Rakuten wesentlich besser als Rocket
Look Out Amazon, Here Comes...Rakuten?
Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten announced on Tuesday it is acquiring Ebates for $1 billion.
The acquisition, which Rakuten hinted at last week, is part of the Japanese company’s push to grow its base beyond its domestic market and hopefully, become a global player. Having made some $1.2 billion acquisitions to date along these lines, this is Rakuten’s most ambitious move to date.
However, investors are dubious that the company can absorb yet another foreign acquisition, much less one the size of Ebates, despite Rakuten’s strong cash position.
Then there is the ever-present Amazon, which dominates the e-commerce market in the U.S. Few believe it will falter in the face of Chinese giant Alibaba, much less a Rakuten-Ebates combo.
Rakuten Goes Forth
Not surprisingly, Rakuten says it is undaunted. For starters, it has assembled a very interesting mix of acquisitions. There is messaging app Viber, which it purchased for $900 million in February, the Canadian ebook offering Kobo, Spanish video service Wuaki.tv, Viki, a digital content platform and Buy.com.
Now it has picked up Ebates.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikamorphy/2014/09/...ere-comes-rakuten/
By Mouzam Nasiri, Ecosystem Leadership Rakuten Symphony
June 10, 2025
Joining Rakuten Symphony has been a thrilling leap into a mission that truly excites me — leading our ecosystem strategy to connect Rakuten’s 70+ products with telecom operators across the globe, co-creating value, and shaping what’s next.
In 1997, Rakuten launched with a bold idea: that technology, when designed with purpose, can empower people and redefine industries.
It started with Ichiba, a pioneering online marketplace. Today, it has evolved into a global ecosystem of 70+ products and services spanning e-commerce, fintech, communications, content, and more.
What’s remained constant? A customer-first, human-first philosophy that puts real people — not just products — at the center of every experience.
The ecosystem mindset: from telcos to transformation
At Rakuten Symphony, our focus isn’t just on showcasing what we’ve built — it’s on working with telecom operators to reimagine what’s possible together.
We’re not in a race to productize. We’ve already arrived at the destination.
The focus now is on activating value through strategic partnerships, unified experiences, and solutions designed to scale.
This is not a pitch deck. It’s a playbook, refined through years of operational discipline we call Shikumika — Rakuten’s unique approach to scaling innovation with repeatability and speed.
What we’re delivering together
This model isn’t aspirational — it’s already in motion. And it's helping operators:
· Expand their offerings from connectivity to digital lifestyle services.
· Co-create value across commerce, finance, content, and identity.
· Deliver unified, scalable experiences rooted in real human behavior.
· Move beyond vendor relationships toward true strategic alignment.
· Bridge global capabilities with local relevance.
We’re helping turn networks into ecosystems and services into shared growth platforms.
https://symphony.rakuten.com/blog/...s-powering-the-future-of-telecom
On the same occasion, Rakuten Cloud's SVP, Anirban Chakravartti, explained that edge computing and AI are no longer just trends, but urgent needs in the era of data speed and regulatory demands.
He said that Rakuten designed a cloud-native infrastructure capable of running AI workloads at the edge, with automated orchestration and layered security.
Various implementations of edge computing are now starting to be seen in various sectors, such as supply chain optimization in the retail industry, automation and the use of robots in the manufacturing sector, to disease diagnosis in the health sector.
Anirban said that 83 percent of organizations or companies currently plan to implement AI/ML in physical locations to improve business and operational efficiency.
https://www.liputan6.com/tekno/read/6045391/...nesia-pada-2025?page=4
Jun 13, 2025
AI-powered solution transforms and accelerates network rollouts, redefines legacy processes, and delivers predictability, automation, and efficiency in site lifecycle management.
Deployed and trusted by mobile network operators globally, including a new multi-year Open RAN deployment with one of the world's leading operators.
