GMO MakeShop

What GMO MakeShop does

GMO MakeShop (GMOメイクショップ株式会社) is a Japan-based e-commerce platform provider and a consolidated subsidiary of GMO Internet Group (TSE Prime, ticker 9449), founded in 2004 and headquartered in Cerulian Tower, Shibuya, Tokyo. The company operates three integrated service lines: EC construction support via makeshop byGMO (SMB self-serve) and GMOクラウドEC (enterprise-grade, with PCI DSS-compliant option); EC marketing support through MakeRepeater (email), ItemPost (product discovery), IpoClick (behavioral marketing), and makeappli (mobile apps); and EC operations outsourcing covering daily store management, consulting, and site production. Cross-border EC is operated through consolidated subsidiary GMO Global EC via the Japan Finds byGMO platform, giving Japanese merchants access to 30+ overseas marketplaces.

The platform's next-generation architecture is built on Vue.js, Golang, GraphQL, and gRPC, and processes ¥3,804 billion in annual transaction volume — a figure that has held the No.1 position among domestic EC construction SaaS providers for 14 consecutive years. GMO MakeShop holds ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification (since 2017) and PCI DSS v4.0.1 compliance (achieved September 2025), and in May 2026 released an MCP Server for Backoffice that exposes the platform's backoffice to third-party AI agents — a first-of-kind move in the Japan EC SaaS segment.

The business model combines subscription-style platform fees (makeshop byGMO, GMOクラウドEC, MakeRepeater, marketing tools) with professional services revenue from EC運営代行, consulting, and production outsourcing. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve SMB acquisition online, field sales for enterprise contracts, designated sales partners for mid-market, and government-channel partnerships (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Kawasaki City, Wakayama Prefecture, JETRO) for cross-border and digital-marketing initiatives. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is sales-quoted.

Name

GMO MakeShop

Legal name

GMOメイクショップ株式会社

Website

https://makeshop.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GMO MakeShop (GMOメイクショップ株式会社) is a Japan-based e-commerce SaaS provider and subsidiary of GMO Internet Group, offering SMB and enterprise merchants end-to-end EC platform, marketing automation, and outsourced operations services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EC Platform Subscriptions: Monthly/annual subscription fees for access to makeshop and GMOクラウドEC online store building platforms
2. EC Operations Outsourcing: Fee-based services for outsourced EC store management, consulting, and site production
3. Marketing Tools: Customer nurturing and marketing tools including MakeRepeater and other marketing services

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GMO MakeShop provides an integrated e-commerce (EC) platform ecosystem that enables Japanese businesses to build, market, and operate online stores. The core offerings include the makeshop byGMO EC site building platform and GMOクラウドEC enterprise solution for store construction, marketing tools (MakeRepeater email marketing, ItemPost product discovery, IpoClick behavioral marketing, makeappli mobile apps), and outsourced EC operations, consulting, and production services. The platform also extends to cross-border EC through its GMO Global EC subsidiary, giving merchants access to 30+ overseas marketplaces.

Product overview

GMO MakeShop provides a comprehensive EC (e-commerce) platform ecosystem with three main service categories: EC Construction Support (makeshop byGMO and GMO Cloud EC as core platforms), EC Marketing Support (MakeRepeater for email marketing, ItemPost for product discovery, IpoClick for behavioral marketing, and makeappli for mobile apps), and EC Operations Outsourcing (full service operations, consulting, and production services). The platform achieved 14 consecutive years as Japan's No.1 EC construction SaaS by transaction volume, and the company also offers cross-border EC services through its subsidiary GMO Global EC via Japan Finds byGMO, enabling Japanese businesses to sell on global marketplaces. The architecture combines multiple integrated services for building, marketing, and operating online stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• makeshop byGMO: E-commerce site building service for launching online shops
• GMOクラウドEC
• MakeRepeater byGMO
• EC運営代行 byGMO
• アイテムポスト
• アイポクリック

Products and services

• makeshop byGMO Primary EC site building SaaS platform that enables Japanese merchants and SMEs to launch and operate online stores with comprehensive e-commerce functionality.
• GMOクラウドEC (GMO Cloud EC) Enterprise-grade EC site construction solution offering scalable e-commerce infrastructure with three plan tiers (makeshop enterprise, package EC, cloud EC) for larger businesses requiring higher customization and PCI DSS-compliant payment processing.
• MakeRepeater byGMO Customer retention-focused email marketing automation tool that automates targeted email campaigns to nurture customer relationships and drive repeat purchases for EC merchants.
• アイテムポスト (ItemPost) Product discovery and listing service that increases store traffic by listing merchant products on external product search platforms.
• アイポクリック (IpoClick) Marketing automation tool that uses behavioral data to trigger targeted promotions and ads aimed at increasing conversion rates for EC merchants.
• EC運営代行 byGMO (EC Operations Outsourcing) Full-service EC operations outsourcing covering store setup, daily operations, marketing execution, and continuous improvement support for merchants.
• コンサルティングサービス (Consulting Services) Strategic consulting services to identify EC business challenges and develop customized solutions for sales growth and operational efficiency.
• 制作代行サービス (Production Outsourcing)

