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/
Rakuten’s fine-tuned Mixture of Experts LLM and first SLM aim to accelerate Japan’s AI development with best-in-class scores
Tokyo, February 12, 2025 – Rakuten Group, Inc. has announced the release of both Rakuten AI 2.0, the company’s first Japanese large language model (LLM) based on a Mixture of Experts (MoE)*1 architecture, and Rakuten AI 2.0 mini, the company’s first small language model (SLM). Both models were unveiled in December 2024, and after further fine-tuning, Rakuten has released Rakuten AI 2.0 foundation*2 and instruct models*3 along with Rakuten AI 2.0 mini foundation and instruct models to empower companies and professionals developing AI applications.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2025/0212_02.html
Aug 1, 2025
https://blog.viki.com/...vikis-mandarin-drama-collection-e986af1cfd32
Aug 14, 2025
Rakuten Bank, a unit of Japan’s e-commerce giant Rakuten Group, has seen its total deposits almost triple from five years ago (CAGR of 24,6%) to ¥11.7 trillion ($79 billion) at the end of June, as its online banking services attract more customers.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/14/...-jgb-buying-halt/
Revolut Deposits
Revolut reached £18.2 billion (25 billion) in total deposits in 2023, a 44% increase on the previous year.
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/revolut-statistics/
Rakuten TV, the European streaming platforms, has announced a new agreement with Mattel, the toy manufacturing and entertainment company. This partnership will bring a lineup of Mattel’s iconic children’s content across Europe. The content will be available on Rakuten TV’s Family channel and will also be accessible on-demand as part of Rakuten TV’s library of free content.
As part of the deal, Rakuten TV will offer a selection of beloved animated series and movies, featuring celebrated brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends, Monster High and more. The partnership covers key European markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Nordics, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal.
https://www.advanced-television.com/2025/04/16/...mattel-partnership/
August 11, 2025
The centerpiece is Rakuten AI, an agentic AI platform designed to unify the group’s eCommerce, FinTech, telecom, travel and other services into an AI-powered interface. A rollout on the Rakuten Ichiba eCommerce marketplace is slated for fall.
For example, shoppers can take a photo of a pair of pants and Rakuten AI will find a similar one in the desired price range, the company said. Consumers don’t have to do keyword searches or set filters; Rakuten AI will anticipate their needs based on transaction history and other data.
After the fall rollout to marketplace, “users can expect a significantly enhanced shopping journey,” Caitlin Cai, head of product at AI Lab, Rakuten Asia, told PYMNTS. “While it won’t process payments on behalf of users, it will provide personalized recommendations and direct navigation to relevant product pages based on their queries and data.”
Cai also said Rakuten AI is both an AI agent and an agentic AI platform that aims to reshape how users interact with Rakuten’s ecosystem, across shopping, entertainment, education and more. It acts as an “intelligent gateway” to unify diverse services into a single, unified interface.
https://www.pymnts.com/news/...2520advanced%2520new%2520capabilities.
Rakuten developed its own AI model to power its agentic AI capabilities. Not only is it deeply integrated with the company’s services and data, but it also comprehensively understands the Japanese language and culture, the company said in a July 30 press release.
Rakuten AI agents will grow more intelligent with every interaction, according to Cai. This feedback loop strengthens their ability to decode intent, unify fragmented data and drive action with increasing precision.
While the latest version of Rakuten AI is rolling out in the fall to its Ichiba marketplace, merchants already have access to its RMS AI Assistant beta version since last year. The R-Messe inquiry management tool uses AI to draft responses to customer questions; the R-Storefront image editor produces professional product images with customizable backgrounds; AI chatbots interact with shoppers and R-Karte is a data analysis tool that summarizes sales trends for merchants.
Generative AI use is growing. According to a March PYMNTS Intelligence report, 54% of retailers surveyed use gen AI to analyze transaction and payments data for customer segmentation in the past year. Moreover, 73% of retailers are planning to increase their use of gen AI to obtain and analyze transaction and payment data in 2026.
https://www.pymnts.com/news/...2520advanced%2520new%2520capabilities.