TOKYO – Rakuten Symphony today announced the Rakuten Site Management platform now integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver comprehensive visibility, predictive insights and advanced automation for complex mobile network deployments and lifecycle management. With over 3.5 million sites registered globally, Rakuten Site Management has been proven to improve site build efficiency by 60% and increase deployment accuracy to 99%, delivering measurable business outcomes for operators worldwide.
https://www.telecomtv.com/content/...ifies-network-deployments-53220/
The surging need for unlicensed spectrum-based LTE networks to support enterprise-grade connectivity is propelling MulteFire market growth.
Austin, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the SNS Insider report, the MulteFire Market size was valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 19.6 billion by 2032, expanding at a robust CAGR of 31.69% from 2024 to 2032.
In the U.S., the MulteFire market was valued at approximately USD 9.85 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around USD 61.4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 22.1% during 2024–2032. Growth is driven by strong demand for private LTE in smart manufacturing, logistics, and enterprise IT networks. Government-backed spectrum liberalization and early 5G deployment further accelerate MulteFire adoption nationwide.
Key Players:
•§Nokia Corporation
•§Qualcomm Incorporated
•§Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Ericsson §
•§Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
•§Intel Corporation Altiostar (a Rakuten Symphony company)
•§Cisco Systems, Inc.
•§CommScope Inc.
•§Sercomm Corporation
•§Airspan Networks Inc.
•§ZTE Corporation
•§ip.access Ltd. (Mavenir)
•§NEC Corporation
•§Casa Systems Inc.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/...y-SNS-Insider.html
Make your brand go further with Cabify Media
Make your ad to thousands of riders every day. Boost your brand on media that moves around your city.
https://cabify.com/en/media
USD & JPY FX markets are hot now!
The spreads of 5 selected currency pairs in Rakuten FX are being tightened from 16th June, 2025 (Market Open) to 11th July, 2025 (Market Close). During this period, you can trade as many as you want with tight spreads, regardless of the transaction size.
All Rakuten FX customers can enjoy this special offer without any conditions, don’t miss out!
https://www.sec.rakuten.com.hk/en/promotion/flash-deal
2025.06.16
AT&T und Rakuten Symphony haben eine mehrjährige Partnerschaftsvereinbarung verlängert, um AT&T, einen US-amerikanischen Telekommunikationsanbieter, bei der Einführung von Open RAN zu unterstützen.
Im Februar 2022 unterzeichneten die beiden Unternehmen ihre erste Vereinbarung.
Mit dem Site Management von Rakuten kann AT&T Legacy-Anwendungen und -Software konsolidieren und außer Betrieb nehmen und so die Produktivität von Mitarbeitern und Auftragnehmern optimieren, die die Open-RAN-Bereitstellung und den Bau von Standorten überwachen.
Rakuten Site Management bietet einen End-to-End-Prozessorchestrator für die Planung, das Design, die Compliance und das Baumanagement von Mobilfunkstandorten.
Rakuten sagt, dass der Austausch von Legacy-Tools "in einem noch nie dagewesenen Tempo erfolgreich abgeschlossen wurde, etwa 18 Monate nach dem ersten Pilotprojekt, ohne den Betrieb zu unterbrechen".
Alisha Remek, Vice President of Access Construction and Engineering bei AT&T, sagte: "Die Expertise von Rakuten Symphony in Bezug auf Workflow-Orchestrierung und Kreativität, um Lösungen für komplexe Probleme und Funktionen zu finden, haben uns zum Erfolg verholfen."
Das Unternehmen geht davon aus, dass bis Ende 2026 70 % des Mobilfunkverkehrs über die Open-RAN-Plattform fließen werden.
https://cafe-dc.com/network/...uten-symphony-sign-open-ran-extension/
Bola Sol, from Rakuten, said: “With skincare and make-up routines and trends taking over social media, it’s no surprise that younger children are asking for more luxurious beauty products.
“All parents want to make their kids happy, but it’s also important to balance that with your budget. A great way to do this is by tracking products for when they go on sale, and where possible, bag even more savings by using a cashback provider such as Rakuten to make the purchase through.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...ents-bought-children-014527061.html
June 12, 2025
Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. (JCR) announces the following credit rating.
Bonds: A-
Rationale
Rakuten Card Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) is a credit card company in the Rakuten Group (the “Group”).
