Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
Und aus der Übersicht im Posting 10148 könnt Ihr entnehmen, dass sich die Abschreibungen aufgrund der gigantischen Mobilfunk-Investitionen in den fünf Jahren von 2018 bis 2022 pro Jahr mehr als versechsfacht haben. Wenn man dann in den Folgejahren weniger investiert, fliegt einem die Cash nur so um die Ohren, selbst wenn man erst den Break-Even erreicht hat.
Warum das bisher bei den Rating-Agenturen nicht in einer Rating-Erhöhung gemündet ist, obwohl die mit Sicherheit den von mir beschriebenen Wissenstand und auch die beschriebenen Daten zur Verfügung haben, ist mir ein Rätsel.
Fever secured $35 million from Rakuten Capital, Atresmedia and Accel.
15 July 2019
Fever, a Madrid, Spain and London, UK-based company operating a business based on a mobile app for social events raised $35 million.
The investment round was led by Rakuten Capital, the investment arm of Japanese internet giant Rakuten, and included Atresmedia, Accel and Michael Zeisser, the former chairman of U.S. investments for Alibaba Group. Zeisser will also join Fever’s board together with Oskar Mielczarek, partner of Rakuten.
https://nordic9.com/news/...ital-atresmedia-and-accel-news2143843847/
How much funding has Fever raised till date?
Fever has raised a total funding of $427M over 8 rounds.
It's first funding round was on May 07, 2014.
It's latest funding round was a Series E round on Jan 25, 2023 for $110M.
What is the valuation of Fever?
Fever's valuation is $1.8B
https://tracxn.com/d/companies/fever/...wEwnAROSdrwDoGm1AVjL6rK9QKRLw
18 November 2023
In a move that has shaken up Japan’s telecommunications industry, Rakuten Mobile, the mobile subsidiary of e-commerce giant Rakuten, has officially launched its 4G network. This launch marks a significant milestone in the country’s telecommunications landscape as Rakuten Mobile becomes the fourth major player in a market long dominated by three established giants: NTT Docomo, SoftBank, and KDDI.
Rakuten Mobile’s entry into the market is expected to disrupt the status quo and trigger a wave of competition that could benefit consumers. The company has made bold promises to provide affordable and high-quality mobile services, backed by its extensive investments in infrastructure and innovative approach to network deployment.
One key factor that sets Rakuten Mobile apart is its use of native cloud technology, which allows for a more flexible and scalable network infrastructure. This approach enables Rakuten Mobile to quickly adapt to changing customer demands and deliver a superior user experience. Additionally, the company’s aggressive pricing strategy, including a free plan for the first year, has already attracted a significant number of subscribers.
https://metroamericas.com/en/noticias-2/...andscape/472714/#gsc.tab=0
July 11, 2023
ShopBack started out nine years ago in 2014 as the brainchild of former Zalora executives Henry Chan and Joel Leong. The cashback rewards company recorded only three transactions a day when it first started, but it has since grown to become one of Singapore’s rising startups.
Last December, ShopBack raised a total of US$160 million in its Series F funding and to date, it has managed to expand its presence across Asia Pacific, including Australia and most recently, Hong Kong.
But how did the company make it this far? At ShopBack’s flagship merchants summit, SPARK 2023, held last Thursday (July 6), Henry, Joel, and other key ShopBack executives shared the secrets behind the startup’s soaring success
https://vulcanpost.com/832744/...secrets-to-success-5b-in-sales-2022/
When you combine the power of influencer marketing and the trust and authenticity with the measurement of affiliate, you’re going to get a really strong one-two punch. That’s why Rakuten Advertising has partnered with Mavrck to release its latest Influencer offering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGqhIbCHqoc&t=23s
The transaction value for the Global Digital Payments Market is projected to be worth USD 11.29 trillion by 2026.
The transaction value for the Global Digital Payments Market was USD 5.44 trillion in 2020, and it is projected to be worth USD 11.29 trillion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 11.21% between 2021 and 2026.
The global fintech market is projected to reach $305.7 billion by 2023.
AI is expected to power 95% of all customer interactions in the next decade.
Retail payments are a huge driver and account for 25% of the fintech market.
At a compounding annual growth rate of 10-12%, E-commerce is one of the biggest growth drivers of fintech.
The use of cash at all points of sales has dropped by 42% since 2019.
Goldman Sachs estimated fintech to disrupt $4.7 trillion in revenue.
63% of insurance company CEOs believe IoT will be strategically important to their business.
https://www.brimco.io/fintech-statistics-to-know/
November 20,2023
The Live Q&A Show was broadcast at the end of Day One of the Open Telco Infra summit.
