GMO Internet


GMO Internet Group, Inc. is an Internet company which is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is also the holding company of GMO Internet Group. The head office is located in Cerulean Tower in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its founder, Masatoshi Kumagai, is now among the wealthiest in Japan with an estimated net worth of more than $1 billion as of June 2020.

Overview

While GMO Internet Group is mainly engaged in the Internet infrastructure business, it also runs other businesses such as online advertising & media, Internet financial services, mobile entertainment, and cryptocurrency. It is a market leader for domain names and web hosting services in Japan. GMO Internet Group has 9 listed companies, including the head office itself. The company operates under the corporate slogan of "Internet for Everyone" and offers employee benefits such as a 24-hour staff canteen which provides free meals, childcare facilities, and so on. Furthermore, some employees also have the option to receive their salaries in bitcoin.

History

Voice Media Inc. was established by Masatoshi Kumagai in May 1991. The multi-media company changed its name to interQ Inc. in November 1995 and shifted its focus to the provision of Internet and service infrastructure. It changed its name again in April 2001 to Global Media Online, Inc. and then again on June 1, 2005 to GMO Internet, Inc. before it began using its current name since September 1, 2022. In November 2013, GMO Internet acquired Gamepot, an online game company that owned Wizardry. It was shut down and absorbed into GMO Internet on December 1, 2017. On October 29, 2020, Drecom announced they had acquired Wizardry from GMO Internet.

Business Segments

GMO Internet has a total of 106 companies worldwide, including 9 listed companies. Some of the more prominent companies are as follows.

Internet Infrastructure

  • GMO Epsilon, Inc.
  • GMO DigiRock
  • GMO Brights Consulting Inc.

    Advertising & Media

  • GMO AD Partners Inc.
  • GMO AD Marketing Inc.
  • GMO INSIGHT INC.
  • GMO NIKKO AD CAMP.
  • GMO UniteX Inc.
  • GMO PlayAd Inc.
  • Shift-One, Inc.
  • GMO Creators Network, Inc.
  • GMO Kumapon Inc.
  • GMO SOLUTIONPARTNER Inc.
  • GMO digitallab, Inc.
  • GMO MAKESHOP Co. Ltd.
  • GMO Media Inc.
Internet Financial Services
  • GMO CLICK Securities, Inc.
  • FX PRIME by GMO Corporation
Cryptocurrency
  • GMO-Z.com Switzerland AG
Others

  • Z.com

In 2014, GMO Internet Group made headlines when it bought the Z.com domain name from Nissan for US$6.8 million. It was mentioned in their press release that Z.com was acquired to spearhead GMO Internet Group's global growth strategy and provide the group with a powerful tool to build a strong global brand.