Rakuten Viber Messenger

Rakuten Viber, widely known simply as Viber, is a prominent cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging application. Originally founded in 2010 by Talmon Marco and Igor Magazinnik in Israel, the service was developed to challenge established communication tools like Skype. The brand was nurtured under Viber Media, a company initially based in Israel and later registered in Cyprus to manage its growing international operations.

In a landmark deal in 2014, the Japanese technology giant Rakuten Group, Inc. acquired Viber Media for $900 million. Following the acquisition, the brand was integrated into Rakuten's extensive digital ecosystem and eventually rebranded as Rakuten Viber to reflect its new ownership. While the brand's roots are Israeli and its corporate headquarters for the messenger division are maintained in Luxembourg and Cyprus, it is fully owned and directed by its parent company in Tokyo.

Today, Rakuten Viber functions as a 'super-app,' offering everything from end-to-end encrypted messaging to business solutions and fintech services. Its development and maintenance are a global effort, with research and development centers and technical offices located in various countries including Israel, Belarus, and Greece, making it a truly international software product supported by Japanese capital.