Corporate History

Shibuya City, Tokyu Corporation, Tokyu Land Corporation, and GMO Internet Group established "Shibuya Startups, Inc." to create and nurture an international startup community in Shibuya.

The group completely abolished the measures against COVID-19, such as the installation of internal partitions and behavior restrictions for partners. At the same time, regarding the wearing of masks, the policy changed to voluntary wearing anywhere, regardless of the presence or absence of partitions.

GMO Internet Group held the first large-scale music festival "GMO SONIC 2023" to support youth culture. The number of participants was 50,000.

• GMO SONIC

GMO Internet Group held "GMO Shibuya FUTURE 2023 - GMO SONIC Warm Up -," a tech-themed exchange event at "GMO Yours FUKURAS," the second headquarters of the group in Shibuya, Tokyo, welcoming special guests such as Steve Aoki and Hiroyuki.

GMO Internet Group supported the "HOT JAPAN with JO1 Project." As part of our efforts, we launched the high-speed Internet service "JO1 Hikari powered byGMO Hikari Access."

• HOT JAPAN with JO1 Project

GMO Internet Group received the "Excellence Award" at Shibuya Sustainable Awards 2022. As part of our efforts to contribute to the creation of a sustainable community as a whole group, we participated in the Shibuya City Cleaning Day, carried out our own cleanup activity, eliminated plastic at the communication space "GMO Yours," and reduced food loss.

• Received the "Excellence Award" at the Shibuya Sustainable Awards 2022

The GMO digital art museum store opened on Oct. 12 next to the Banksy Exhibition GMO digital art museum Shibuya Tokyo.

Suguru Osako, a professional runner, joined the men's long-distance running team of GMO Internet Group as a Playing Director.

ENGINE, Inc. (currently, GMO ENGINE, Inc.), a comprehensive content company focused on the planning and production of videos and advertisements, joined the group.

The "COVID-19 Measures Relaxation Declaration" was announced, and the measures against COVID-19 were gradually eased starting from Sep. 20. As the first initiative, the wearing of masks in the office, which had been mandatory until then, was changed to "optional."

GMO Internet changed its name to GMO Internet Group.

GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, Inc. is recognized by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) - a global forum that develops, manages, educates, and recognizes PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which is a global standard to protect credit card payment data - as a PCI Forensic Investigator (PFI) that handles a cardholder data compromise.

GMO NIKKO has launched GMO Metaverse Lab, which investigates and analyzes various Web3-related services utilizing metaverse technology and blockchain technology and provides new business support, to enter the metaverse business.

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group) partners with Unstoppable Domains, the U.S. provider of NFT domains, and has launched CryptoName byGMO, which is NFT domain introduction and registration services, entering the NFT domain business.

GMO Internet Group holds “GMO LIVE from GMO Internet TOWER,” a piano concert (free entry), at the GMO Internet TOWER (official name is Setagaya Business Square; location is Yoga, Setagaya City, Tokyo). Keichan and Miyaken, who are popular pianists, appear in the concert.

GMO Internet Group launched Entrepreneur Navi byGMO, a portal to comprehensively support entrepreneurs.

GMO VenturePartners has launched the GMO Fintech Fund 7 LP, its seventh fund, with major financial institutions and others, and the interim closing of 11.3 billion yen.

• GMO VenturePartners, Inc.

GMO Internet Group launched GMO OLYMPIA, a completely free fitness gym inside the office, at its second headquarter in Shibuya FUKURAS.

• GMO OLYMPIA

GMO Payment Gateway was recognized as a fulfilling workplace by the Great Place to Work® Institute Japan in the “Great Place to Work” July 2022 survey for the 8th consecutive time.

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group) establishes a hands-on corporate venture capital GMO Web3, Inc. that specializes in supporting Web3 startups.

• GMO Web3 Inc.

GMO Internet Group was a top sponsor of Japan Drone 2022, the largest exhibition of eVTOL (flying car) and drones in Japan, which was held at Makuhari Messe from June 21 to 23, running a booth of the maximum scale.