Prestigious International Annual Awards Program Recognizes Standout Marketing, Advertising and Sales Technology Around the World
August 14, 2025 10:00 ET | Source: MarTech Breakthrough
Performance Marketing
Best Performance Marketing Solution: Rakuten Advertising
Performance Marketing Innovation Award: Taboola
Best Performance Marketing Company: Stream Companies
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/...wards-Program.html
May 2025
As we move through 2025, the momentum behind Open RAN continues to accelerate albeit at a gradual rate. Once considered a bold experiment, Open RAN is a key pillar in the evolution of mobile networks, driven by the global push for flexibility, cost-efficiency, and vendor diversity.
Recent market projections underscore this momentum. The Open RAN market is expected to be worth between $3.98 billion and $6.53 billion this year according to recent industry reports, with forecasts pointing towards significant growth, possibly even reaching between $19.58 billion and $41.5 billion by the end of the decade! In terms of its share of the total RAN market, Open RAN currently accounts for about 5-10%, but that figure could grow to as much as 30% by 2028 according to Dell'Oro Group. These numbers highlight not only growing confidence in the technology, but also the need for telecom operators to adapt to an open, disaggregated model.
https://www.firstpointgroup.com/resources/blog/open-ran-market-update/
May 2025
As we move through 2025, the momentum behind Open RAN continues to accelerate albeit at a gradual rate. Once considered a bold experiment, Open RAN is a key pillar in the evolution of mobile networks, driven by the global push for flexibility, cost-efficiency, and vendor diversity.
Recent market projections underscore this momentum. The Open RAN market is expected to be worth between $3.98 billion and $6.53 billion this year according to recent industry reports, with forecasts pointing towards significant growth, possibly even reaching between $19.58 billion and $41.5 billion by the end of the decade! In terms of its share of the total RAN market, Open RAN currently accounts for about 5-10%, but that figure could grow to as much as 30% by 2028 according to Dell'Oro Group. These numbers highlight not only growing confidence in the technology, but also the need for telecom operators to adapt to an open, disaggregated model.
https://www.firstpointgroup.com/resources/blog/open-ran-market-update/
Open RAN, or open radio access network, is a telecommunications concept that aims to create an open and interoperable radio network infrastructure. It standardizes the interfaces between different parts of the network, allowing components from different vendors to work together. The growing demand for private networks across various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, requires tailored and secure network solutions, thereby driving the demand for open RAN.
Additionally, the global push for 5G deployment is a major factor driving the growth of the open RAN market. 5G networks require flexible and scalable infrastructure to meet the demands of enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-low latency, and massive IoT connectivity. Thus, the growing adoption of 5G networks propels the demand for open radio access network (Open RAN).
https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/...-radio-access-network-market
While SpaceX dominates headlines with Starlink, AST SpaceMobile is building something potentially more disruptive: satellites that connect directly to unmodified smartphones. No special equipment, no new devices -- just your regular phone connecting to space when terrestrial towers can't reach you. Partners include AT&T, Verizon, Alphabet's Google, and Vodafone, covering billions of potential subscribers through carrier relationships.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...owered-growth-stocks-103000939.html
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 19th, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has started to revise related systems to advance into the telecommunications market of its own company, Rakuten. It will decide the frequency or output of the radio wave and receive applications from new companies from next summer.
In line with the improvement of the system by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Rakuten Mobile, a mobile telecommunications affiliate of Rakuten Group, aims to start a new satellite communication service business between October and December 2026. To this end, it is investing in AST Space Mobile, an American satellite startup, to develop a communication satellite.
