Home

Soracom and Marubeni Announce Strategic IoT Collaboration and Agree to Establish Joint Venture

via Business Wire

New organization will support IoT MVNO capabilities in Japan and beyond

Soracom, Inc., a global IoT platform provider with full MVNO capability, and Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese general trading company, have announced a joint venture between Soracom and Marubeni I-DIGIO Holdings Co., Ltd., a Marubeni Group Company. The joint venture will offer IoT MVNO services in Japan and expand IoT capabilities to a variety of global regions and industries.

The new company will take over the MVNO business of Marubeni Network Solutions Corporation (“Marubeni Network”), a network outsourcing company under Marubeni I-DIGIO, and will operate as a joint venture, with 51% investment from Soracom.

Marubeni Network is one of only a few Full MVNOs in Japan and operates its MVNO business using NTT Docomo’s network. Soracom is a Full MVNO that provides services across 185 countries using KDDI and global networks, providing communication services specialized for IoT. Soracom has also developed a cloud-native Connectivity Management Platform (CMP) using its own technology.

By collaborating with the Marubeni Group, Soracom will provide mobile services, including higher-quality IoT communication, compatible with various communication environments as a multi-carrier Full MVNO operator. The new company will also consider supporting the latest SIM technologies such as the next-generation SIM and iSIM and apply SIM technology to SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) to provide integrated network and security functions to mobile workers. In addition, the joint venture partners are considering the development of multi-carrier profiles, which will allow multiple domestic operator profiles to be used with a single SIM.

By using the new company's services as a starting point and collaborating with Marubeni's subsidiaries' assets, such as DX consulting and data analysis, the company will be able to meet the diverse needs of a wide range of customers regardless of industry or region.

The establishment of the joint venture follows an agreement signed by Marubeni and Soracom in February 2025 with the intention to collaborate globally on IoT. They are considering further international business expansion in infrastructure areas such as mobility, agriculture, and electricity and water.

About Marubeni

Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, food & agri business, metals & mineral resources, energy & chemicals, power & infrastructure services, finance, leasing & real estate business, aerospace & mobility, next generation business development and next generation corporate development. Additionally, the Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries.

About Soracom

Soracom is a technology partner to more than 20,000 startups, SMBs, and enterprises, connecting more than 5 million IoT devices globally. Soracom offers robust solutions specifically designed to make it easy to build, operate, and scale IoT deployments. Customers trust Soracom for affordable, reliable connectivity that accelerates speed to market, makes it easy to connect to any cloud, and offers access to a worldwide partner ecosystem. More information is available at www.soracom.io.

Contacts