The Japanese start-up Mercari is now focusing its growth on the US. According to CEO Shintaro Yamada, the company is now using “90% of its resources” to take on the US market. He explained that the country brings “a chance to grab something that has 10 times the profit”. The marketplace app now has nearly 20 million downloads in the US, with 7 million of those coming since the end of July. Mercari is also currently following in Uber's footsteps, incentivising users to invite friends by offering both parties a small reward to use within the app. Yamada also stated that he is in talks with teams within the US and Europe, and is planning on targeting the UK next.Â