First of all, it plans to start a text message transmission and reception service and expand the service target to call and watch videos in the future. In July, mobile president Shunsuke Yazawa hinted at rapid advancement, saying, "We are looking into whether we can advance (the launch of future satellite communication services)."
https://www.mk.co.kr/en/world/11397256
2 hours ago
Between what is and what could be, there’s a powerful feeling: Optimism. That feeling took on a fresh identity as Rakuten unveiled Rakuten AI Optimism, the new name for its annual flagship event. The name change is more than cosmetic; it signals how AI has become deeply woven into the Rakuten Ecosystem. Held at Pacifico Yokohama from July 30 to August 1, 2025, the event gathered tens of thousands of business professionals, partners and innovators from across the globe.
Rakuten’s vision for an agentic future
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, delivered the event’s opening keynote, reflecting on the company’s nearly 30-year journey. From its beginnings in e-commerce with Rakuten Ichiba to expansions into digital banking, travel and mobile services, Rakuten has built a vast ecosystem that connects more than 44 million users monthly across Japan.
During his presentation, Mikitani unveiled Rakuten AI, positioning it as the cornerstone of the company’s new agentic era. He described the launch of Rakuten’s new cutting-edge agentic tool as a transformative shift where AI acts as an intelligent agent, designed to decode user intent, unify fragmented data and take meaningful action across the Rakuten Ecosystem. Boasting deep Japanese context awareness, Rakuten AI combines proprietary Rakuten models as well as models from industry leaders, enabling it to provide more intuitive, personalized experiences.
Mikitani also spoke about Japan’s current pace of AI adoption, noting that while global usage accelerates, domestic engagement remains modest. Rakuten’s vision is to bridge that gap by making AI a natural and helpful part of daily life.
https://rakuten.today/blog/...ecosystem-for-everyday-experiences.html
In its second-quarter 2025 investor letter, Greenhaven Road Capital highlighted stocks such as AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS). Headquartered in Midland, Texas, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) designs and develops a constellation of BlueBird satellites. The one-month return of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) was -15.64%, and its shares gained 40.33% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On August 18, 2025, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) stock closed at $48.16 per share, with a market capitalization of $17.266 billion.
Greenhaven Road Capital stated the following regarding AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter:
"Among the companies in our portfolio, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) presents the widest range of potential outcomes. AST is developing a space-based cellular broadband network using a constellation of satellites that will communicate directly with unmodified smartphones using the same cellular bands as terrestrial towers. If successful, users will never be out of cellular range. Their network will provide coverage in areas where traditional cell towers cannot reach, enabling users to stream Netflix in the middle of the ocean using their unmodified iPhone.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...al-investment-thesis-134335414.html
June 06, 2025
Kicking off DSP Leaders World Forum 2025, this panel brings together senior leaders from BT Group, Deutsche Telekom Technik, Elisa, Rakuten Symphony and Wind River to explore how telcos can become more agile and cost efficient by embracing cloud-native strategies. Co-hosted by Franz Seiser of Deutsche Telekom Technik, the discussion covers the urgent need for automation, cultural transformation and the foundations needed for AI-native networks.
Co-hosted by Franz Seiser, VP, Tribe Lead T-DAT, Deutsche Telekom Technik
Featuring:
Abir Hossain, Vice President, Technology & Operations, Elisa
Darrell Jordan-Smith, Chief Revenue Officer, Wind River
Laura Murphy, Senior Transformation Lead, Network Services, BT Group
Vivek Chadha, SVP & Global Head of Telco Cloud, Rakuten Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AEA1TgumNo&t=75s
As of 2025, 167 verified companies use Rakuten Display Advertising – across industries, company sizes, and geographies. This is real, verified data. Whether you’re looking to analyze the market, build a target list, or get a sales edge – this is your starting point.
Rakuten Display Advertising by Rakuten is a comprehensive advertising solution designed for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and reach a wider audience. It provides tools for creating and managing display advertising campaigns across the Rakuten network. It’s widely used by marketing, sales, and advertising departments across various industries.
https://data.landbase.com/technology/rakuten-display-advertising/
As we reflect on the evolution of the Viber Marketing Strategy, it becomes evident that the platform’s focus on user engagement has reshaped its approach to communication. By implementing data-driven decisions and personalized messaging, Viber has effectively enhanced the user experience, responding to the growing demand for seamless interaction in the digital realm. The future insights suggest that Viber is well-positioned to capitalize on the increasing preference for mobile e-commerce, projected to represent 42.9% of all e-commerce sales by 2024.