TelecomTV’s Guy Daniels was joined by industry guest panellists for this question and answer session. Among the questions raised by our audience were: - Are telcos doing enough and investing enough in new, open ecosystems - including open source? - What is the ROI impact for a telco investing in open infrastructure? Is there any difference to legacy and proprietary approaches? - How is an open ecosystem monitored and managed in terms of faults, failures and network KPIs? Which companies will provide OSS and network management systems (NMS) for disaggregated networks? - Not all CSPs have integration as their core competency. Isn't the best opportunity here really amongst the system integrators and their ability to reduce cost?
Featuring: - Beth Cohen, SDN Network Product Strategy, Verizon Business Group - Manish Singh, CTO, Telecom Systems Business, Dell Technologies - Paul Miller, Chief Technology Officer, Wind River - Robert Curran, Consulting Analyst, Appledore Research - Terje Jensen, SVP Network and Cloud Technology Strategy, Telenor - Vivek Chadha, SVP & Global Head of Telco Cloud, Rakuten Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90RWZz6JfK0&t=34s
Rakuten Group’s E-commerce business is moving aggressively, as total GMV rose from JPY 15.3 trillion in 2018 to JPY 33.8 trillion in 2022 (Chart 1), with a compound annual growth rate of 17%. The number of monthly active users also swelled from 10 million to 39 million over the same period. As a consequence, the Group's revenue from the e-commerce business grew by 12.6% year-on-year to JPY 0.8 trillion in 2022, while operating profit surged 36.6% year-on-year to JPY 95.6 billion.
To support its E-commerce business, Rakuten Group established a financial services division to provide mobile payments, credit cards, consumer loans, and other related services. Later on, the financial business spreads to banking, securities, and insurance. Owing to its fast-growing e-commerce business, Rakuten marked a robust result in financial services, with revenue rising by 7.2% YoY to JPY 0.6 trillion and operating profit growing by 10.8% YoY to JPY 98.7 billion.
Over the long term, given a less than 80% coverage ratio for E-commerce in Japan by the end of 2022, we believe Japanese E-commerce could be able to remain a high growth rate in the years ahead and continue to be bullish on Rakuten’s E-commerce and Financial service segments, which are expected to grow at a double-digit rate.
https://www.bondsupermart.com/bsm/article-detail/...ctive-RCMS_275601
Rakuten Bank — First Half Highlights
Norbert Gehrke 1 day ago
Rakuten Bank reported its first half year results as a public company after listing on April 21. Ordinary profit was 50.5%, and net income 51% of full-year guidance. At the end of last week, Rakuten Bank traded at JPY 2,522, compared to a JPY 2,000 level after first quarter earnings, as well as a JPY 1,400 IPO price.
https://medium.com/tokyo-fintech/...irst-half-highlights-87aaf21c1815
Japanese e-commerce, mobile and financial services conglomerate Rakuten Group, Inc. faces more than JPY 320 billion ($2.11 billion) of public debt maturities in 2024, including $1.75 billion of USD notes due in November 2024 which are more recently indicated at a yield to maturity of around 8%. While management has guided for deleveraging through funds raised from the planned listing of Rakuten Securities Holdings, Inc., the company will likely rely on new issuances - particularly JPY denominated corporate bonds - to meet liquidity requirements at the holdco, including funding free cash flow deficits at the mobile business.
In November 2023, the company signed a share transfer agreement to raise JPY 87 billion from the sale of a 29% stake in Rakuten Securities to Mizuho Securities. Following the divestment,
Rakuten Securities Holdings’ stake in Rakuten Securities will fall from 80% to 51%, which could reduce proceeds from any planned listing.
While standalone holdco cash stood at JPY 199.49 billion as of Sept. 30 - which does not include the JPY 87 billion raised in November 2023 - Rakuten may look to raise additional liquidity through new bond issuances and asset sales as it faces:
JPY 78 billion of remaining bond maturities in the fourth quarter of 2023;
JPY 320 billion of bond maturities in 2024 which comprise JPY 105 billion domestic bond maturities and $1.75 billion of USD notes maturing in 2024;
Requirements to fund negative free cash flow from its mobile business, which recorded an EBITDA loss of JPY 219.99 billion and which incurred JPY 286.97 billion of capex for the twelve months ended Sept. 30.
