Royole

Royole was founded by Stanford engineering graduates, including current Founder Bill Liu, in 2012.{{cite web| url=http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/07/WS5b18d6d0a31001b82571eb4b.html|title=Royole builds state-of-the-art facility|author=Chai Hua|publisher=China Daily|date=June 7, 2018}}

The company, backed by investors including IDG Capital, AMTD Group and Knight Capital, produces fully flexible displays in volume from its 4.5-million-square-feet quasi-G6 mass production campus in Shenzhen, China.{{cite web| url=https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2113079/ultra-thin-flexible-display-maker-royole-raises-another-us800m|title=Ultra-thin flexible display maker Royole raises another US$800m|author=Laura He|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=September 27, 2017}}

Royole has offices in Fremont, California, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.{{cite web| url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/worlds-first-foldable-phone-royoles-7-8in-flexpai-tablet-folds-into-dual-screen-phone/|title=World's first foldable phone? Royole's 7.8 in FlexPai tablet folds into dual-screen phone|author=Liam Tung|publisher=ZDNet|date=September 27, 2017}}

Towards the end of 2020, Royole filed to go public on Shanghai's STAR Market,{{cite web| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-27/china-display-maker-ditches-u-s-to-seek-1-8-billion-local-ipo|title=China display maker Royole Corp ditches US to seek $1.8 billion local IPO|publisher=Bloomberg|date=November 27, 2020}} but withdraw their application shortly after when shareholder structure issues emerged.{{cite web| url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-02-11/flexible-screen-maker-royole-withdraws-star-market-ipo-101663192.html|title=Flexible-Screen Maker Royole Withdraws STAR Market IPO|publisher=Caixin Global|date=February 21, 2021}}

Royole produced the world's thinnest full-color flexible displays and flexible sensors (2014), the world's first foldable 3D mobile theater (2015), the world's first curved car dashboard based on flexible electronics (2016), the first smart writing pad, RoWrite, based on flexible sensors (2017), the volume production of Royole's quasi-G6 mass production campus for fully flexible displays (2018), and the world's first commercial foldable smartphone, FlexPai™, with a fully flexible display (2018).{{cite web| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2019/07/29/review-the-worlds-first-foldable-phone-is-surprisingly-usable/#7f54623478a1|title=Review: The World's First Foldable Phone Is Surprisingly Usable|author=Ben Sin|work=Forbes|date=July 29, 2019}}{{cite web| url=https://innotechtoday.com/royole/|title=Flexible, Curved, Foldable: Royole CEO on Reinventing the Display|author=Patricia Miller |publisher=Innovation & Tech Today|date=February 25, 2019}}

In May 2019, Royole partnered with Louis Vuitton to launch the “Canvas of the Future” line of handbags that featured built-in flexible displays. The bags were unveiled at Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2020 runway show in New York City.{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/10/louis-vuitton-flexible-screens-prototype-handbags-lv-cruise-2020/|title=Louis Vuitton's flexible-screen handbags are the definition of extra|author=Edgar Alvarez|publisher=Engadget|date=May 10, 2019}}

In December 2018, Airbus China Innovation Centre (ACCIC) announced a partnership with Royole to explore applications of flexible displays and sensors in aircraft development with an aim to improve cabin safety and increase energy conservation.{{cite web| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-15/china-flexible-screen-pioneer-is-said-to-seek-1-billion-funding|title=China's Flexible Screen Pioneer Is Seeking $1 Billion in Funding|author=Lulu Yilun Chen|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=March 15, 2019}}

Royole has received international industry awards, including in the Red Dot Awards and International Design Awards, for its technological innovations and fast growth.{{cite web|url=https://www.red-dot.org/search?q&p=0&a=&c=&y=2019&sort=relevance%20desc&f=product-design&tab=1|title=Product Design Award|publisher=reddot|date=October 31, 2019}} Royole was named a 2018 VIP Award winner by TWICE Magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.twice.com/industry/2018-twice-vip-award-winners|title=2018 TWICE VIP Award Winners|date=2018-08-20|website=TWICE|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-18}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/18/08/r12263109/royole-rowrite-honored-with-2018-twice-vip-award|title=Royole RoWrite Honored with 2018 TWICE VIP Award|website=Benzinga|language=English|access-date=2020-03-18}}

In December 2021, 10 months after failing to go public on Shanghai's STAR Market, it was reported that Royole has delayed salary payments to employees for months after the money-losing company suffered from tight cashflow. Founder and CEO Liu Zihong held an all-hands meeting on Nov. 30 to update the company's financial situation. Liu said at the meeting that the company was in the process of obtaining financing, and expected to receive funds in December, according to some employees. All back salaries would be paid at the end of December or in January, but there was still uncertainty, Liu said.{{cite web| url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/Chinese-flexible-screen-maker-Royole-delays-employee-salaries|title=Chinese flexible-screen maker Royole delays employee salaries|author=He Shujing and Denise Jia|publisher=Nikkei Asia|date=December 9, 2021}}

{{reflist}} {{Electronics industry in China}}

{{Electronics industry in the United States}}

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Category:American companies established in 2012

Category:Flexible electronics

Category:Electronics companies established in 2012

Category:Companies based in Shenzhen

Category:Companies based in Fremont, California

Category:Chinese brands

Category:2012 in Shenzhen

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