LINE’s Realignment

Line Presents Itself at Hello, Friends in Tokyo 2013 Conference.
Line Presents Itself at Hello, Friends in Tokyo 2013 Conference.

 

Line, which manages the global mobile messenger of the same name, is considering to be listed on the US and Japanese stock markets. 

I think an IPO is one of our options,” said Morikawa Akira, CEO of the company, on August 22 at a press conference in the main office building located in Tokyo, continuing, “We may need an IPO if we are to do aggressive business in North America.” Naver’s chief financial officer (CFO) Hwang In-joon added, “Detailed discussions can be made about listing as the size of the profits can be expanded at a fast pace once the number of subscribers exceeds 300 million.”

The messenger service provider is aiming to increase the number of subscribers to over 300 million before the end of this year. In this context, it is planning for more aggressive marketing activities in the global markets including the US, Europe, and India for the rest of this year. In particular, it is searching for the optimal business models that can maximize its profits in each region by means of thorough localization.

“Line is a global platform, but the content is provided on a localization basis, as is the case with the development and diversification of business models,” executive officer Masuda Jun explained. 

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