The company entered into currency swap agreements with respect to the principal and interest of its USD and EUR denominated notes, according to the 2022 annual report. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the outstanding currency swaps were at an average USD/JPY rate of 120.64.
https://reorg.com/rakuten-group-faces-jpy-105b-domestic-bond/
Operation excellence is crucial for growth: How Rakuten Travel Xchange’s CEO approaches global travel commerce
1 day ago
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying at the forefront of innovation and global expansion is essential for businesses to thrive. Rakuten Travel Xchange (RTX), one of the fastest-growing businesses within the Rakuten ecosystem, is a prime example of this commitment to excellence.
As a global platform for enhancing travel commerce, RTX has been instrumental in strengthening global transactions and collaborative efforts within the Rakuten Group. In an interview with RTX’s Director and CEO, Munekatsu Ota, we explore the key factors driving RTX’s growth and the future plans that make it a pivotal player in the travel industry.
Enhancing global transactions
Within the Rakuten ecosystem, RTX serves as a global B2B inventory platform for hotels and vacation rentals, playing a pivotal role in enhancing global transactions for Rakuten Travel. Ota explains that “RTX’s primary focus is to boost inbound and outbound travel and global transactions, supporting Rakuten Travel’s operations in and outside Japan.”
Ota highlights the two-way system that amplifies the global transaction capabilities, generating revenue for Rakuten. RTX collaborates with over 1,000 distribution partners including online travel agencies (OTA), wholesalers, travel agents and corporate travel companies in more than 90 countries, expanding sales opportunities for Rakuten Travel into Japan. On the outbound side, global inventory integration into the platform allows Rakuten Travel to offer more choices to its users holidaying outside of Japan. This collaborative approach is at the heart of RTX’s success, benefiting both inbound and outbound sales opportunities.
Strategies for explosive growth
One of RTX’s remarkable achievements has been its astonishing growth, with Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) increasing over 1,000 times since its launch in 2020. Ota attributes this rapid expansion to two key strategies: operational excellence and inventory quality and quantity. “Our growth strategy involves optimizing operations and ensuring excellence in our processes,” says Ota. He emphasizes the importance of data quality through meticulous data mapping, a cornerstone of their operations.
Data accuracy is fundamental to RTX’s operations, and artificial intelligence (AI) integration has played a significant role in boosting efficiency. Leveraging AI for mapping and best-rate search accuracy, RTX has simplified the process of finding the best prices. However, Ota highlights the importance of understanding the nuts and bolts of operations before shifting to AI for greater efficiency. This path of progression has been essential to their continued success and growth.
Collaboration that benefits all
At the heart of RTX’s achievements lies a commitment to collaboration, fostering not only advantages for Rakuten but also for our valued customers. Ota underscores how this collaborative spirit enhances both inbound and outbound sales opportunities, widens our inventory offerings and yields invaluable data. For instance, working with 1000+ distribution partners that RTX partners with empowers Rakuten with data and insights into global travel trends, ultimately elevating Rakuten Travel’s ability to refine its direct sales strategies.
In the dynamic travel industry, data collaboration also plays an essential role. The wealth of data amassed by RTX emerges as a precious asset that benefits the Rakuten Group and our diverse customer base. It extends beyond profit generation; it’s about nurturing a data-driven wealth propelling growth across the entire ecosystem. “My goal is to offer products and services that are more personalized and exactly match the changing needs of our customers.”
Fostering excellence in the workplace
Team members at RTX thrive on their enjoyment and genuine interest in their roles. Ota underscores the importance of deriving pleasure from one’s work as a critical factor in achieving success.
“People who take pleasure in their work tend to excel, while those who don’t find it challenging to achieve good results,” Ota said. “RTX cultivates an environment that encourages these qualities, but individual responsibility is equally essential.”
The foundation of successful teamwork rests upon the team’s ability to work cohesively, driven by their shared passion for their roles. Ota sees this unity as the driving force behind RTX’s sustained GMS momentum.
The road ahead: global expansion
RTX’s future holds exciting opportunities for global expansion. The company is already deeply entrenched in relationships with distribution partners worldwide. However, their goal is to continue growing and enhancing brand awareness globally. “Our goal is to boost brand awareness and facilitate global communication among our partners,” says Ota.
By participating in international conferences, RTX aims to promote its brand and foster mutual cooperation among global players. They plan to increase their global inventory further, focusing on outbound travel from the United States to Europe and beyond. Ota’s vision is clear: to continue expanding its footprint in the global travel commerce arena.
From growth to greatness
Rakuten Travel Xchange is not just a rapidly growing business within Rakuten – it’s a testament to its vision for innovation and global expansion. With a two-way system, a focus on data quality and a commitment to technological excellence, RTX is poised for continued growth. Collaboration with other Rakuten Group companies and a keen eye on global travel trends will be the driving force behind its future success.
