Secretlab

Secretlab was founded as a startup company in December 2014{{cite news|url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/business/secretlab-co-founders-ian-ang-and-alaric-choo-interview|title=Secretlab Co-Founders Ian Ang and Alaric Choo on the Meteoric Rise of Their Gaming Chair Company|date=1 January 2021|first=Karen|last=Tee|newspaper=Tatler Singapore}} by former professional esports players Ian Alexander Ang and Alaric Choo,{{cite news|url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/garage/news/game-on-secretlab-goes-from-startup-to-global-brand-in-5-years|title=Game on: Secretlab goes from startup to global brand in 5 years|first=U-wen|last=Lee|newspaper=The Business Times|date=27 April 2020}} both of whom specialised in StarCraft II.{{cite news|url=https://esportsobserver.com/secretlab-ceo-ian-ang/|title=Secretlab CEO Ian Alexander Ang on His Youthful Education in Gaming and Esports|date=21 June 2019|newspaper=Esports Observer|first=Andrew|last=Hayward}} Its starting capital, which came from the two founders' savings, was S$50,000,{{cite news|newspaper=Channel News Asia|url=https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/people/secretlab-co-founder-ian-ang-13382344|title='I was definitely not a good student': Secretlab co-founder Ian Ang|first=Cara|last=Yap|date=28 October 2020}} and went mostly into research and development.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.tv/my/features/game-thrones-how-two-singaporeans-plan-conquer-world-just-chairs|title=Game of Thrones: how two men plan to conquer the world with just chairs|date=18 November 2015|first=Rahil|last=Bhagat|newspaper=Stuff}} The company's first product was a gaming chair, the Secretlab Throne V1, that was launched in March 2015.{{cite news|url=https://vulcanpost.com/706006/secretlab-founders-300m-gaming-chair-company/|title=These S'poreans Started Secretlab In Their 20s, Now It's A $300M Global Gaming Chair Company|first=Zafirah|last=Salim|newspaper=Vulcan Post|date=23 July 2020}} Two more chairs, the Throne V2 and the Omega, were released in October 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/hard-work-building-throne-for-game|title=Hard work building Throne for game|date=28 October 2015|first=Lisabel|last=Ting|newspaper=The Straits Times}} In 2020, the company sold its millionth chair.{{cite news|url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sme/secretlab-gaming-chairs-draw-new-following|title=Secretlab: Gaming chairs draw new following|date=11 February 2021|first=Leila|last=Lai|newspaper=The Business Times}}

In 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for the company's chairs rose greatly, partly because of office workers who had to work from home.{{cite news|url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/covid-19-pandemic-boon-gaming-chair-maker-secretlab-demand-home-office-market-rises|title=Covid-19 pandemic a boon for gaming chair maker Secretlab, as demand from home office market grows|date=2 August 2020|first=Youjin|last=Low|newspaper=Today}} In April 2021,{{cite web|url=https://blog.secretlab.co/stories/secretlab-magnus-metal-desk/|title=Secretlab MAGNUS Metal Desk — The Everyday Modern Computer Desk|date=27 April 2021|publisher=Secretlab|accessdate=27 May 2022}} the company unveiled the Magnus, a magnetic metal desk.{{cite news|newspaper=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/secretlab-magnus-desk-rave/|title=This Magnetic Desk Is a Neat Freak's Dream|first=Julian|last=Chokkattu|date=19 September 2021}}

