On January 15, the technological conglomerate Rakuten Group Inc., which owns one of the most popular messengers in Ukraine, Viber, opened a separate office in the center of Kyiv and announced its intentions to join Diia.City.
Three Rakuten companies – Rakuten Viber, Rakuten Advertising, and Rakuten Rewards – are currently engaged in software development and digital marketing. Their teams are located in Kyiv and Odessa. The opening of the new office will allow them to work together, create new technological products, and strengthen Ukraine's reputation as a center for IT innovations, according to the tech giant's announcement.
The idea to open an office in the city center arose in the fall of 2023 when Rakuten's Chairman and CEO, Mickey Mikitani, accompanied Japanese officials during their visit to Kyiv.
Rakuten's plans for opening an office in Kyiv include additional hiring in the technology sector and the appointment of a regional manager.
It is expected that one of the next steps in the Ukrainian market will be the launch of the Viber digital wallet. This has already been successfully introduced in some European countries. As mentioned in the announcement, the Viber application is installed on 98% of smartphones in Ukraine.
Therefore, the introduction of the new service will expand users' financial capabilities, including secure fund transfers, both domestically and internationally.
