GMO Internet Group

Name

GMO Internet Group

Legal name

GMO Internet Group, Inc.

Website

https://group.gmo

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Shibuya)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Internet Infrastructure: Domain registration, web hosting, server services, and related infrastructure provided to businesses and consumers through subsidiaries
2. Internet Security Services: Cybersecurity solutions including SSL certificates, penetration testing, and security monitoring
3. Online Advertising & Media: Internet advertising platforms and media services
4. Internet Financial Services: Payment processing, financial gateway services, and fintech solutions through GMO Payment Gateway
5. Cryptoassets Business: Cryptocurrency exchange and related services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GMO Internet Group operates as a Japanese internet services conglomerate delivering five core product lines through its subsidiaries: Internet Infrastructure (domain registration, web hosting, VPS, and server services such as Lolipop and KUSANAGI), Internet Security (SSL certificates from GlobalSign, penetration testing, EDR, and electronic signatures through GMO Sign), Online Advertising and Media (MEO map-listing optimization via MEO Dashboard), Internet Financial Services (payment processing via GMO Payment Gateway), and Cryptoassets (cryptocurrency exchange). It serves Japanese consumers, SMBs, enterprises, educational institutions, and government entities through approximately 16 group companies.

Product overview

GMO Internet Group is a diversified Japanese internet services conglomerate operating across five main business segments: Internet infrastructure (web hosting, domains, server services via companies like GMO Pepabo and GMO Internet), Internet security (cybersecurity services via GMO Flatt Security, GMO Cybersecurity byイエラエ, and SSL/PKI via GMO GlobalSign), Internet advertising and media (MEO optimization via GMO TECH, research via GMO Research & AI), Internet financial services (payment gateways via GMO Payment Gateway), and cryptoassets. The group also maintains a developer platform (GMO Developers & Creators) for technology content and community engagement, sponsors sports (GMO Arena Saitama), and supports AI adoption through initiatives like the GMO AI Boost Grant. The portfolio includes both B2C consumer services (Lolipop Pop hosting) and B2B enterprise solutions (payment processing, security certificates, e-signatures).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GMO Dream Wave: Specified subsidiary focused on employment promotion for people with disabilities
• GMO Hikari Access for Education
• GMO sign
• GMO LIVE
• GMO Yours (Synergy café)
• GMO BaliRelax
• GMO Siesta
• GMO OLYMPIA
• GMO Bears
• GMO KitaQ
• GMO Hinata

Products and services

• Lolipop Pop Web Hosting Web hosting service for individuals and small businesses provided by GMO Pepabo, including shared hosting, domains, and related internet infrastructure.
• MEO Dashboard by GMO Map Engine Optimization (MEO) dashboard service by GMO TECH that helps businesses improve their visibility in map search results.
• GMO Payment Gateway Payment processing service for merchants, providing credit card processing, mobile payments, PayPay integration, and related fintech services.
• GMO Sign (Electronic Contract) Electronic signature and digital contract service provided by GMO GlobalSign Holdings, used by enterprises and local governments for digital transformation of contract workflows.
• GMO GlobalSign SSL and PKI Certificates SSL certificates, PKI solutions, and identity management services for enterprise security provided by GMO GlobalSign Holdings.
• GMO Flatt Security (Penetration Testing and Security Consulting) Cybersecurity consulting, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment services for organizations.
• GMO Cybersecurity by Ieyaley (EDR) EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and AI-era cybersecurity solutions to protect organizations from cyber threats.
• GMO MAKESHOP E-commerce platform service for online store creation and management.
• KUSANAGI Web Server Appliance High-speed web server appliance solution optimized for WordPress and enterprise web applications, provided by GMO Prime Strategy.
• GMO Internet Domain Registration and Hosting Core domain registration, web hosting, and related internet infrastructure services provided by GMO Internet Inc.
• GMO Hikari Access for Education Internet connection service developed for educational institutions to support the GIGA School Concept; adopted by 1,615 schools as of July 2024.
• GMO Research & AI Market Research AI-powered market research and consumer insight services.
• Cryptoasset Exchange Services Cryptocurrency exchange and related services operated as part of GMO Internet Group's cryptoassets business.
• Tenbin AI Biz by GMO Generative AI service for partner employees, supported through the GMO AI Boost Grant program that provides each partner approximately ¥10,000 per month to adopt AI tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 consecutive periods as Leader in MEO Dashboard category at ITreview Grid Award