The company operates its corporate headquarters, a research and development facility, and an esports gaming arena along Braddell Road, Singapore. It also has a factory in China.{{cite news|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/secretlab-hiring-jobs-massive-growth-headquarters-gaming-chair-2147501|title=Secretlab to hire more than 100 employees in Singapore following 'massive growth'|first=See Kit|last=Tang|date=31 August 2021|newspaper=Channel News Asia}} The company has partnered multiple times with organisers of official esports tournaments, where the partnership involves Secretlab providing chairs for the players.{{cite news|first=Sue-Ann|last=Tan|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/business/invest/sitting-on-a-game-plan-to-secure-the-future|newspaper=The Straits Times|title=Me & My Money: Sitting on a game plan to secure the future|date=17 March 2020}} {{closed access}} In partnership with HBO, it introduced Game of Thrones-themed gaming chairs.{{cite news|newspaper=Channel News Asia|url=https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/game-of-thrones-gaming-chair-secretlab-hbo-11499974|title=Stark, Targaryen or Lannister? Game Of Thrones-themed gaming chairs launched|date=3 May 2019}}

In August 2019, Heliconia Capital Management, a subsidiary of the Singaporean wealth fund Temasek Holdings, bought a minority stake in the company, causing its market capitalisation to reach a reported S$200{{ndash}}300 million.{{cite news|first=Yun Ting|last=Choo|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/business/temaseks-heliconia-to-invest-millions-in-local-gaming-chair-company-secretlab|title=Temasek's Heliconia to invest millions in local gaming chair company Secretlab|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=13 August 2019}} Secretlab reported 2020 chair deliveries of "at least" 500,000. For the fiscal year 2020, the annual operating profit and revenue were an estimated S$70 million and S$350 million respectively. In March 2021, Tech in Asia estimated that the company was "within striking distance of surpassing US$1 billion in valuation", thereby making it a unicorn.

PC Gamer named Secretlab's Omega 2020 the best gaming chair of 2019, praising it for its adjustable armrest;{{cite web|work=PC Gamer|title=Hardware of the year awards 2019|date=16 December 2019|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware-of-the-year-awards-2019/}} the same product was named best gaming chair in 2020 by GamesRadar+.{{cite web|author=Brendan Griffiths, Rob Dwiar, Benjamin Abbott|date=8 October 2020|work=GamesRadar+|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-gamesradar-hardware-awards-2020-winners-have-just-been-announced/|title=The GamesRadar Hardware Awards 2020 winners have just been announced}} T3 called the Magnus the best gaming accessory of 2021,{{cite web|url=https://www.t3.com/news/t3-awards-2021-all-the-gaming-award-winners-announced|title=T3 Awards 2021: all the Gaming award winners announced|date=10 June 2021|first=Robert|last=Jones|publisher=T3|accessdate=27 May 2022}} while IGN listed the Titan Evo 2022 as the best gaming chair of 2022.{{cite web|accessdate=27 May 2022|publisher=IGN|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-gaming-chairs|title=Best Gaming Chairs 2022|first1=Kevin|last1=Lee|first2=Danielle|last2=Abraham|date=15 May 2022}} In 2020, there were complaints that the covering of certain chairs sometimes peeled away; Ang commented that this was due to unexpectedly high humidity and that it was being addressed.

A 2022 University of California, Berkeley study compared the Secretlab Titan Evo, whose seat pan was made with cold cure foam, with a mesh chair. Subjects were made to perform various tasks in both chairs as part of an 8-hour blind test that spanned two days. The results indicated that supportability, seat pressure distribution, and "subjective performance on computer-based tasks" were better with the Titan Evo. However, the study also found "minimal differences in comfort, discomfort and pain when sitting on a fully adjustable mesh chair versus a fully adjustable foam chair."{{cite journal|doi=10.1177/1071181322661483|title=Impact of Seat Material on Comfort, Preference and Performance During Computer-Based Tasks over a Prolonged Bout of Sitting|year=2022|volume=66|number=1|first1=Melissa|last1=Afterman|first2=Frederick|last2=Houghton|first3=Meg|last3=Honan|first4=Alan|last4=Barr|first5=Carisa|last5=Harris-Adamson|journal=Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting|pages=863–867}}

• {{Portal-inline|Singapore}}
• {{Portal-inline|Companies}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official|https://secretlab.sg/}}

Category:Singaporean companies established in 2014

Category:Furniture companies

Category:Companies of Singapore