Rakuten Group, Inc. (“Rakuten”) holds approximately 85% voting rights and dispatches multiple directors to the Company. Given also strong unity in management decision-making and business administration, the degree of Rakuten’s involvement in the Company is high. Moreover, playing such roles as providing settlement and financial functions and retaining customers through a point-rewarding program as a core of the Group’s FinTech businesses, the Company is managerially important to the Group. Based on the above, JCR deems the Company’s long-term issuer rating to be commensurate with the Group’s creditworthiness, which is equivalent to the rating of A-. Bonds to be issued are senior notes, and JCR determined the rating to be at the same level as the long-term issuer rating.
Hidekazu Sakai, Naoki Shimura
Issue Amount (bn) Issue Date Due Date Coupon Rating
Bonds no. 10 JPY 80 June 27, 2025 June 26, 2026 1.680% A-
Bonds no. 11 JPY 22 June 18, 2025 June 18, 2026 1.680% A-
Bonds no. 12 JPY 5 June 18, 2025 June 16, 2028 2.422% A-
Bonds no. 13 JPY 3 June 18, 2025 June 18, 2030 3.214% A-
Long-term Issuer Rating: A- Outlook: Negative
https://jcr.co.jp/download/...763b7246b3f23cffe231266ce/25d0324_f.pdf
Jun 15
https://www.moomoo.com/news/post/54266617/..._ticket=1750106737848413
2025/5/30
We are pleased to announce the opening of the Kikuimodo Rakuten Market Store and the start of online sales of our own brand food products.
Currently, we only carry the Kinko Tea series from our Kagoshima office.
We will also be stocking original Kikuimodo products made with Jerusalem artichokes from Kumamoto Prefecture.
https://www.koyo-orient.co.jp/en/kikuimodo-rakuten/
https://www.rakuten.co.jp/kikuimodo/
June 16, 2025
On May 26th, Rakuten immediately responded to the Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries' call for reserve rice vendors. "Where will it be milled?" "There are no bags to package the rice!" "Is the sales page ready?" "Are logistics okay?" As challenges piled up one after another, RNN was behind-the-scenes to cover the story of "Rakuten Lifestyle Support Rice", a product which came to life in just four days. E-Commerce Consultants relayed materials from Osaka to milling facilities in Chiba, project team members visited milling facilities and reserve rice warehouses to confirm details on-site, and logistics teams delivered the precious rice quickly and carefully. Thanks to the cooperation of materials and milling vendors nationwide as well as everyone involved in logistics, Rakuten's rice project, a catalyst for change in the world, continues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iz4I-gssOs
https://business.rakuten.com/case-study/...fective-performance-lever/
Released 14:58:04 12 June 2025
THE COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE TEN LARGEST INVESTMENTS IN % OF TOTAL ASSETS As at: 30 May 2025
Sony 6.6%§
IHI Corp 4.7%
Asics Corp 4.6%
Nintendo Ltd 4.5%
Keyence Corp 3.9%
Rakuten Bank Ltd 3.8%
Mitsubishi Ufj Financial Group Inc 3.7%
Itochu Corp 3.6%
Tokio Marine Holdings Inc 3.5%
Hitachi Ltd 3.4%
Total 42.4%
§
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/...estments/17083798
Rakuten is more than an online shopping site. It’s a full-on lifestyle.
Here’s how a Rakuten Grandma earns:
•§Shopping on Rakuten Ichiba
•§Paying bills with a Rakuten Card
•§Using Rakuten Mobile
•§Reading on Rakuten Kobo
•§Booking hotels via Rakuten Travel
•§Investing via Rakuten Securities
•§Even donating via Furusato Nozei
Each service adds to your SPU (Super Point Up) rate, meaning you earn more with every purchase. Many users hit 10–15% point back during big sales.
https://gaijininvestors.wordpress.com/2025/06/14/...pan-%f0%9f%92%b4/
The FinTech segment achieved both revenue and profit growth for the quarter, bringing in 223.6 billion yen in revenue, an increase of 15.6% YoY, and Non-GAAP operating income of 43.9 billion yen, up 21.7% YoY.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...akuten-q1-fy2025-financial-results.html
That are about 175 billion yen on a yearly base = $1.21 billion.