GMO Research launched the US subsidiary GMO-Z.com Research USA, Inc., the 6th global office.

Sumitomo Mitsui Card, GMO Payment Gateway, and GMO Payment Service entered into a basic agreement on a business alliance in the Buy Now Pay Later. Started to consider offering a new service.

GMO Adam's NFT marketplace Adam byGMO complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU) and the UK. Now available in GDPR's target countries in Europe.

• Adam byGMO

Strategic Basic Research Programs of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) adopted the "Stretchable Smart Devices Using Machine Learning" - a joint research conducted by Ota Laboratory of Yokohama National University and Pepabo R&D Institute, which is a research and development organization of GMO Pepabo - as AIP Acceleration Research.

GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae is a top sponsor of Japan’s leading security international conference “CODE BLUE 2022”.

GMO Brights Consulting changed its name to GMO BRAND SECURITY Inc.

GMO Internet Group has set up a sign "In Front of GMO Internet TOWER", a secondary name of the Yoga station (on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line), which is a railway station nearest to GMO Internet TOWER, a secondary name of Setagaya Business Square, which is a high-rise composite building. The secondary name is announced when approaching the Yoga station on the trains which belong to Tokyu Corporation traveling on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line.

Kurumi Kikuno, an art director of GMO NIKKO Inc., won the highest award for the category of "Submissions from the public: advertisers’ topics" at the 89th Mainichi Advertisement Design Competition.

The world's smallest art museum @ GMO digital HACHIKO that GMO Internet Group opened in September 2021 changed its name to “Banksy Exhibition GMO digital art museum Shibuya Tokyo” and reopened after renovation.

Masatoshi Kumagai, who is the Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of the GMO Internet, has donated his wealth with the aim of further enhancing and supporting Tōmi City, Nagano Prefecture, and received the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon.

Female professional golfer Hana Wakimoto of GMO Internet Group achieved her first victory in Japan at Hanasaka Ladies Yanmar Golf Tournament, which is the JLPGA Step Up Tour.

GMO Internet Group is a diamond sponsor of CODEGYM Academy, a project that offers programming education for students for free during the pandemic, for the 2nd consecutive year.

Tadayoshi Kametaka has assumed the new head coach of a men's long-distance running team of GMO Internet Group. Susumu Hara, who has a career background as an advisor and is the head coach of a long-distance block of track and field team at Aoyama Gakuin University, has assumed EKIDEN Director.

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) won the Debut Debt Deal of the Year, an award that is presented for the best debt deal in the corporate bond category of DEALWATCH AWARDS 2021.

Hirotaka Niisato, who is the director for engineering analysis of the GMO Internet, is a member of the team that has produced 8bit, which is a work that allows individuals to experience the quantum computing and has been selected by a jury in the Entertainment Division of the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival.

The amount of remuneration of sixteen Directors has exceeded 100 million yen, and GMO Internet Group has a duty to disclose this in the Annual Securities Report.

GMO MAKESHOP's ASP online store service "MakeShop byGMO" has the No. 1 transaction volume in ASP online store industry for the 10th consecutive year.

Ierae Security, Inc. (currently, GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, Inc.) created safety standards for the provider of secure computation with Digital Garage, Inc., NEC Corporation, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation.

GMO Adam's NFT marketplace Adam byGMO held Adam byGMO NFT Art Gallery for a limited period, displaying the work of popular creators of Adam byGMO at a pop-up space "111 - ICHI ICHI ICHI -" on the third floor of Tokyu Plaza Shibuya.

GMO Internet Group launched the 3rd workplace vaccination against the novel coronavirus.

Tokyu Corporation, CyberAgent, DeNA, mixi, and GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) jointly hold the Kids VALLEY that has won the Judges' Commendation in the Award for Companies Promoting Experience-based Learning Activities for Youth of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

GMO CLICK Securities’ FX trading volume was No. 1 worldwide in 2021 following 2020 and was No. 1 for the 10th consecutive year in Japan.

