As expected, LINE has applied for an initial pubic offering (IPO) that’s valued at 1 trillion yen (about $9.85 billion USD). The initial application process actually began two weeks ago according to the ever-valuable “person with knowledge in the matter.”
According to sources, the Naver Corp-owned LINE has tapped investment bank Nomura Holdings to manage the IPO and is considering a dual listing in Tokyo and New York.
LINE is considering a dual listing in Tokyo and New York
While LINE continues to be blocked in mainland China, the messaging app is continuing to grow in popularity everywhere else, having garnered over 480 million downloads worldwide and over 300 million registered users at last “official” count.
LINE is currently exploring an expansion into the US market with a focus on its app-based gaming platform as a way to stand apart from major competitors like WhatsApp and Viber. LINE also offers a number of other downloadable pieces of content as well, including its stickers collection.
The app is available for most major mobile platforms as a free download.