Community

Support regions and organizations

GMO Internet Group, with five clear pillars of "Employment Promotion", "Local Industry Revitalization", "Cooperation with Local Governments and Community Organizations", "Cooperation with Schools", and "Donation Activities (Donations to NPOs)", is carrying out support for communities and organizations through the power of IT.

Focus Areas

Employment Promotion

In every region, we promote the employment of IT talent. In addition, we actively work to employ people with disabilities and provide opportunities for diverse talent to thrive.

No.1 & STEAM Talent Recruitment 'Regional No.1'

In our new graduate recruitment, we offer the region's highest salary to individuals to those who have the potential to become 'leader talents' from 2023 graduates. At our domestic bases, which are continuously expanding and growing, we integrate with the region to contribute to the development of internet culture and industry. (STEAM Talent: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics)"

Employment Promotion for People with Disabilities through GMO Dream Wave Inc.,a specified subsidiary.

We are promoting employment for people with disabilities across the entire group. In particular, at our Miyazaki office, we are proactively promoting employment through GMO Dream Wave Inc.,a specified subsidiary.
In addition to creating jobs for people with disabilities, we are working to expand opportunities for diverse human resources to play an active role and create a comfortable work environment, and we are striving to achieve the legally mandated employment ratio for people with disabilities as stipulated in the Law for the Promotion of Employment of People with Disabilities.

Revitalizing local industry

Utilizing the various IT services provided by GMO Internet Group, we are working on revitalizing local industries and economies.

Efforts towards locally-produced and locally-consumed

In the Kitakyushu office (GMO kitaQ), which relocated and opened in 2022, we have adopted Kokura-ori, a specialty textile of Kitakyushu, and bamboo from Taguma for our office interiors. Through locally produced and consumed, we are contributing to the promotion of regional culture and industry.
In addition, in reference to the Miyazaki Office (GMO hinata), where about 300 people from five companies are active in the Group Integration Office, the Tokyo Head Office has held a "Miyazaki Gourmet Fair" three times since February 2023 in the company cafeteria. The fair contributes to the promotion of local industry by providing typical Miyazaki dishes, promoting tourism, and introducing products from local businesses.

Promoting e-commerce in cooperation with local regions

We support the transition to e-commerce for the purpose of revitalizing local industries.
GMO Pepabo, Inc. is working with the Central Federation of Societies of Commerce and Industry to implement initiatives to support the e-commerce transformation of enterprises affiliated with chambers of commerce nationwide. At GMO MAKESHOP Co., Ltd., we are working with the Sakaide Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hyakujushi Bank, which is based in Kagawa.
We have been commissioned to carry out the Wakayama Prefecture Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Digital Marketing Comprehensive Support Project.
We will continue to provide support for the revitalization of local industries across the entire group.

E-contract service"GMO sign"

"GMO Sign" is an E-contract service provided by GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K. By introducing it to local governments and private enterprises, we contribute to the digital transformation (DX) of their operations and help conserve paper resources. Furthermore, the introduction of "GMO Sign" also addresses challenges such as unique postal issues in remote islands and other areas.

Supporting cashless payments in local areas

At GMO Payment Gateway, Inc., we provide a service called "Mobile Gift Certificate Platform by GMO," which digitizes paper gift certificates issued by local governments.
By promoting the digital transformation of local currencies, we are helping to revitalize local economies.

Working with local governments and community organizations

We are working with various local governments and organizations to revitalize their regions. We contribute to creating towns that are enjoyable, beautiful, and where people want to continue living.

GMO LIVE

At "GMO Internet TOWER" in Yoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, we regularly host "GMO LIVE", a live performance by street musicians. A total of 159 artists have appeared on the stage, and over 20,000 people have enjoyed the performances (as of July 20, 2024). The total number of times the archive has been viewed has exceeded 10 million, and people have enjoyed the music from afar via the internet. We provide opportunities for many artists to perform and also carry out initiatives in cooperation with Yoga Shopping Street to promote mutual customer attraction.

Shibuya Startups K.K.

Shibuya Ward, TOKYU CORPORATION, TOKYU LAND CORPORATION, and GMO Internet Group have jointly established Shibuya Startups K.K., based in Shibuya, to provide training programs and consulting services for startups, as well as business activities aimed at supporting startups.

• Number of companies supported in 2023: 11 companies have been selected (as of August 2023)"

Community Cleanup Activities

At GMO Internet Group, in order to realize a sustainable society, we participate in comprehensive cleanup activities conducted in unison by the Shibuya Ward, its residents, and businesses on "428 (Shibuya) Day" every April 28 (4 for "shi", 2 for "bu", 8 for "ya"). In addition, we conduct independent cleanup activities at our sites throughout Japan.

Collaboration with schools

We collaborate with schools in various regions to support high-quality education and are committed to nurturing the next generation of IT talent.

GMO Hikari Access for Education

This is an Internet connection service developed for educational institutions to realize the GIGA School Concept. Focusing on providing the optimal Internet connection and provider for school education, we offer Internet solutions necessary to support next-generation ICT education using one digital device per student.

• Number of adoptions: 1,615 schools (as of July 2024)

DevSecOpsThon at GMO kitaQ

At our Kitakyushu office, "GMO kitaQ," with the support of Kitakyushu City, we have been hosting the internet infrastructure hackathon "DevSecOpsThon at GMO kitaQ" annually since 2022. In line with the GMO Internet Group's catchphrase of "Becoming the No. 1 corporate group to create the future with AI" for the 2024 event, we had participants try to content focusing on AI development. We are contributing to the nurturing and development of outstanding engineering talent for the next generation and to the advancement of Kitakyushu City in its quest to become as an IT hub.

