Rakuten, a publicly owned company headquartered in Japan, was founded in 1997 and operates with approximately 9,920 employees, reporting $16.7B in revenue as of 2025. Functioning as a Japanese technology conglomerate and holding company, Rakuten specializes in software development, having launched its core e-commerce marketplace, Rakuten Ichiba, in May 1997 before diversifying into a multi-sector ecosystem that spans e-commerce, financial technology, digital content, and telecommunications. The company operates a cross-platform loyalty program, Rakuten Points, designed to integrate its distinct business lines and maximize customer lifetime value across a global member base. Its institutional subsidiaries and assets include the messaging application Rakuten Viber, the digital reading platform Rakuten Kobo, the video streaming service Rakuten Viki, and the online travel booking portal Rakuten Travel. Through its fintech segment, the conglomerate manages Japanese financial entities such as Rakuten Card, Rakuten Securities, and Rakuten Bank, which has a definitive reorganization agreement to centralize the group's credit card and securities operations. In 2018, the company established Rakuten Mobile, launching commercial 4G and 5G operations in 2020 as Japan’s fourth major mobile network operator, utilizing a fully virtualized, cloud-native Open RAN network architecture. Rakuten serves approximately 2.1 billion members worldwide across more than 30 countries and regions.
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