Rakuten Kobo Overview

  • Status
  • Acquired/​Merged

  • Employees
  • 350

Employees

  • Latest Deal Type
  • M&A

  • Latest Deal Amount
  • $315M

Rakuten Kobo General Information

Description

Operator of an eBooks, magazines, and newspapers retailing company. The company offers books in the categories of fiction and literature, biography and memoir, romance, mystery and suspense, business and finance, religion and spirituality, history, health and well being, social and cultural studies, art and architecture, children's books, computers, entertainment, family and relationships, food and drink, home and garden, reference and language, Sci Fi and fantasy, science and nature, sports, and travel. It enables users to read eBooks, magazines, and newspapers on smart phones and laptops.

Contact Information

Website
www.kobo.com
Formerly Known As
Shortcovers
Ownership Status
Acquired/Merged
Financing Status
Formerly VC-backed
Corporate Office
  • 135 Liberty Street
  • Suite 101
  • Toronto, Ontario M6K 1A7
  • Canada
Primary Industry
Internet Retail
Other Industries
Electronics (B2C)
Application Software
Acquirer
Rakuten Group
Vertical(s)
TMT, Mobile
Corporate Office
  • 135 Liberty Street
  • Suite 101
  • Toronto, Ontario M6K 1A7
  • Canada

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Rakuten Kobo Valuation & Funding

Deal Type Date Amount Raised to Date Post-Val Status Stage
4. Merger/Acquisition 13-Jan-2012 $315M Completed Generating Revenue
3. Later Stage VC (Series C) 19-Apr-2011 Completed Generating Revenue
2. Early Stage VC (Series B) 01-Dec-2010 $15.8M $30.9M Completed Generating Revenue
1. Early Stage VC (Series A) 01-Nov-2009 $15.1M $15.1M Completed Product Development
To view Rakuten Kobo’s complete valuation and funding history, request access »

Rakuten Kobo Patents

  • 297

    Total Documents Applications and Grants

  • Total Patents Families

  • 120

    Granted

  • 5

    Pending

  • Expiring in next 12 mo

Rakuten Kobo Recent Patent Activity

Publication ID Patent Title Status First Filing Date Technology (CPC) Citations
US-20260003483-A1 Enhanced summary generation of digital content Pending 28-Jun-2024
US-20250377689-A1 Protective case Pending 11-Jun-2024
US-20250316201-A1 Enhanced content processing Pending 03-Apr-2024
US-20250316245-A1 Optimized waveform processing Pending 03-Apr-2024
US-12341549-B2 Protective cover for an electronic reading device Active 08-Sep-2022 H04B1/3888
To view Rakuten Kobo’s complete patent history, request access »

Rakuten Kobo Signals

Growth Rate

Weekly
Growth
Weekly Growth

Size Multiple

Median
Size Multiple

Key Data Points

Similarweb Unique Visitors

Majestic Referring Domains

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Rakuten Kobo Former Investors (5)

Investor Name Investor Type Holding Investor Since Participating Rounds
Borders Group Corporation Minority
CK Hutchison Corporation Minority
Fidelity Corporation Minority
Indigo Books & Music Corporation Minority
REDgroup Retail Corporation Minority
To view Rakuten Kobo’s complete investors history, request access »

Rakuten Kobo Acquisitions (3)

Rakuten Kobo’s most recent deal was a Merger/Acquisition with Shelfie (Application Software). The deal was made on 05-Apr-2017.

Company Name Deal Date Deal Type Deal Size Industry Lead Partner
Shelfie (Application Software) 05-Apr-2017 Merger/Acquisition Application Software
Tolino Media 31-Jan-2017 Merger/Acquisition Publishing
Rakuten Aquafadas 10-Oct-2012 Merger/Acquisition Publishing
To view Rakuten Kobo’s complete acquisitions history, request access »

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Rakuten Kobo Affiliates

Subsidiaries (1)

Name Industry Location Year Founded
Tolino Media Munich, Germany 2009

Rakuten Kobo FAQs

  • Where is Rakuten Kobo headquartered?

    Rakuten Kobo is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

  • What is the size of Rakuten Kobo?

    Rakuten Kobo has 350 total employees.

  • What industry is Rakuten Kobo in?

    Rakuten Kobo’s primary industry is Internet Retail.

  • Is Rakuten Kobo a private or public company?

    Rakuten Kobo is a Private company.

  • What is the current valuation of Rakuten Kobo?

    The current valuation of Rakuten Kobo is .

  • What is Rakuten Kobo’s current revenue?

    The current revenue for Rakuten Kobo is .

  • How much funding has Rakuten Kobo raised over time?

    Rakuten Kobo has raised $82.6M.

  • Who are Rakuten Kobo’s investors?

    Borders Group, CK Hutchison, Fidelity, Indigo Books & Music, and REDgroup Retail have invested in Rakuten Kobo.

  • When was Rakuten Kobo acquired?

    Rakuten Kobo was acquired on 13-Jan-2012.

  • Who acquired Rakuten Kobo?

    Rakuten Kobo was acquired by Rakuten Group.

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