By embracing technology, fostering a culture of teamwork and maintaining a data-driven approach, RTX is set to play an even more substantial role within the Rakuten ecosystem and the broader travel industry. In an ever-evolving digital landscape, RTX serves as a compelling example of how adaptability, innovation and collaboration are the cornerstones of long-term success in global travel commerce.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...-approaches-global-travel-commerce.html
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20231121/6g/...s-advanced-edge-cloud-tech
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2023/1109_03.html
Von Marina Skopelitou
"Mit einer Marktdurchdringung von über 90 % haben wir eine große Verantwortung, aber natürlich auch eine große Chance", sagte Zarena Kancheva, Global Growth Director bei Rakuten Viber, gegenüber MW. Vor diesem Hintergrund priorisiert das Unternehmen nicht mehr die Wachstumsraten neuer Nutzer in Griechenland, sondern die Schaffung eines starken Ökosystems mit Dienstleistungen, die sich gegenseitig ergänzen.
Wir wollen über einfache Nachrichten hinausgehen, weitere Dienste hinzufügen und einen hyperlokalen Knotenpunkt für die Interaktion auf mehreren Ebenen in Griechenland aufbauen." Dies ist das Ziel von Rakuten Viber, wie Zarena Kancheva bezeugt. Die Investition von Rakuten Viber in den griechischen Markt, der 1.300 Unternehmen mit Geschäftskonten zählt, wird mit der Einführung eines neuen Produkts für Kleinunternehmer sowie der Ernennung neuer Führungskräfte mit Sitz in Athen umgesetzt.
Wie hat die griechische Öffentlichkeit die Einführung von Viber Business Messages & Viber Pay aufgenommen?
Wir freuen uns über die äußerst positive Resonanz des griechischen Marktes. Sowohl Benutzer als auch Unternehmen lieben Viber. Bezeichnend für den Bedarf beider Seiten an Kommunikation über unsere Plattform zeigen die folgenden zwei Prozentsätze: 176 % Anstieg bei der Erstellung von Geschäftskonten und 38 % Anstieg der eingehenden Geschäftsnachrichten im letzten Jahr. Die gleiche, schnelle Akzeptanz ist bei Viber Pay zu beobachten, wo sowohl internationale als auch inländische Transaktionen jeden Monat stetig zunehmen und uns dazu veranlassen, das Produkt weiterzuentwickeln und neue Dienste für eine noch bessere Benutzererfahrung hinzuzufügen. Wir prüfen verschiedene Optionen, darunter ein Belohnungssystem für unsere Partner, Unterstützung bei der Zahlung von Rechnungen, Gruppenzahlungen und mehr.
Wie bevorzugen griechische Unternehmen die Integration von Viber in ihre Strategie?
Viber ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil ihrer Marketingstrategie. Sie nutzen unsere Lösungen für Markenbekanntheit, Lead-Generierung, Umsatzwachstum und Vertrauen in ihre Kunden. Viber-Anzeigen, Werbeaufkleber und Augmented-Reality-Linsen bieten interaktive Möglichkeiten, das jüngste Publikum anzusprechen. Über 1.300 Unternehmen in Griechenland haben Geschäftskonten eröffnet und versenden Multimedia-Nachrichten. Wir verzeichnen einen Anstieg von 62 % bei Werbebotschaften und 253 % bei Transaktionsnachrichten. Dies zeigt die Effektivität der Plattform in Bezug auf die Kontinuität der Kommunikation und der Kundeninformation.
https://marketingweek.gr/...a-enos-ischyrou-oikosystimatos-ypiresion/
JPY 320 billion of bond maturities in 2024 which comprise JPY 105 billion domestic bond maturities and $1.75 billion of USD notes maturing in 2024
Requirements to fund negative free cash flow from its mobile business, which recorded an EBITDA loss of JPY 219.99 billion and which incurred JPY 286.97 billion of capex for the twelve months ended Sept. 30.
The company entered into currency swap agreements with respect to the principal and interest of its USD and EUR denominated notes, according to the 2022 annual report. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the outstanding currency swaps were at an average USD/JPY rate of 120.64.
https://reorg.com/rakuten-group-faces-jpy-105b-domestic-bond/
Standalone holdco cash stood at JPY 199.49 billion as of Sept. 30 - which does not include the JPY 87 billion raised in November 2023 - together 286 billion. Rakuten will raise additional liquidity in 2024 from positive EBITDA’s of Ecommerce and fintech – maybe enough to repay all bonds in 2023/24.
