Razer files for IPO in Hong Kong
Peripherals company to pursue ambitious expansion plans by going public, expects to raise a reported $600 million
Razer has made a preliminary filing to go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with the intention of raising a reported $600 million.
The California-based company filed for the IPO last week, but the document - which was obtained by Techcrunch - showed that it has not made a profit since calendar 2014. Razer lost almost $60 million last year (on $392 million in revenue), and $20 million in 2015 (on $320 million in revenue).
The document, which you can read in full here, didn't state how much Razer intended to raise through the IPO, but Techcrunch's sources put the figure at a minimum of $600 million. In May this year, a $100 million investment attached to a new partnership with the mobile operator 3 Group valued the company at $2 billion.
Almost half of Razer's revenue is from the Americas, according to the document, while China accounts for 13% of the total. The company's biggest earner are peripherals like headphones, keyboards and screens, representing 76.2% of revenue, while its gamer hardware lines and various software services make up the rest.
However, Razer's ambitions to move beyond peripherals have been evident for quite some time. Recent investments and acquisitions include the iconic audio IP THX, the mobile hardware firm NextBit, and the SE Asia-focused e-payment specialist MOL, which is now the "master distributor" of Razer's zGold virtual currency.
Razer now has 749 staff, most of which are based in Asia and the US.