SoftBank is best known in Japan as a mobile operator but the company, which is behind the near-$100 billion Vision Fund, is increasingly getting into other types of consumer services in its homeland. The Japanese firm last month launched a parking app, it is in the midst of rolling out a taxi-hailing service in conjunction […]
View More SoftBank’s move into new services continues with plan for a payment service in JapanCategory: rakuten
Glovo gets $134M to beef up its on-demand delivery business
Spanish startup Glovo, whose platform lets app users summon a gig economy worker to shop on their behalf, be it for a takeaway burger or a multi-bag supermarket shop, has bagged a €115 million (~$134M) Series C round of funding. Spanish press are reporting the round values Glovo’s business at more than €300M. The lead investors […]
View More Glovo gets $134M to beef up its on-demand delivery business“Everyone is talking to everyone” — rideshare investor bypasses Uber-Careem rumor
Ride-hailing giant Uber is in talks over a possible merger with Middle East rival Careem, according to Bloomberg — citing three people familiar with the matter. The report suggests various deal structures have been discussed, although it also says that no deal has been reached — nor may ever be reached, as discussions are ongoing and may […]
View More “Everyone is talking to everyone” — rideshare investor bypasses Uber-Careem rumorMarketplace giants sign EU pledge to remove dangerous goods faster
Ecommerce giants Alibaba, Amazon, eBay and Rakuten have agreed to speed up the removal of dangerous goods being sold on their online marketplaces within the European Union. The EU’s executive body, the Commission, said the four companies have committed to responding to notifications on dangerous products from Member State authorities within 2 working days, and to take […]
View More Marketplace giants sign EU pledge to remove dangerous goods fasterNaspers is in talks to invest in Southeast Asia’s Carousell
Naspers, the South Africa-based firm that famously backed Chinese giant Tencent in its infancy, is in talks to invest in Singapore-based startup Carousell, according to two sources with knowledge of discussions. Carousell offers a mobile app that combines listings with peer-to-peer selling across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. That makes it well-aligned with Naspers’ portfolio, […]
View More Naspers is in talks to invest in Southeast Asia’s CarousellSoutheast Asia-based mobile listings startup Carousell raises $85M
Carousell, the Singapore-based mobile listing service that operates across Southeast Asia, has pulled in an $85 million Series C fund as it seeks to strengthen its business among the region’s competitive e-commerce landscape before expanding globally. The round was co-led by existing investor Rakuten Ventures and EDBI, the corporate investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board. Other […]
View More Southeast Asia-based mobile listings startup Carousell raises $85MeBay boosts its Japanese business with an acquisition
eBay is ramping up its presence in Japan via its latest investment in Asia. The U.S. online retail giant announced today that it has acquired the Japan-based business of pan-Asia e-commerce company Giosis, which is called Qoo10.jp, in an undisclosed deal. eBay originally set up Singapore-based Giosis in 2010 alongside Korea’s Gmarket, and as part of today’s deal it will give up… Read More
Rakuten will roll its $9B loyalty program into a new blockchain-based cryptocurrency, Rakuten Coin
Back in 2016, Amazon’s Japanese rival Rakuten acquired Bitnet, a bitcoin wallet startup that it had previously invested in, to help it work on blockchain technology and applications. Today, one of the first fruits of that deal has come to light. The company is planning a new cryptocurrency called Rakuten Coin — built on blockchain technology and the company’s existing… Read More
Rakuten will roll its $9B loyalty program into a new blockchain-based cryptocurrency, Rakuten Coin
Back in 2016, Amazon’s Japanese rival Rakuten acquired Bitnet, a bitcoin wallet startup that it had previously invested in, to help it work on blockchain technology and applications. Today, one of the first fruits of that deal has come to light. The company is planning a new cryptocurrency called Rakuten Coin — built on blockchain technology and the company’s existing… Read More
Walmart and Rakuten partner on grocery delivery in Japan, Kobo e-books and audiobooks in U.S.
Walmart today announced a major expansion in terms of its global e-commerce presence: the retailer is entering a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based Rakuten, which will see the companies collaborating on the launch of a new online grocery serv…
View More Walmart and Rakuten partner on grocery delivery in Japan, Kobo e-books and audiobooks in U.S.Techstars is launching its first accelerator program in Asia in partnership with Rakuten
Techstars is bringing its global accelerator program to Asia for the first time in partnership with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten and its chat app Viber. The companies will run a three-month program in Singapore starting in July, according to…
View More Techstars is launching its first accelerator program in Asia in partnership with RakutenShopBack raises $25M for its cash back shopping service in Southeast Asia
One of Southeast Asia’s lesser-known startups has come out from under the radar today after ShopBack, a cash back-focused e-commerce service, announced it has raised $25 million. Founded in 2014, the Singapore-based startup helps users shop ‘smarter’ using a selection of curated deals and cashback offers through partner merchants across seven countries in Southeast Asia… Read More