Moreover, Viber’s success in utilizing tools like chatbots has illustrated the power of instant communication, as evidenced by Apple’s impressive subscriber growth and conversion rates. With 69% of consumers expressing a preference for texts regarding payments and a significant portion interested in sales inquiries, it is clear that Viber’s strategies align with current consumer behaviors. The platform’s innovative offerings, such as free messaging options and tailored business messages, further underscore its commitment to maintaining a competitive edge.
Looking ahead, Viber will likely continue to adapt and innovate within the fast-paced messaging app market. The emphasis on cross-channel engagement strategies and strict compliance with user consent ensures that Viber not only is a trustworthy platform but also fosters deeper connections between businesses and their audiences. As it navigates the ever-evolving landscape of user engagement, Viber remains focused on delivering value, solidifying its position as a leading choice for communication in over 190 countries.
https://www.latterly.org/viber-marketing-strategy/
19 August 2025
David Tse, Senior Director for Asia Pacific at Rakuten Viber, and Atty. Adel Tamano, Chief Revenue Officer of DITO Telecommunity, shared a handshake to mark the official partnership between DITO and Viber. This collaboration underscores their shared commitment to empower Filipinos with affordable, high-quality digital connections and innovative tools under DITO’s “Kaya DITO” campaign.
MANILA, Philippines – [August 18, 2025] – Staying connected just got a major glow-up with DITO Telecommunity’s global telco partnership with Rakuten Viber, one of the world’s most loved communication platforms. This milestone brings a more exciting, seamless, lifestyle-driven way to keep the conversations alive, whether you’re catching up with friends, sharing your latest snaps with family, running daily errands, or even chasing new business opportunities.
As part of this global tie-up, Viber users on DITO can look forward to an upcoming Viber Plus and Viber Dating promo, offering even more ways to connect, meet, and engage with people who matter most while continuously enjoying free data for Viber.
"With the Philippines as a major Viber market, we welcome the partnership with DITO to empower Filipinos with affordable access to quality calls, chats, business tools, and even online dating through our app," said David Tse, Senior Director, Asia Pacific for Rakuten Viber. "This team-up makes perfect sense to help deliver many Viber features that benefit Filipinos – from connectivity to security – and push towards a smarter digital lifestyle."
About DITO Telecommunity
DITO Telecommunity Corporation is the fastest-growing telecommunications provider in the Philippines after it was awarded a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity by the National Telecommunications Commission in 2019.
DITO is committed to delivering world-class, fast, affordable, and secure telecommunications services that connect and empower Filipino communities, with a vision of making data access a right—not a privilege—for all.
DITO is a Filipino company formed through a consortium led by Udenna Corporation, in partnership with China Telecommunications Corp.
