Royole
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Flexible display technology, Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Bill Liu |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen , China |
Area served | Worldwide (offices in Fremont, Hong Kong, Shenzhen) |
| Products | Flexible displays, foldable smartphones, smart gadgets, flexible sensors |
Royole Corporation specialized in manufacturing flexible display technologies and sensors integrated into human-machine interface devices, such as foldable smartphones and various smart gadgets.
History
Established in 2012 by engineering alumni from Stanford University, including its current Founder Bill Liu, Royole has secured investment from firms like IDG Capital, AMTD Group, and Knight Capital. The company manages a nearly 4.5-million-square-foot quasi-G6 production facility located in Shenzhen, China, dedicated to large-scale fabrication of fully flexible display panels.
Royole maintains operational offices in Fremont (California), Hong Kong, and Shenzhen.
Toward the end of 2020, the company submitted an application for an initial public offering on Shanghai’s STAR Market with a target of raising $1.8 billion; however, it retracted the filing shortly thereafter due to complications related to its shareholder composition.
Milestones
In 2014, Royole created the world’s slimmest full-color flexible displays and sensor technologies. The following year, it introduced the first foldable 3D mobile theater, and in 2016 developed the inaugural curved automotive dashboard utilizing flexible electronics. The 2017 launch of RoWrite marked their entry into smart writing pads powered by flexible sensor technology. By 2018, volume manufacturing commenced at their quasi-G6 campus for fully bendable displays, coinciding with the release of the FlexPai™, recognized as the world’s first commercially available foldable smartphone.
In May 2019, Royole collaborated with Louis Vuitton to debut “Canvas of the Future” handbags embedded with flexible display screens, showcased during Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2020 collection event in New York City.
December 2018 saw a partnership between Airbus China Innovation Centre (ACCIC) and Royole to investigate applications of flexible displays and sensors aimed at advancing aircraft development with goals including improved cabin safety and energy efficiency.
Awards
Royole has received global acclaim through accolades such as the Red Dot Award and International Design Awards for its innovative products and swift expansion. Additionally, it earned recognition as a 2018 VIP Award recipient from TWICE Magazine.
Controversies
Following an unsuccessful IPO attempt on Shanghai’s STAR Market in late 2021, Royole reportedly experienced delays in employee salary disbursements linked to liquidity challenges. On November 30, CEO Liu Zihong convened a company-wide meeting indicating that financing efforts were underway with expected completion by December; he assured that outstanding wages would be compensated by year-end or January despite ongoing uncertainties.