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Shibuya Startups K.K.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint venture with Shibuya Ward, TOKYU CORPORATION, and TOKYU LAND CORPORATION to provide training programs and consulting services for startups, as well as business activities aimed at supporting startups. Selected 11 companies in 2023.
• Kyushu UniversityminorOthersNew lecture series 'Technologies Supporting Internet Services' launched in June 2023, consisting of 8 sessions with credit recognition. 16 sessions held in 2023, 16 in 2024, 8 in 2025.
• University of KitakyushuminorOthersTechnology lectures conducted at university contributing to digital and information literacy enhancement. 2 sessions in 2022, 2 sessions in 2023.
• Nagasaki Prefectural UniversityminorOthersGeneral education subject lectures conducted contributing to fostering digital literacy. 1 session held in 2022.
• TABLE FOR TWO InternationalminorOthersProgram donating 20 yen from each calorie-controlled meal to school meals for children in developing countries. Certified Gold Partner for 3 consecutive years. TFT: 53,465 meals served, 1,069,300 yen donated. CFT: 52,579 cups, 1,051,580 yen donated (cumulative through June 2025).
• NPO Food Bank ShibuyaminorOthersPartnership since July 2022 for food and disaster preparedness donations. 38 donation events, 4,406 items donated, distributed to 843 households in Shibuya Ward (cumulative through July 2025).
• Child Fund JapanminorOthersDonation-type vending machine program where 5 yen per bottle is donated to support children in Philippines and Nepal. Also provides disaster relief donations (Noto Peninsula earthquake: 25,281,575 yen in January 2024).
• Japanese Red CrossminorOthersOperates fundraising website for disaster relief. Southeastern Turkey earthquake donations: 10,019,000 yen in February 2023.
• Kitakyushu CityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for DevSecOpsThon at GMO kitaQ hackathon, GMO Digikids programming events for elementary students, and Kitakyushu Yume Mirai Work vocational experience program. Partnership active since 2019.
• Shibuya Ward Board of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKids VALLEY Future Learning Project partnership since 2020 with five companies (GMO Internet Group, TOKYU CORPORATION, CyberAgent, DeNA, MIXI). Developing programming education curricula and dispatching partners as instructors. Programming Summer Camp held 5 times from 2019-2024.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sakura Internet: Japanese hosting, VPS and cloud provider — competes specifically with GMO Pepabo (Lolipop!) in web hosting and server services in the Japanese market.

Broad incumbents

• SoftBank Group: Japan-headquartered tech and internet conglomerate — broader portfolio but overlapping web-services, payments, and AI infrastructure themes relevant to GMO.
• Trend Micro: Major Japanese-headquartered cybersecurity vendor — comparable to GMO's internet security subsidiaries (Flatt Security, GMO Cybersecurity by Ieyalé) though operates at much larger global scale.
• Dentsu: Global Japanese-headquartered advertising and media services group — comparable as incumbent in GMO's advertising/media segment though much larger and broader.

Direct peers

• SBI Holdings: Japanese internet-finance and crypto group operating securities, banking, insurance, and crypto exchange (SBI VC Trade) — highly comparable in the fintech/cryptoasset pillar where GMO also operates.
• Rakuten Group: Japanese internet conglomerate spanning e-commerce, fintech, payments, mobile, and crypto — directly comparable horizontal internet-services model competing head-to-head in payments and cryptoassets.
• CyberAgent: Japanese internet advertising/media platform (AbemaTV, Ameba, programmatic ads) — comparable to GMO's internet advertising & media segment and shares investor attention in Japan internet.
• Z Holdings: Operator of Yahoo Japan and LINE under the SoftBank umbrella — comparable Japanese internet/media/advertising platform overlapping GMO's advertising-media and consumer internet segments.
• Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ): Japanese internet infrastructure provider (connectivity, hosting, cloud, security) — most direct comparable to GMO's internet-infrastructure and security pillars.

Emerging players

• DeNA: Japanese internet services company spanning gaming, e-commerce, mobile, and AI/auto-tech — comparable Japanese internet peer with adjacency in mobile/consumer services and M&A-style platform-building.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GMOGroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gmointernetgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/GMOinternetgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/gmogroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@gmo.group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries16 records

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 Internet Group