Rakuten Capital
Profile, fund size and portfolio
Rakuten Capital is the corporate venture arm of Rakuten Group, Inc. (internet services, e-commerce and fintech). It was founded in 2013 and is based in Tokyo, Japan. It invests from Seed to Growth in consumer, data, AI and others, fintech.
- Companies backedS1
- 90+
Every figure links to its source
Snapshot
Data behind this graphic
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage range | Seed to Growth |
| Sectors | Consumer, Data, AI and others, Fintech, Enterprise software, Mobility, Healthcare |
| Geography | Global, Japan investment team and International investment team (Portfolio companies by region, from the firm's portfolio page) |
| Offices | Tokyo, Japan, Singapore, San Mateo, United States, Luxembourg |
Sources: S7 IVC Data and Insights: Rakuten Capital (copy of firm about text, 2014 launch, 70+ companies); S1 Rakuten Capital site (English): about, team, portfolio, news; S3 Rakuten Capital portfolio data feed (companies.json behind the portfolio filter).
Data behind this graphic
| Item | Companies | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 53 | 67.1% |
| Exited | 26 | 32.9% |
Status as the firm tags it
Sources: S3 Rakuten Capital portfolio data feed (companies.json behind the portfolio filter).
Data behind this graphic
| Measure | Value | Unit | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headline size | Not disclosed by the firm. | |||
| Companies backed | 90+ | companies | Stated by the firm | S1 |
| Companies on the firm's portfolio page | 79 | companies | Counted from the firm's own list | S3 |
Sources: S1 Rakuten Capital site (English): about, team, portfolio, news; S3 Rakuten Capital portfolio data feed (companies.json behind the portfolio filter).
Where it invests and who leads it
Geography
- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan
- Offices
- Tokyo, Japan
- Singapore
- San Mateo, United States
- Luxembourg
Portfolio companies by regionS7S1S3
Portfolio companies by region, from the firm's portfolio page
LeadersS1
- Seiichiro SonodaPresident of Rakuten Capital; Group Senior Managing Executive Officer, Rakuten GroupFind on LinkedInFirm page
- Saemin AhnManaging Partner, International Investment; Executive Officer of Rakuten GroupLinkedInFirm page
- Shoichiro SuzukiSenior Partner, Japan Investment; General Manager of Rakuten GroupFind on LinkedInFirm page
- Nicole JangSenior Partner, International InvestmentFind on LinkedInFirm page
- Michael PiechalakPartner, International InvestmentFind on LinkedInFirm page
Key facts
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Rakuten Group, Inc. | Single source | S1 |
| Parent industry | Internet services, e-commerce and fintech | Single source | S1 |
| Founded | 2013 | Single source | S1 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan | Single source | S1 |
| Status | Active | Single source | S1 |
| Capital source | Parent company only | Single source | S1 |
| Companies backed | 90+ | Single source | S1 |
| People on the team page | 18 | Single source | S1 |
| Stages | Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth | Reported by IVC Data and Insights: Rakuten Capital (copy of firm about text | S7 |
Notable outcomes
IPOs and acquisitions of portfolio companies. Price shown only where published.
| Company | Type | Year | Acquirer or exchange | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ViSenze | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Algorithmia | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Send Anywhere | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Polymorph | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Epic! | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| GoTo | IPO | S3 | |||
| MakeLeaps | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Currencycloud | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| WePay | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Azimo | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Upstart | IPO | S3 | |||
| Folio | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Simplesurance | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| PremFina | Acquisition | S3 | |||
| Lyft | IPO | S3 |
Fund vehicles
| Vehicle | Size | Year | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten Ventures | Not published | 2014 | Site fund brand; IT sector early and growth stage | S7 |
| Rakuten FinTech Fund | USD 100M | 2015 | Launched 2015-11-12; US and Europe focus; early to mid-stage fintech | S4 |
| Rakuten Global EC Fund | Not published | Fund brand on site | S7 | |
| Rakuten Mobility Investments | Not published | Fund brand on site | S7 | |
| Rakuten Strategic Investments | Not published | Fund brand on site | S7 |
Portfolio
The firm's portfolio page lists 79 companies: 53 active, 26 exited.S3
| Tag | Companies | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 53 | 67.1% |
| Exited | 26 | 32.9% |
Every company on the Rakuten Capital list
79 companies, as listed on the firm's own website: 53 active, 26 exited.S3 Read the firm's list.