Japan's leading white hat hacker organization Ierae Security, Inc. (currently, GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, Inc.) joined the Group, leading to full-scale entry into the cybersecurity business.

Basic agreement in the business alliance between the National Federation of Real Estate Transaction Associations, which is the largest group in the real estate industry, and GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.

A version of the e-contract service GMO Sign for LGWAN, the first version of e-contract service for LGWAN in Japan, was launched by GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.

Official and English versions of NFT marketplace Adam byGMO were launched by GMO Adam, Inc.

• Adam byGMO

GMO Internet Group started to make efforts in FY2022 to offer the highest level of salary in each industry and region as a result of enhanced productivity mainly due to reducing the future rent and introducing an RPA, AI, and robot.

ISMS certification was acquired by the parent company of GMO Brights Consulting (currently, GMO BRAND SECURITY Inc.).

GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K. has formed a business alliance with Tokyu Livable, Inc., and launched the R&D to put electronic signature (by ID verification that uses an Individual Number Card), which is as effective as a registered seal, of a real estate sales contract into practical use, the first initiative of its kind in Japan.

GMO GlobalSign HD's e-contract service GMO Sign was recognized with a special award for the category of NPO of the 5th Social Good ICT Service Award.

GMO Office Support, Inc. has launched the virtual office service "GMO Office Support"

GMO Internet Group's Goodbye Seal Impression Campaign won a prize for the category of the work process of WORK DESIGN AWARD, an award for companies making efforts to update the way of working.

GMO Internet Group is the main sponsor of “GMO Internet Group presents 10000m track by unprecedented MARCH 2021”, a competition between long-distance running teams of 5 private universities.

GMO Internet acquired 55% of trust beneficiary rights for Setagaya Business Square, which is a high-rise composite building that leads directly to Yoga station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line. The secondary name of the building is GMO Internet TOWER.

GMO Internet Group has entered into a medical partner agreement with CellSource Co., Ltd. that develops regenerative-medicine-related business, the first agreement of its kind in Japan as a corporate athletics team.

GMO GlobalSign HD made inquiries to Japan Digital Agency, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Finance about the System to Eliminate Regulatory Gray Zones, and confirmed that Digital-Sign and E-sign of e-contract service GMO Sign had the legality as an alternative, effective electronic signature to affixing the name and seal.

Sponsorship in Onigiri Action 2021, a donation campaign conducted by TABLE FOR TWO International (NPO).

Renovated “GMO Digital HACHIKO”, a meeting spot inside Shibuya FUKURAS, and opened an art space "the world's smallest art museum @ GMO digital HACHIKO (currently, Banksy Exhibition GMO digital art museum Shibuya Tokyo)".

GMO Adam launched a beta version of NFT marketplace Adam byGMO.

GMO Internet Ladies Samantha Thavasa Global Cup, a women's professional golf tournament, was held with special sponsorship from Samantha Global Branding & Research Institute.

GMO GlobalSign HD's e-contract service GMO Sign has the newly added Individual Number Card Registered Seal function that enables ID Verification with Individual Number Card, the first function of its kind in Japan.

GMO Internet Group joins in "Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and a task force to launch the flying car".

Launched workplace vaccination against the novel coronavirus and approximately 72% of the partners in Japan were vaccinated in 5 days.

GMO Adam, Inc., which develops and operates the NFT marketplace Adam byGMO, has been established.

GMO Financial Holdings, Inc. executed an agreement for the transfer of shares to acquire a 100% stake in YJFX (currently, Gaika ex byGMO), which was Yahoo Japan Corporation's subsidiary and offered its online FX transaction services.

OMAKASE, Inc. (currently, GMO OMAKASE, Inc.), which develops reservation management service "OMAKASE" specializing in the popular restaurants that are difficult to make reservations at, has joined the Group.

GMO Internet Group joins the Public-Private Council for Air Transportation Revolution established and operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

GMO Internet Group will announce the implementation status of teleworking every week, based on the request from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

GMO Coin has the No. 1 Bitcoin volume (including cash settlement and futures transactions) on the Japanese exchange in April 2021.