Kids VALLEY Future Learning Project

Based in Shibuya, five companies - GMO Internet Group, TOKYU CORPORATION, CyberAgent, DeNA, and MIXI - have been collaborating with the Shibuya Ward Board of Education since 2020 in response to the mandatory programming education for elementary and middle school students that started in the 2020 and 2021 school years. We are involved in developing programming education curricula for elementary and middle school students, sending our partners (employees) as instructors to support classes, and providing inquiry-based learning that includes project-based learning (PBL). Through these initiatives, we aim to create a public-private partnership model for next-generation education.

*As of August 2024

• Programming Summer Camp: 5 times from 2019 to 2024.

Lectures at Kyushu University / University of Kitakyushu / Nagasaki Prefectural University (※ General Education Subjects)

Starting in June 2023, we have launched a new lecture series getting credits at Kyushu University, titled "Technologies Supporting Internet Services," consisting of 8 sessions. In addition, lectures are conducted at the University of Kitakyushu and Nagasaki Prefectural University, contributing to the enhancement of students' digital and information literacy and fostering the ability to lead society with ICT as a strength.

• Kyushu University
  • 16 sessions held in 2023
  • 8 sessions held in 2024(As of August 2024)
• University of Kitakyushu
  • 2 sessions held in 2022
  • 2 sessions held in 2023
• Nagasaki Prefectural University
  • 1 session held in 2022

Participation in Kitakyushu Yume Mirai Work

Our Kitakyushu office, "GMO kitaQ," has been participating annually since 2019 in "Kitakyushu Yume Mirai Work,"which aims to provide vocational experiences for middle and high school students in Kitakyushu City. We provide experiences in the roles of web application engineers, infrastructure engineers, and security engineers, contributing to raising IT awareness among middle and high school students in Kitakyushu.

*2020 was a non-host year.

Technical Support for Students (Mainly Technical College, University, and Graduate Students)

Since June 2023, we have been providing technical support to student communities by Developer Experts, an organization formed by developers. This includes support for hackathons and study group meetings, contributing to the technical empowerment of the younger generation.

• Conducted study groups in 12 engineering communities at universities (from June 2023 to August 2024)

Conducting work experience for middle and high school students

In order to provide an environment where middle and high school students can understand what work entails and broaden their perspectives on the future, we have been actively supporting job experience programs and company visit requests from students nationwide since 2021.

*As of August 2024

Support for elementary school club activities

In June 2024, we began supporting robot programming club activities at Shibuya City Sasazuka Elementary School in collaboration with Shibuya City and the Shibuya City Board of Education.

We will provide comprehensive support, including dispatching our partners (employees) as instructors and providing the necessary equipment for robot programming and learning, with the aim of fostering and producing IT human resources.

Donation activities (Donations to NPOs)

We are promoting donation activities that are necessary for the development of a sustainable society and community revitalization, and to ensure that all people can live equally and peacefully.

TABLE FOR TWO (TFT Program/CFT Program)

In January 2021, we began offering lunch menus that support the TABLE FOR TWO program, which donates 20 yen from each meal purchased from our calorie-controlled food options to the cost of school meals for children in developing countries. In May 2023, we were recognized as a "Gold Partner" by TABLE FOR TWO.
In addition, in May 2021, we launched the "CUP FOR TWO" program in our onsite café. When Fair Trade products such as coffee and tea are selected, 20 yen per cup　is also donated to the cost of school meals for children in developing countries. Within two years of the program's launch, more than 29,000 cups have been served.

• TFT: Number of meals served: 28,219 meals, amount donated: 564,380 yen (cumulative total through August 2023)
• CFT: Number of cups provided: 29,172 cups, Donation amount: 583,440 yen (Cumulative total through August 2023)

Food Bank Shibuya

Since July 2022, we have been continuously donating food and disaster preparedness items gathered from our internal partners through the NPO Food Bank Shibuya, actively addressing both the issues of food loss and poverty.

• Food bank donation achievements (cumulative from July 2022 to August 2023):
  • - Number of donations: 17 times
  • - Number of items donated: 3,326 items
  • - Distribution records (via Food Bank Shibuya): Distributed to 473 households in Shibuya Ward

Child Fund Japan

When beverages are purchased from the "donation-type vending machine" set up within the GMO Internet Group, 5 yen per bottle is donated to support children in the Philippines and Nepal through Child Fund Japan. In addition, we provide a wide range of support through Child Fund Japan, including disaster relief for major earthquakes and typhoons, as well as overseas aid. In March 2016, we received a letter of appreciation for our past support activities.

Launching a Fundraising Site (Japanese Red Cross, Child Fund Japan)

GMO Internet Group operates a fundraising website.
We welcome support from anyone who shares our mission and values and wants to take action to build a more sustainable future. Your support will contribute to rebuilding efforts and emergency relief for affected communities and regions.

• Feb. 2023 Southeastern Turkey earthquake donations:10,019,000 yen
• Jan. 2024 Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa earthquake donations:25,281,575 yen

Education and child care support

Partner education

GMO Technology Boot Camp, a technology training for the new graduate partners, is held across the Group each year for skills improvement of the new graduate partners. In 2022, GMO Internet Group plans to launch a white hat hacker training to reskill existing partners to make all partners (including those who are not engineers and technicians) security personnel.

Child care support

GMO Internet Group established GMO Bears, an internal nursery, at Cerulean Tower, where GMO Internet Group's headquarter is located. GMO Internet Group has a good working environment for partners, supporting childcare while working.