Quantifiable outcome

• Self-owned EC average purchase unit price is 4x higher than EC malls
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• 株式会社JTBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026In the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Cross-border EC Support Project, GMO Global EC (consolidated subsidiary of GMO MakeShop) partners with JTB as the overall project coordinator and promoter, while GMO Global EC handles the practical and operational aspects of cross-border EC support for small and medium enterprises in Tokyo.
• GMOグローバルEC株式会社coreOthersA consolidated subsidiary of GMO MakeShop that operates the Japan Finds byGMO cross-border EC platform, providing support for Japanese companies to sell on overseas marketplaces including eBay, Walmart, Amazon, and 30+ other international platforms.
• 公益財団法人東京都中小企業振興公社coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency (公社) implements the cross-border EC sales support project, with GMO Global EC contracted to handle practical operations. This public-private partnership aims to support Tokyo-based SMEs in developing overseas sales channels.
• 川崎市majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKawasaki City has selected GMO Global EC as contractor for cross-border EC support services to help local businesses develop overseas sales channels.
• ジェトロ (日本貿易振興機構)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) collaborates with GMO Global EC on expert support and hands-on assistance for cross-border EC initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Squarespace: Broader website builder with embedded commerce functionality, serving creators and SMBs across multiple geographies. Overlaps with makeshop byGMO's SMB use case but is not Japan-specialized and lacks the depth of the marketing/ops ecosystem.
• Adobe Commerce (Magento): Enterprise-grade commerce platform (formerly Magento) for large retailers and brands requiring deep customization and integrations. Comparable to the enterprise end of GMO クラウドEC but typically requires more technical investment and is not Japan-verticalized.
• Wix: Global website builder with commerce, bookings, and marketing features targeting SMBs and creators worldwide. Comparable to makeshop byGMO at the SMB layer but operates across many verticals and lacks Japanese-market specialization or PCI/ISMS depth.

Direct peers

• Ebisumart: Japan-focused enterprise ecommerce platform with deep customization, system integration, and B2B features, used by larger Japanese retailers and brand manufacturers. Directly comparable to GMO クラウドEC in the enterprise tier and relevant to MakeRepeater/marketing ecosystem.
• BigCommerce: Global enterprise and mid-market ecommerce SaaS with headless commerce, multi-channel, and B2B capabilities. Closest analog to GMO クラウドEC for larger Japanese merchants needing advanced customization and security, with comparable enterprise GTM.
• futureshop: Japanese ecommerce platform provider targeting SMB and mid-market merchants with subscription plans, marketing features, and agency-style support. Comparable to GMO クラウドEC in positioning and to makeshop byGMO in SMB/enterprise crossover.
• カラーミーショップ (ColorMe by GMO Pepabo): Long-established Japanese EC site-building SaaS operated by GMO Pepabo, targeting SMB and individual merchants with tiered plans. Overlaps directly with makeshop byGMO in product and customer; notable that both are within the broader GMO group but operated by separate subsidiaries.
• BASE (BASE, Inc.): Japanese ecommerce platform focused on individual creators and SMBs, now part of the STORES group, offering free/low-cost store-building with payments and shipping integrations. Closest head-to-head Japanese competitor to makeshop byGMO in the SMB merchant segment, with comparable target customer and freemium-like pricing.
• STORES (STORES Co., Ltd.): Japanese SMB-focused EC platform operator (parent of BASE), providing online store builder, payments, and reservation tools to Japanese merchants. Competes directly with makeshop byGMO in the SMB cohort and frequently cited as a top alternative in Japan.
• Shopify: Global leader in ecommerce SaaS, offering merchants a subscription-based platform to build and operate online stores with marketing and payments tooling. Direct competitor to makeshop byGMO across SMB and mid-market segments, though Shopify has broader global reach while GMO MakeShop is Japan-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/makeshopjp
• Facebookja-jp.facebook.com/makeshopjp

Compliance2 records

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 GMO MakeShop