Active 53
- Acorns
- Aimed
- Airalo
- airweave
- AWL
- Baaz
- Bejewel
- BlueVine
- Brahma
- Button
- Cabify
- Cariuma
- Carousell
- Coda
- Cyndx
- Dacadoo
- DataRobot
- dataX
- DEA
- Elumild
- enstem
- Everledger
- Fever
- Flow Solutions
- Genesis Healthcare
- hacomono
- Honest Bank
- InsightX
- JEPLAN
- KINS
- Ladorian
- Leal
- Manpuku HD
- mov
- Okan
- OneSignal
- Overture Life
- Petokoto
- POCKETALK
- Pop Meals
- REDCLIFF
- RedDoorz
- Secai Marche
- Shopback
- TapFun
- Taster
- TeraWatt
- Toon Cracker
- TORANOTEC
- Twid
- Ubie
- Veramore
- VETRESKA
Exited 26
- Algorithmia
- Azimo
- Basefood
- Careem
- Currencycloud
- DAITO
- Epic!
- Folio
- Glovo
- GoTo
- Lyft
- MakeLeaps
- Polymorph
- PremFina
- Robin.io
- Science Arts
- Send Anywhere
- Simplesurance
- SYLA
- TENTIAL
- Uncover Truth
- Upstart
- ViSenze
- Visional
- WePay
Recent rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | Led by the firm | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-10 | Veramore | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2026-06-26 | Redcliff | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2026-02-19 | Elumild | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2026-02-12 | InsightX | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2026-01-15 | Manpuku HD | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2025-06-20 | enstem | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2025-03-07 | POCKETALK | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 | |
| 2025-01-31 | TapFun | Investment (round not stated) | Not stated | S1 |
For founders
History
- Saemin Ahn joins Rakuten to set up Rakuten Ventures (site: Rakuten Capital launched 2013; other text says 2014).S2
- Rakuten FinTech Fund of USD 100 million launched 2015-11-12.S4
- WePay acquired by J.P. Morgan (2017-12-04 news item); Upstart investment (2017-03-02).S1
- Saemin Ahn leaves Rakuten Ventures (January) for 500 Global.S5
- Ahn rejoins as Managing Partner (February); Tential lists on TSE Growth (2025-02-28).S5
- Five investments announced Jan-Jul 2026, latest Veramore (2026-07-10); Cainz acquires Daito (2026-01-15).S1
Where sources disagree
- Launch year: Launched in 2013 (firm site, 2026) (S1) vs Launched in 2014 (IVC copy of earlier firm text; GCV: helped launch as Rakuten Ventures in 2014) (S7) vs Saemin Ahn joined Rakuten 2013 to set up Rakuten Ventures (Japanese bio) (S2). Firm text has changed from 2014 to 2013 over time.S1S7S2
- Companies backed: more than 90 companies (firm site, 2026) (S1) vs more than 70 companies (earlier firm text copied by IVC) (S7) vs 79 companies in the portfolio feed (S3). Counts differ by date and basis.S1S7S3
Official pages
Read the firm's own pages for current information.
- Website capital.rakuten.com/
- Portfolio capital.rakuten.com/#portfolio
- LinkedIn company page linkedin.com/company/rakuten-capital
Sources
- S1Rakuten Capital site (English): about, team, portfolio, newsFirm
- S2Rakuten Capital site (Japanese)Firm
- S3Rakuten Capital portfolio data feed (companies.json behind the portfolio filter)Firm
- S4Rakuten press release: launches USD 100 million FinTech Fund (2015-11-12)Parent company
- S5Global Venturing: Saemin Ahn rejoins Rakuten CapitalPress
- S6Search result listing Saemin Ahn LinkedIn profile (Managing Partner at Rakuten Capital)Third-party report
- S7IVC Data and Insights: Rakuten Capital (copy of firm about text, 2014 launch, 70+ companies)Third-party report
Disclaimer and corrections
Not affiliated. This page is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Rakuten Capital or any company named on it. Names and trademarks belong to their owners. Informational only. This is a public-source reference. It is not investment, legal or tax advice and not an offer or solicitation. Sources. Each figure names its source. Figures may have changed. Please read the firm's official pages, linked above. Corrections and takedown. To report an error or ask for a change or removal, use the correction form or email Richard@CorporateVentureCapital.com.
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