25 years of innovation at Rakuten: An infographic history

February 8, 2022 3 min read

In 1997, the idea was radical: To create an online marketplace that made it easier for anyone, including local and regional merchants, to open their own online store, without having to be tech savvy.

25 years later, Rakuten is still working to bring value to the world — not only through e-commerce but a diversity of other fields such as travel, finance, digital content, mobile communications and sports.

Over the years, the company has experienced remarkable growth. From six employees in a humble Tokyo office to more than 27,000 employees with operations in 30 countries and regions around the globe. Today, the Rakuten Group provides a portfolio of more than 70 services, which serve 1.6 billion members worldwide.

To mark a quarter century of innovation, we’ve put together a helpful infographic history of Rakuten, organized into nine key categories:

Rakuten’s Journey

For more on Rakuten Group’s growth, culture and mission, visit here. — *For more on Rakuten Group’s growth, culture and mission,* *visit here.*

Pioneering E-Commerce

*For more on Rakuten’s e-commerce businesses,* *visit here.*

Enter the Ecosystem

*For more on the Rakuten Ecosystem, visit here.*

Global Innovation Company

For more detail on Rakuten’s history of global expansion, visit here. — *For more detail on Rakuten’s history of global expansion,* *visit here.*

Building a Sustainable Future

For more on Rakuten’s sustainability efforts, visit here. — *For more on Rakuten’s sustainability efforts,* *visit here.*

Diverse Portfolio of Fintech Services

For more on Rakuten’s fintech business, visit here. — *For more on Rakuten’s fintech business,* *visit here.*

Innovation at the Core

For more on Rakuten’s innovative tech and optimism series, visit here. — *For more on Rakuten’s innovative tech and optimism series,* *visit here.*

Inspiring Communities and Uniting Fans

*For more on Rakuten’s sports & entertainment partnerships, visit here.*

Disrupting the Mobile Industry

*For more on mobile innovation, visit here.*

We’ve come a long way together in 25 years, but our journey is still just getting started. We hope you’ll continue to follow along as we work toward our mission of empowering individuals, businesses and societies to realize their dreams.