https://dito.ph/news/...rtner-to-enable-next-level-digital-lifestyles
and I hope, that the ranks will increase with the new excellent offers of Rakuten Viber
Rank 10 in Vietnam
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/vietnam/communication/
Rank 6 in Philippines
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/...pines/communication/
Rank 7 in Armenia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/armenia/communication/
Rank 4 in Bosnia and Herzogowina
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/...ovina/communication/
Rank 5 in Bulgaria
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/bulgaria/communication/
Rank 3 in Greece
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/greece/communication/
Rank 9 in Croatia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/croatia/communication/
Rank 4 in Lithunia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/lithuania/communication/
Rank 5 in Macedonia
https://www.similarweb.com
/de/top-apps/google/macedonia-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of/communication/
Rank 3 in Moldovia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/...ic-of/communication/
Rank 3 in Serbia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/serbia/communication/
Rank 4 in Slovenia
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/slovenia/communication/
Rank 10 in Czech
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/...ublic/communication/
Rank 11 in Thailand
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/thailand/communication/
Rank 5 in Ukraine
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/ukraine/communication/
Rank 3 in Hungary
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/hungary/communication/
Rank 4 in Belarus
https://www.similarweb.com/de/top-apps/google/hungary/communication/
25.07.2025
Rakuten Advertising's Affiliate Intelligence is a suite of cutting-edge AI-powered tools designed to provide advertisers with unique insights and ensure robust brand protection. For example, Rakuten Advertising Detect can pinpoint instances of ad fraud or performance anomalies, while Partnership Discovery identifies optimal partnerships between advertisers and publishers. In this report, we hear from Rakuten Advertising's AI strategy leader at Rakuten Optimism in the US, and from a user of Partnership Discovery who boosted their sales by nearly 40%.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6bHmHzc_fs&t=49s
Lifull is a major equity accounted company of Rakuten
https://lifull.com/doc/2025/08/FY2025Q3_Earnings_Pres_En.pdf
Tokyo, August 21, 2025 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced that its fashion e-commerce site, Rakuten Fashion, will offer exclusive products from FETICO to celebrate the brand's 5th anniversary and its collaboration with the "by R" project, an initiative supporting the Japanese fashion scene. Designed by Emi Funayama, these exclusive products will be available for purchase starting August 26 at 9:00 a.m. (JST), with the product page available starting today.
Rakuten is supporting FETICO’s fashion show during Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO S/S 2026, scheduled for September 3, 2025, through the “by R” project*1. By offering “by R” exclusive products through Rakuten Fashion, Rakuten aims to broaden FETICO’s appeal to both existing fans and new customers.
Additionally, the runway show will be held in collaboration with the Japanese holistic beauty brand THREE, which will provide fragrance performance and product support for models' makeup. As part of this initiative, a special "by R" limited edition makeup pouch, designed by Emi Funayama in collaboration with FETICO and THREE, will be given as a gift while supplies last to purchasers of FETICO's exclusive products and THREE products.
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2025/...=8&category=ec
AST SpaceMobile has deployed its first five commercial satellites (dubbed Bluebird) in LEO, marking a key advancement in developing a space-based mobile network infrastructure. These satellites have the largest-ever commercial communications arrays spanning 693 square feet. They offer non-continuous service across the United States using more than 5,600 cells within the premium low-band spectrum. This achievement follows the success of the company's in-orbit BlueWalker 3 satellite, creating a space-based cellular broadband network that can directly link with mobile devices, eliminating the need for ground-based infrastructure. It plans to deploy 45 to 60 satellites into orbit by the first quarter of 2026. The company boasts a diverse portfolio of more than 3,650 patents and patent-pending claims worldwide for the direct-to-cell satellite ecosystem from space to Earth.
The SpaceMobile service is compatible with all major brands available in the market and connects directly to everyday mobile phones. It delivers broadband connectivity from space to unmodified mobile devices, providing a service to fill cellular coverage gaps in a differentiated approach compared to other space-based communication services. AST SpaceMobile has partnered with leading carriers such as AT&T Inc. T and Verizon Communications Inc. VZ to tap into a pre-existing pool of cell customers and raise funds to help build a worldwide satellite network. This has enhanced cellular coverage in the United States, essentially eliminating dead zones and empowering remote areas of the country with space-based connectivity.
However, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions, including rising inflation, higher interest rates, capital market volatility, tariff imposition and geopolitical conflicts, are negatively impacting the company’s operations. These have led to continued fluctuations in satellite material prices, resulting in increased capital costs and pressure on the company’s financial performance. In addition, AST SpaceMobile faces severe competition from existing and new industry leaders like SpaceX’s Starlink and Globalstar, which are developing satellite communications technology using LEO constellations. To combat such competitive pressure, ASTS has to continuously customize its network offerings, enhance the cost-effectiveness of its products and services and boost the satellite data networks, which increases operating costs and reduces margins.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/...m-connectivity-stock-140700986.html
https://getlasso.co/affiliate/rakuten-advertising/