2015.02.17 ALL
Tokyo, Japan – February 17, 2015 – LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, today announced its decision to invest in Pocket-menu Co., Ltd. through the LINE Life Global Gateway, an investment fund established to support service providers operating in the fields of O2O, e-commerce, payment, media and entertainment.
Pocket-menu is a startup established in July 2013. It offers the restaurant reservation and payment service Pocket Concierge (https://pocket-concierge.jp), which lists selected restaurants frequented by celebrities and well-known chefs, such as three Michelin starred Ryugin, and Aroma Fresca. The majority of Pocket Concierge’s participating restaurants offer an online prepayment option, delivering a new customer experience through the service.
LINE will provide financial support to Pocket-menu, while Pocket-menu will work towards supporting LINE-related services in Pocket Concierge and its participating restaurants, such as LINE Pay (mobile money transfer and payment service), LINE@ (business accounts) and LINE TAXI (taxi dispatch service).
Through this investment, LINE aims to spur business expansion of both companies and accelerate the expansion of the LINE platform.
Overview of Pocket-menu Co., Ltd.
Company Name: Pocket-menu Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 3F Nishi Azabu Bldg., 4-1-16 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Founded: April 13, 2011
Capital: JPY 74,542,000
Representatives: CEO Kei Tokado
Business Description: Provision of high-end restaurant reservation service “Pocket Concierge”
Overview of Fund (Information current as of now but may change in the future)
Name: LINE Life Global Gateway
Location: Japan
Estimated Fund: Approximately JPY 5 billion
Investors: LINE Corporation, LINE Ventures Corporation
Period of Operation: 10 years beginning on February 4, 2015
Operating Company: LINE Ventures Corporation
Representative: Jun Masuda
Main Investment Targets: Service providers operating in O2O, e-commerce, payment, media, and entertainment