Rakuten Acquires Viber for $900M

viberTokyo, Japan-based Internet services company Rakuten, Inc. (JASDAQ:4755) acquired Limassol, Cyprus-based messaging and VoIP company Viber Media Ltd for $900m.

Co-Founded by CEO Talmon Marco, Viber is a messaging and VoIP service operator. Its platform, which provides apps on smartphones that allow users to have conversations, send and receive messages and images (on iPhone®, Android™, Windows Phone, Blackberry®, Windows®, Mac, Symbian, Nokia S40 and Bada devices over 3G/4G or WiFi connections), has approximately 280m global registered users, and monthly active users over 100m.

Viber will allow Rakuten to strengthen its global platform and build on several digital contents services, and advance into new markets.

Shabtai Family (55.2%), IRS WEST LLC (12.5%), Marco Family (11.4%) and 8 individuals including employees of Viber sold their shares.

Viber didn’t have revenues in 2012 while they amounted to approximately $1.5m in 2013.

FinSMEs

14/02/2014

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