Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten has acquired Wuaki.tv, which is known as the “Netflix of Spain.” Wuaki.tv can stream video on demand. This is Rakuten’s fourth European acquisition in two years and it is their first entry into the Spanish market. Wuaki.tv was founded in 2009 and they are based in Barcelona. Wuaki.tv offers their users premium content over the Internet streamed directly to “Smart TVs.”
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Rakuten is the largest e-commerce website in Japan and was the lead investor in a $100 million round of funding in Pinterest. Pinterest is now valued at $1.5 billion. Previous investors in Pinterest include several angel investors, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital.
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Rakuten, Inc. (JSD:4755) has acquired e-reader company, Kobo, for $315 million. Based in Toronto, Kobo has produced a series of e-reader devices. Kobo is best known for working with Borders bookstores on designing a device. This past September, Kobo launched a mobile application that lets you see who is reading with you. Kobo Pulse adds social activities at a page level.
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Rakuten has developed an anti-burglar doormat. The doormat is extremely sticky and locks in to a guy or girl’s shoes. Let’s say that you go on vacation, leave this mat at the front of your door and the burglar gets caught. The doormat will be made available in Japan later this fall.
[via LikeCool]
