Ecommerce Company Rakuten Acquires Messaging App Viber

Japan-based ecommerce company Rakuten said it has agreed to buy mobile messaging app Viber. Valued at $900 million, the deal would add 300 million users to Rakuten’s current 200 million users, according to company owner, billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani. Already the sixth largest ecommerce platform in the world, Rakuten Ichiba emphasizes its ability to connect with its customers, which the company believes gives it an edge over bigger rivals eBay and Amazon in Europe. In the past few years, Rakuten acquired ereader company Kobo, online video providers Wuaki.tv and Viki, and other ecommerce companies in several countries, including Brazil and Germany.