The Rakuten Group’s consolidated Non-GAAP EBITDA in Q3/2023 was profitable, recording 35.6 billion yen – an improvement of 50.4 billion yen YoY.
35.6 billion yen positive Non-GAAP EBITDA in a quarter are about 142 billion on a yearly base.
https://rakuten.today/blog/q3-fy2023-results.html
An the positive Non-GAAP EBITDA will increase in Q4/2023 and in every quarter of 2024.
By Geoff Hollingworth
Chief Marketing Officer Rakuten Symphony
November 21, 2023
Is Open RAN delivering transformational results?
Its proponents will refer to public statements from the likes of Rakuten Mobile, Vodafone and NTT Docomo for proof of its impact. They’ll point you to validated research that networks powered by Open RAN are indeed delivering as stated. They’ll sing about cost savings.
They’ll be correct, but this won’t tell the full story. And with every story, understanding the nuance can mean the difference between being the hero or the one who doesn’t make it to the ending.
Running shoes don’t make you faster. If you want to run fast, you need discipline, training, strength, a good diet, proper technique, the right mindset—and then, better shoes can make you faster. You can invest in both at the same time, but without training in parallel, there will be no improvement. Even worse, you may hurt yourself.
Open RAN doesn’t make you more efficient, quicker or cost-effective. Moving operations to software, automating at scale, and moving flexibly without vendor islands allows the horizontal interfaces and openness of Open RAN to put you in a winning position.
In fact, Open RAN on its own is potentially a bad idea if operations and procurement aren’t redesigned to support the changes it causes. Operations needs to manage disaggregated supply chains at both a software functional level and a hardware platform level, and dynamically deploy the radio software as efficiently as possible. This is equivalent to the training required before putting on new shoes and running a race.
Open RAN does not improve the health of mobile operators unless mobile operators are already working to improve the health of operations—undertaking tasks like converting manual procedures to automated procedures, manual workflows to automated workflows, and human-led tasks to software-led tasks.
In all highly effective organizations, people no longer run a business, software does. Data is mined across the organization and used to continuously improve outcomes.
As Will Page of Tarzan Economics says, telecom “needs to let go of the old vine and grab hold of the new one.” Telecom has not let go as fast as other sectors.
Clinging to old approaches
Despite being a forerunner in connecting the world, telecom lags other sectors that have thrived on the internet. Blame dated business models and operations. Where leading tech companies have embraced software and automation, telecom clings to hardware-centric, manually intensive practices.
The radio access network is proof of this. It is practically begging for comprehensive digitalization and automation. But this will require programmable access to all network components. While it's possible to achieve operations and business performance improvements through digitalization and automation alone, Open RAN can give a big boost to these efforts. Simply, it allows for a horizontal supply chain and the disaggregation of RAN into smaller, standardized units, which is essential for the full digitalization and lifecycle management of mobile networks.
But this is where Open RAN proponents sometimes miss a crucial point: without the successful implementation of software-driven automation, Open RAN could actually be counterproductive. We’ve got this tendency to focus on technology as a solution rather than addressing how business is conducted. Open RAN, while transformative, should be seen not a magic bullet that solves telecom’s problems but rather an enabler of more competitive business operations and outcomes.
Not quite the makings of hype-worthy headlines, but that’s the point. We need to take some of the pressure and pollicization off Open RAN so that it can deliver only what each business that uses it needs. Open RAN isn’t here to save us, its true role is to merely support grander ambitions.
Speed and cost of execution
Which brings us back to the fundamental issue plaguing telecom: speed and cost of execution. These factors render telecom uncompetitive in offering value beyond basic connectivity.
Open RAN's advantage lies in its ability to reconfigure software components to suit specific coverage solutions, facilitating more efficient and dynamic deployments. Operations can be automatically configured and managed, bringing anew level of agility to network setup and maintenance.
This shift not only improves efficiency but also opens the door to greater supplier diversity, tackling supply chain fragility and competitiveness in the process.
So, is Open RAN making a difference? It will for the winners. Just like running, those that manage to go faster wear more appropriate shoes.
Now is the time for telecom’s narrative to shift from viewing Open RAN as a standalone solution to recognizing it as a crucial enabler of a broader strategy for software-driven business transformation.
This mindset shift will truly determine the future telecom market, where efficiency, diversity and innovation are the only currency that matters.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...n-ran-really-making-a-difference
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Zeitpunkt: 28.11.23 15:37
Aktion: Löschung des Beitrages
Kommentar: Moderation auf Wunsch des Verfassers