Rakuten

E-Commerce MarketplacesFounded 1997

Market Data Current As Of: September 12, 2026

Related Competitor Intelligence

Compare market positioning with top industry peers

Competitor

Explore Rakuten

Core profile pages, annual revenue records, and related research hubs for this company.

Rakuten

E-Commerce MarketplacesFounded 1997

Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya

Last reviewed: September 12, 2026

Market Data Current As Of: September 12, 2026

Company History

Rakuten: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones

Founded 1997 in Tokyo, Japan

Founding Story

In 1997, 32-year-old Hiroshi 'Mickey' Mikitani, an industrial bank executive who earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, left his banking career after the devastating 1995 Kobe earthquake claimed the lives of several close friends, deciding he had to take risks to revitalize the stagnant Japanese economy. Mikitani observed that Japanese mom-and-pop merchants across regional prefectures were struggling against big-city retail chains. He founded **MDM, Inc.** (renamed Rakuten, from the Japanese word meaning 'optimism') in February 1997 with just five employees and ¥13 million in savings. Launching **Rakuten Ichiba** on May 1, 1997, with only 13 merchant storefronts, Mikitani let shop owners design their own web pages and communicate directly with customers, igniting Japan's digital commerce revolution.

Founders

Hiroshi Mikitani

Hiroshi Mikitani is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Rakuten Group, Inc. In 1997, Mikitani founded Rakuten Ichiba to revitalize Japan's regional retail economy. Mikitani pioneered the Rakuten Ecosystem, led the 2010 'Englishnization' corporate language mandate, built Rakuten Card and Bank into financial titans, and revolutionized 5G with Open RAN.

Key Milestones

1997

MDM, Inc. (Rakuten) Founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in Tokyo

Launched Rakuten Ichiba online shopping mall with 13 merchants and 5 employees.

2000

Initial Public Offering on JASDAQ

Listed publicly in Tokyo, fueling rapid e-commerce and digital service expansion.

2004

Launch of Professional Baseball Team (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles)

Became the first new NPB baseball franchise in 50 years, establishing national brand trust.

2005

Entry into FinTech with Rakuten Card & Bank Acquisitions

Acquired credit card and banking operations, creating the financial engine of the Rakuten Ecosystem.

2010

Pioneered 'Englishnization' Corporate Language Mandate

Made English the official internal working language of Rakuten, attracting global engineering talent.

2020

Commercial Launch of Rakuten Mobile Open RAN Network

Launched the world's first fully virtualized cloud-native 4G/5G mobile telecommunications network.

2024

Rollout of Platinum Band (700 MHz) & Rakuten Symphony Expansion

Commercialized sub-1 GHz frequencies in Japan and expanded global Open RAN software exports.

2026

Surpasses $14.5B Revenue Across 100M+ Ecosystem Members

Achieved annual consolidated revenue exceeding $14.5 billion USD (¥2.15T+ JPY) with expanding telecom scale.

Major Acquisitions

Ebates (Rakuten Rewards)

2014

Acquired leading US cash-back shopping portal to expand international e-commerce presence.

Kobo Inc.

2011

Acquired Canadian digital e-reader and e-book platform to compete with Amazon Kindle.

Viber Media

2014

Acquired global VoIP and messaging application with hundreds of millions of users.

Rakuten Company History FAQ

What are the defining historical milestones for Rakuten?

Since its establishment in 1997, Rakuten expanded from an early-stage venture into a recognized leader in E-Commerce Marketplaces, FinTech & Digital Banking, Mobile Telecommunications (Open RAN), Digital Media & Global Ecosystem Platforms, overcoming key market challenges.

What major strategic pivots shaped Rakuten's evolution?

Over its history, Rakuten executed decisive strategic pivots toward scalable monetization and digital distribution, securing its current market leadership.

How has Rakuten adapted to recent industry disruptions?

By continually modernizing operations and embracing workflow automation, Rakuten maintains resilience through changing technological and economic cycles.

Related Companies

Amazon.com, Inc.JD.com Alibaba Group Holding Limited Flipkart JioMart

Compare Rakuten History With Competitors