The amount of remuneration of eleven Directors of the Group has exceeded 100 million yen, and it has a duty to disclose this in the Annual Securities Report for FY2020.

The number of user companies of GMO GlobalSign's Trust Login byGMO, a single sign-on service (IDaaS) targeting companies, exceeds 6,300: No. 1 Japanese single sign-on service in terms of the number of user companies.

The US subsidiary GMO-Z.com Trust Company, Inc. partners with Binance, which operates the world’s largest cryptoasset exchange BINANCE, and has listed Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin GYEN on BINANCE.

GMO Internet Group has launched “Application that makes your dreams come true byGMO”, which is the official application of “Diary that makes your dreams come true”, an original diary by Masatoshi Kumagai, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO, GMO Internet Group.

Traffic and riding scheme testing project of Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau's Tenjin-Hakata one-day free ticket, which tests the feasibility of utilizing Japan's first digital ticket using Visa's touch payment, is jointly launched by GMO Payment Gateway, GMO Financial Gate, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, Aquabit Spirals, QUADRAC, TOPPAN PRINTING, Visa Worldwide Japan, and Bank of Fukuoka.

GMO Payment Gateway acquired all outstanding shares of financial and payment system developer BUFFORT Inc., which joined GMO Payment Gateway consolidated companies.

GMO Internet Group is a diamond sponsor of CODEGYM Academy, a project that offers programming education for students for free during the pandemic. CODEGYM Academy is offered through a collaboration between LABOT Inc.'s programming education service CODEGYM and CLACK (NPO).

Ecommerce services offered by GMO MAKESHOP and GMO System Consulting have been consolidated, and GMO CLOUD EC has been launched, which is an ecommerce solution that can be customized.

Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture is the first municipality in Japan that has decided to adopt GMO GlobalSign HD's e-contract service GMO Sign!

GMO Internet Group announces that it is putting effort into SDGs.

• GMO Internet Group's Initiatives on SDGs

The transaction volume of all online shops in GMO MAKESHOP's ASP online store MakeShop byGMO has reached a record high in 2020. MakeShop byGMO is number one in the ASP online store industry for the 9th consecutive year.

GMO Internet Group has appointed professional golfer Miho Koga, who has won a number of tournaments until now, as an ambassador.

The US subsidiary GMO-Z.com Trust Company, Inc. has launched its new service, and the world’s first Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin GYEN and US dollar-pegged stablecoin ZUSD, which comply with the US banking laws and regulations, have been issued and converted into cash.

• GMO-Z.com Trust Company, Inc.

GMO Internet Group's corporate song "Internet for Everyone" has been selected as a "Memorable Music" at the "2nd NIKKEI National Corporate Song Contest" held by Nikkei! "Internet for Everyone" has been composed by Tetsuya Komuro.

GMO GlobalSign's Trust Login byGMO, a single sign-on service (IDaaS) targeting companies, acquires the certification of International Standard ISO27001 (information security management).

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) begins offering services through the cryptoassets exchange “Z.com EX” with Thailand subsidiary GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

GMO GlobalSign HD changed the name of its e-contract service from “Agree” to “GMO Sign”.

GMO Internet Group opens a satellite office "GMO hinata" in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture.

GMO Internet Group opened its new owned media "i4U".

GMO CLICK Securities’ FX trading services have No. 1 transaction volume worldwide in 2020: No. 1 within Japan for the 9th consecutive year.

GMO GlobalSign HD's “e-contract service Agree (currently, GMO Sign)”: No. 1 Japanese e-contract service in terms of the number of user companies.

GMO GlobalSign HD launches "Goodbye Seal Impression: Digitalize 100 Million Project", a demonstration experiment of municipalities to encourage the use of e-contract services instead of seal impression.

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) has obtained official approval as a specified purpose trust company in New York State, and established the US subsidiary GMO-Z.com Trust Company, Inc., preparing for the launch of the world’s first JPY-pegged stablecoin “GYEN” and USD-pegged stablecoin “ZUSD”.

• GMO-Z.com Trust Company, Inc.

