticker tyo:4477) is a Japanese e-commerce platform company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company's core product is a free, self-serve storefront builder that allows individuals and small businesses to open an online shop in under 30 seconds without programming knowledge. The platform has scaled to 2.6 million shops and provides a horizontally integrated stack that includes payment processing (BASEかんたん決済, supporting credit cards, PayPay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, convenience store payment, bank transfer, and COD), shipping logistics (direct integrations with Yamato Transport, Japan Post, and Sagawa Express via かんたん発送), and a catalog of add-on modules including lottery sales, reservation sales, subscriptions, and CSV product management through the BASE Apps marketplace.

The business model is a freemium, take-rate structure. The Standard Plan charges no monthly fee but applies a 3.6% + ¥40 transaction fee plus a 3% service fee; the Growth Plan charges ¥16,580/month (annual) and reduces the transaction fee to 2.9% (claimed as industry-low) with no service fee. Revenue is therefore driven primarily by GMV flowing through the platform rather than per-seat subscription. Beyond the core platform, BASE operates several sub-brands that extend the offering: PAY ID (a consumer shopping app with a points system, providing free listing for BASE shops), YELL BANK (sales-based financing for shop owners), invoice factoring (請求書買い取り), BASE Community (peer networking), BASE U (educational content), BASE Partners (agency channel program), moreBASE (pop-up store support), BASE Card (a credit card for shop owners), and the BASE Design Market (premium template marketplace).

The company serves a long-tail of individual entrepreneurs, creators, and small/medium businesses in Japan, with no named enterprise customers or B2B channel. Go-to-market is self-serve product-led growth through the website, supplemented by content marketing via BASE U, community engagement, and a referral partner program. The company is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (tyo:4477), was founded by Yuta Tsuruoka, and per management data has demonstrated accelerating revenue and an EBITDA inflection through 2025.

Base firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Base
Legal name: BASE株式会社
Website: https://thebase.in
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2012
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 251–500 employees
Short description: BASE is a Japanese self-serve e-commerce platform that lets individuals and small businesses create online shops for free, monetizing via transaction fees and a subscription Growth Plan, with 2.6 million shops on the platform.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Base is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Minato
HQ country: Japan
HQ region: Asia

Markets served

Base business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Software
Cost components: Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Transaction Fees (Standard Plan): 3.6% + 40 yen per transaction. Applied when shops sell products. No monthly fee.
Transaction Fees (Growth Plan): 2.9% per transaction (industry-low). No service fee. Monthly subscription of ¥16,580 required.
Service Fee (Standard Plan): 3% service fee on transactions under Standard Plan. Growth Plan has 0 yen service fee.
Monthly Subscription (Growth Plan): ¥16,580 per month (or ¥19,980 monthly if not annually). Annual billing reduces effective monthly cost.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Standard Plan - Free tier for new sellers
Subscription	Annual	Growth Plan - Fee reduction for growing businesses

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Base product offering

Product offering

Core offering

BASE operates a cloud-based e-commerce platform that enables individuals and small businesses in Japan to create online shops in under 30 seconds without technical knowledge. The core offering includes free shop setup with integrated payment processing (BASE Easy Payment), shipping label generation, design templates, and marketing tools, monetized via per-transaction fees and an optional paid Growth Plan subscription.

Product overview

BASE is a Japanese e-commerce platform that operates as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the BASE e-commerce platform providing free online shop creation with built-in payment processing (BASEかんたん決済). Key sub-products and modules include PAY ID (shopping app with points system), YELL BANK (sales-based funding), 請求書買い取り (factoring), BASE U (education), BASE Community (networking), BASE Partners (partner program), moreBASE (popup stores), and BASEデザインマーケット (design marketplace). Additional functionality is extended through BASE Apps including order management, lottery sales, subscription services, and integrated shipping solutions with major Japanese logistics providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

PAY ID: Shopping app that allows users to browse and purchase from BASE shops
YELL BANK
BASE U
BASE Community
BASE Partners
moreBASE
BASEカード
BASE design market

Products and services

BASE (ベイス) Cloud-based e-commerce platform that allows anyone to open an online shop in under 30 seconds with no programming required. Includes built-in payment processing (BASE Easy Payment), design templates, shipping tools, and marketing features. Sold to individual creators and small businesses in Japan on a freemium basis.
PAY ID

Companies that use Base

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Base technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Base partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

ヤマト運輸 (Yamato Transport)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for easy shipping label generation and package delivery through Kuroneko Ta-Q-BIN, Nekopos, Yamato Express, and cool delivery services. Shop owners can generate shipping labels directly from BASE and drop off at convenience stores or Yamato locations.
日本郵便 (Japan Post)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for Yu-Pack and Yuu Packet shipping label generation through Web Yu-Pack Print service.
佐川急便 (Sagawa Express)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for shipping label generation through e-Hiden II and e-Hiden III systems for Hikyaku Takkyubin delivery.
BASE PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner program for agencies and developers who support BASE shop owners with design, development, and运营 assistance.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Base competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Emerging players

Etsy: Global marketplace for handmade and vintage goods that also offers shop tools for sellers. Comparable to BASE in serving individual creators and SMBs, though operates as a marketplace aggregator rather than standalone shop software.

Direct peers

BigCommerce: Headless e-commerce platform for SMB and mid-market merchants offering storefront, checkout, and B2B features. Comparable in providing a SaaS commerce platform with apps marketplace and multi-channel integrations.
Squarespace: Subscription-based platform providing website and online store building for creators and SMBs. Comparable in self-serve PLG motion and template-driven design, though international-focused rather than Japan-specific.
STORES: Japanese e-commerce platform offering online shop creation with integrated payments and shipping. The most direct domestic competitor to BASE, targeting the same SMB and individual seller segment in Japan.
Color Me Shop: Long-standing Japanese e-commerce platform operated by paperboy&co., used by tens of thousands of SMBs and creators. Comparable in target audience (small/independent merchants) and freemium-like entry tier.
makeshop (by GMO): Japanese e-commerce platform operated by GMO Internet Group providing online shop creation with payment and shipping integrations. Backed by a major Japanese internet conglomerate and a clear domestic rival.
Welcart: Japanese WordPress-based e-commerce plugin widely used by SMBs to add shops to existing websites. Comparable in functionality but emphasizes plugin/extension model rather than hosted standalone shops.
Shopify: Global e-commerce platform enabling merchants to create and operate online stores with integrated payments, shipping, and apps. Closest direct product comparable to BASE, with functionally similar self-serve shop creation and an app marketplace.
creema: Japanese marketplace for handmade and craft goods, with a side offering of shop tools for sellers. Overlaps with BASE on the creator/handmade seller segment in Japan.

Broad incumbents

Wix: Broad website builder with e-commerce capabilities as part of a wider portfolio. Comparable to BASE in shop-creation functionality but operates in adjacent web presence/website category rather than commerce-pure-play.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Base financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Base leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Base funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Base M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Base

What does Base do?

Is Base a public or private company?

Base is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.

When was Base founded?

Base was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.

Where is Base based?

Base is headquartered in Minato, Japan, in the Asia region.

How does Base make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees (Standard Plan) is the primary driver. The others are transaction Fees (Growth Plan), service Fee (Standard Plan) and monthly Subscription (Growth Plan).

Who are Base's main competitors?

Etsy is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are BigCommerce, Squarespace, STORES, Color Me Shop, makeshop (by GMO), Welcart, Shopify and creema. Wix is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Base have an API?

Yes. BASE provides a developer API for third-party integrations and extensions. The API allows developers to build applications and integrations with the BASE e-commerce platform. Developer documentation is at developers.thebase.com.