Rakuten Group

Rakuten Group, Inc. is a Japanese multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo. Originally founded in 1997 by Hiroshi Mikitani as MDM, Inc., it launched the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace, which revolutionized online shopping in Japan. Over the decades, Rakuten has expanded from a simple e-commerce platform into a diverse ecosystem encompassing fintech, digital content, communications, and professional sports.

While the company is deeply rooted in Japan, where it maintains its primary operations and manufacturing of digital infrastructure, it has a significant global footprint with subsidiaries and services operating worldwide. Rakuten is known for its unique corporate culture, including its 'Englishnization' policy, and remains an independent, publicly traded entity under the leadership of its founder.