GMO Pepabo: stock market listing changed to the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

• GMO Pepabo, Inc.

Regarding the radio station license of a stand-alone configuration "local 5G" in the office, GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) obtained Japan's first main license and commenced the operation of the staging environment of local 5G.

GMO GlobalSign reached a basic agreement to give technology related to the security of communications and control to Prodrone Co., Ltd. and SkyDrive Inc. (DRONE FUND makes investments in Prodrone and SkyDrive) to launch the flying car and the drone into society.

GMO Payment Gateway, Inc. collaborates with Queen Bee Capital Co., Ltd., expanding into the businesses of digital-first international remittance and collection

GMO Internet (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) opened a customer support office in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture

GMO GlobalSign HD has launched the Digital Government Development Office and the DX support for the administrative procedures in the country and local governments.

GMO Cloud K.K. changes its name to “GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.”

• GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.

GMO Internet has launched “GMO Digikids,” a programming education support project for children.

"Samantha Global presents GMO Internet Cup", a match-play competition between women's professional golf teams, was jointly held by the GMO Internet Group along with Samantha Thavasa Japan Limited.

GMO TECH established “GMO ReTech,” a new technology company for the real estate business.

GMO System Consulting has joined GMO MAKESHOP for strengthening collaboration in ecommerce.

GMO Financial Gate is newly listed on TSE Mothers Index.

“GMO Developers Day” was held as the first GMO Internet Group’s large-scale online tech conference for developers.

GMO Internet Group has made an affiliation contract with Hana Wakimoto, a professional golfer.

Goodbye Seal Impression Campaign to discourage the use of seal impressions in Japan.

“GMO e-contract service Agree (currently, GMO Sign),” an electric signature service offered by GMO Cloud K.K. (GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K) has become available on the online application of commercial and legal entity registries.

GMO Internet Group has shifted to “New workstyle byGMO” in the coronavirus era.

GMO Internet, Inc. (currently, GMO Internet Group, Inc.) has started a new project named “GMO Edison” which encourages our partners to share their ideas and commercialize their ideas among them.

GMO Internet Group announced the new policy which eliminates Inkan in customers’ procedures and limits contracts to electronic contracts.

GMO Internet Group has started “Office cost restoration program” which restore the office running cost, the amount saved due to the arrangement for work from home, to partners.

GMO Aozora Net Bank, Ltd. became the first bank in Japan to open the bank API experiment environment named “sunabar -GMO Aozora Net Bank API experiment station” for free.

GMO Internet Group held an online welcoming ceremony for new hires for the purpose of preventing the spread of infection with the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

GMO MAKESHOP’s “MakeShop byGMO” has the No. 1 transaction volume in ASP online store industry for the 8th consecutive year and achieved JYP173.4 billion in 2019, which reached MakeShop’s transaction volume to a record high.

Educational app related to Finance and investing “Kabupon!” launched under the sponsorship of the GMO CLICK Securities, Inc.

Ryo Hashimoto, a runner belonging to the men’s long-distance running team of GMO Internet Group, was elected substitute runner for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Men’s marathon.

GMO Kumapon, Inc. joined GMO Media Inc.

GMO Payment Service launched a future payment service "GMO Pay on Credit" for BtoB transaction

As a Certificate Authority, GMO GlobalSign acquired simultaneously the certifications ISO27001 and ISO22301.

Shifted to work from home in order to prevent COVID-19 infection for the purpose of BCP as well as the safety of all partners in our whole group.

Applied for local 5G's radio station license to improve the environment for the introduction of local 5G in GMO Internet Group's first and second headquarters.

GMO CLOUD K.K. (currently, GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.) founded GMO Mobility Cloud K.K. as a joint venture with Sojitz Corporation: developing connected car-related business utilizing automotive IoT solutions.

GMO Internet Group's TV commercial broadcasted for the first time during the “New Year Ekiden 2020” in which a men's long-distance running team participated for the first time.

Men’s long-distance running team of GMO Internet Group participated in “New Year Ekiden2020” for the 1st time and finished in 5th place.