And that is by a P/E of only 15 a valuation of $ 18 billlion alone.
Current: $0.04§
1 month ago: $-0.05
3 months ago: $-0.05
Q3 2025 Estimate Trends
Current: $0.06§
1 month ago: $-0.03
3 months ago: $-0.03
https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/JP/...5a696568302803fb5bbb64ec
MUMBAI, India & MIDLAND, Texas, June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vi (Vodafone Idea), India’s leading telecom service provider, and AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced a strategic partnership to expand mobile connectivity across India’s unconnected regions. AST SpaceMobile made history by placing the first ever voice and video calls from space using standard mobile phone, a milestone that demonstrates the real-world viability of its advanced technology.
India is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic telecom markets, with over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers. While there is widespread 4G and emerging 5G coverage, satellite communication will complement terrestrial connectivity to further expand broadband cellular access in some challenging terrains where deployment of terrestrial mobile infrastructure might be difficult.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...announce-partnership-101500108.html
By Diana Goovaerts Jun 16, 2025
Rakuten unleashed a new AI-enhanced version of its Site Management tool
It also inked an expanded partnership deal with Site Management customer AT&T
Rakuten thinks Site Management 2.0 can be used by more than just telcos
Rakuten Symphony’s Site Management tool just got a whole lot smarter, with the vendor infusing homebrewed AI into its version 2.0 drop. But while the tool was originally designed to ease telco deployment pain points, Anshul Bhatt, Rakuten Symphony’s Head of Intelligent Operations, told Fierce the tool’s new smarts can be put to work for more than just broadband rollouts.
The OG version of Rakuten Site Management was all about digitizing processes, Bhatt said, with a sprinkle of machine learning thrown in to make life easier. Version 2.0, however, takes things to a whole new level with some more serious AI muscle.
“One of the reasons why we launched this 2.0 version was to diversify ourselves from just wireless and wireline,” Bhatt said.
It doesn’t hurt that Rakuten has AT&T on its side as it makes its pitch to prospective new customers.
Bhatt said Rakuten Symphony has been working with AT&T for nearly three years, initially focusing on its open RAN deployments. Using the initial iteration of Site Management, Bhatt said AT&T was able to consolidate and retire around 100 tools it had been using internally to help guide projects forward.
The platform is already being used by 10,000 folks across AT&T and its contractor teams, and last week AT&T signed on to use the Site Management tool for its fiber deployments as well.
It’s not just AT&T who is onboard. Bhatt noted, “Even Nokia uses this tool globally” where they are offering managed services for site deployment.
https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/...nager-more-just-telcos-now
2016-04-21
IRVINE, CA, Acorns, the fastest-growing micro-investing app in the world, today announced it has raised $30 million in financing, including strategic investments from PayPal (PYPL) and Rakuten Fintech Fund.
Acorns offers a simple way to start building a solid financial future, helping investors chart a path to financial wellness by eliminating the barriers that have traditionally made investing so daunting. Oskar Mielczarek de la Miel, Managing Partner at the Rakuten FinTech Fund states, 'We are very excited about Acorns' high growth model and the close alignment between Acorns' philosophy of financial empowerment of the millennial community and Rakuten's core values.'
https://www.vcnewsdaily.com/access/getarticle.php?aid=qgndxmrjkh
June 10, 2025
Join Oni Chakravartti from Rakuten Cloud and Michelle Rockler from Google as they discuss how Google Distributed Cloud is partnering to address the growing demand for on-prem data solutions, low latency processing, and data sovereignty. Discover how their integrated solutions are evolving to meet customer needs for phased cloud adoption and edge computing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8AcoloR_rM
June 18, 2025
An interview with Geoff Hollingworth, Chief Marketing Officer, Rakuten Symphony Recorded June 2025 at DTW Ignite in Copenhagen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUG6o_mZAGg