Razer Inc.

Razer Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	Consumer electronics, gaming hardware, financial services
Predecessor	kärna LLC (subsidiary)
Founded	1998; 28 years ago (initial), re-founded 2005
Founder	Min-Liang Tan, Robert Krakoff
Headquarters	Queenstown (one-north), Singapore; Irvine, California, Singapore, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Min-Liang Tan (CEO)
Products	Gaming laptops, peripherals, consoles, software, financial services
Number of employees	Not specified (projected increase of ~600 in 2019)
Parent	None
Website	www.razer.com

Razer Inc. is a multinational technology corporation with roots in both the United States and Singapore, specializing in consumer electronics, gaming hardware, and financial services. Initially established in 1998 and subsequently re-founded in 2005 by Min-Liang Tan and Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, the company maintains dual headquarters located in the one-north area of Queenstown, Singapore and Irvine, California, USA. Razer’s core business revolves around designing and marketing laptops, gaming peripherals, consoles, and software tailored for gamers and technology enthusiasts around the globe.

1998–2005: Initial establishment and early hurdles

The origins of Razer trace back to 1998 as a subsidiary based in San Diego under kärna LLC, focusing on creating the premium Boomslang gaming mouse for PC users. Following kärna’s bankruptcy in 2000, the present-day Razer was re-launched in 2005 by its original founders Min-Liang Tan, a graduate of Singapore’s National University (NUS), and Robert Krakoff. This re-establishment was supported by major investments from Hong Kong magnate Li Ka-shing and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, marking a crucial phase in the company’s expansion.

2015–2016: Acquisition of Ouya assets and Forge TV development

In July 2015, Razer expanded its footprint in gaming technology by acquiring Ouya’s software division and development team while discontinuing Ouya’s hardware products. This move contributed to the creation of the Forge TV microconsole. Nevertheless, Forge TV was phased out in 2016 as Razer realigned its product focus towards core gaming peripherals and service offerings.

2016–2018: Strategic acquisitions and growth initiatives

October 2016 saw Razer acquire THX from Creative Technology, utilizing THX’s audio-visual expertise to augment its gaming product portfolio and extend into virtual reality and live streaming sectors.

In January 2017, Razer took over Nextbit, the company behind the Robin smartphone. This acquisition influenced the design of Razer’s inaugural smartphone, the Razer Phone, which debuted in November 2017.

Razer filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2017 with plans to raise upwards of $600 million. The company issued approximately 1.06 billion shares priced between $0.38 and $0.51 each. Officially listed under ticker symbol 1337 in November 2017, the IPO closed with an 18% gain on its first trading day, ranking as Hong Kong’s second most successful IPO that year.

In April 2018, Razer announced its intent to acquire MOL, a digital payments platform, for about $61 million to broaden its e-payment capabilities. By July of the same year, it launched Razer Pay, an e-wallet service operating initially in Malaysia. Later that year, October saw the introduction of the Razer Phone 2.

On December 21, 2018, Razer revealed plans for a new seven-story headquarters located in Singapore’s one-north district aimed at Southeast Asia operations with completion targeted for 2020. The building’s architecture features LED lighting designed to resemble a CPU at work. The official groundbreaking occurred on February 22, 2019, coinciding with the launch of Echo Base—a digital real estate venture supported by CEO Min-Liang Tan. The company projected staffing increases of around 600 employees over several years to support forthcoming smart city projects throughout the region.

2019–2020: Closure of Razer Game Store and COVID-19 initiatives

In February 2019, Razer decided to shut down its Razer Game Store as part of a broader strategic shift. By May 2019, the company declared it would terminate Ouya online accounts and associated services by June 25, affecting app functionality and advising users to migrate their purchases to platforms such as Google Play when feasible.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Razer introduced the Razer Health program in May 2020, providing certified surgical masks to governments, healthcare providers, and individuals globally, thereby enhancing its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

In October 2020, Razer broadened its financial offerings by unveiling a virtual prepaid debit card, initially launched in Singapore in January 2021, reflecting the company's expansion into fintech sectors.

2021–2025: Headquarters relocation and stock delisting

Razer discontinued its Razer Pay (Beta) e-wallet service in Malaysia and Singapore during 2021. In February of the same year, CEO Tan Min-Liang revealed plans to move Razer’s Singapore headquarters to a larger site, scheduled for opening in Q2 2021, with intentions to recruit up to 1,000 new staff members. The new headquarters officially commenced operations on 26 October 2021, featuring a "RazerStore" and "RazerCafe," with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat presiding over the inauguration.

On 26 April 2022, cofounder Robert Krakoff passed away; the cause was not publicly disclosed. Subsequently, in May 2022, following shareholder approval, Razer withdrew from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and became a private entity.

On 2 April 2025, Razer suspended sales of all laptops and select accessories on its U.S. online platform coinciding with announcements of new reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. government. As of early April 2025, the company had not released an official explanation connecting the sales halt to these tariffs.

Products

Razer’s product lineup is primarily designed for gamers and includes gaming laptops, tablets, and PC peripherals such as mice (for example, the Razer Naga), audio equipment, keyboards, mousepads, and game controllers. Most items carry names inspired by dangerous or venomous creatures, with exceptions like the Razer Blade laptops and Razer Edge tablet. The company also developed VOIP software named Razer Comms.

The DeathAdder mouse series, launched in 2006, stands as Razer’s best-selling product line with over 20 million units distributed globally by June 2024. Approximately eight percent of professional esports players specializing in first-person shooters utilize Razer mice. In 2021, the company introduced "HyperPolling" technology incorporated into the Razer Viper 8K mouse.

Razer ventured into the smartphone market in November 2017 with the release of the Razer Phone. In 2020, it debuted the Razer Book—a mainstream laptop not specifically targeted at gamers. In April 2022, through collaboration with deep learning firm Lambda, Razer launched the Tensorbook—a Linux-based laptop tailored for machine learning professionals.

In January 2021, Razer unveiled Project Hazel—premium designer face masks aimed at enhancing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative evolved into the Zephyr mask by October 2021, marketed as N95-rated; however, it was later disclosed that it did not hold official N95 certification. This resulted in a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement in April 2024 requiring Razer to reimburse customers over $1.1 million for deceptive marketing claims. The agreement was finalized in January 2025.

Expanding into gaming furniture in 2021, Razer introduced the Iskur gaming chair followed by the Enki chair—both designed to provide ergonomic support for prolonged use.

In 2024, Razer launched a new Blade gaming laptop equipped with Thunderbolt 5 technology—the first gaming laptop to incorporate this advanced interface—strengthening its position in high-performance hardware offerings.

Razer Synapse

Razer laptops come with Razer Synapse pre-installed, and it can also be downloaded directly from Razer’s official site. This application allows users to personalize various features of Razer devices, such as RGB lighting, polling rate adjustments, DPI settings, key configuration profiles, and tracking distance, thereby improving both user experience and device performance.

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