Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and other guests-of-honor witnessed groundbreaking of new landmark building in one-north
SINGAPORE – Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today celebrated the launch of its upcoming Southeast Asia headquarters in Singapore with a groundbreaking ceremony graced by Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat, Chairman of Singapore Economic Development Board Dr. Beh Swan Gin, and CEO of JTC Corporation Ng Lang.
The groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of the construction of a new landmark building containing approximately 19,300 square metres of office space, R&D labs, and design studios spread across seven storeys.
The new SEA headquarters, which is also one of two global headquarters of the company, is expected to be ready for move-in by mid-2020 and will house more than 1,000 employees. It is strategically located in one-north, a 200-hectare business park that is home to a vibrant ecosystem of global multi-nationals, local enterprises, startups and research institutes in knowledge-intensive industries such as info-communications technology, media, and biomedical sciences.
“We’ve come a long way since Razer single-handedly kicked start the gaming and esports industry close to 15 years ago,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “The phenomenal growth of gaming and esports across the world has propelled us to become one of the first billion-dollar lifestyle brands for gamers, and we can’t wait to move into our new home to better serve the 2.3 billion gamers across the world.”
“Against the backdrop of rapid technological advancements and growing customer sophistication, we have no doubt that Razer’s new Southeast Asia Headquarters in Singapore will enable them to continue trailblazing within the gaming industry. At their new home, they will develop and scale new products, services, business models and partnerships, as well as invest in new technologies such as AI, Data Analytics, IoT and Cloud. These are important drivers for business innovation and will create new-tech jobs and skills for Singaporeans to succeed in the digital economy,” says Kiren Kumar, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
Signature design elements and industry-leading features
Sporting an unmistakable Razer aesthetic, the new headquarters features the company’s signature design elements as well as cutting-edge tech that adds a touch of environmental friendliness.
Designed to be one of the most distinctive architectural icons in one-north, the building will come alive with millions of colors streaking across the hallmark Razer black and green façade, projected to be powered by Razer’s Chroma lighting technology that is used by gamers worldwide.
In addition, the building will feature several smart solutions to boost its environmental friendliness, reduce its carbon footprint, and enhance overall everyday working experience for Razer staff.
Lush greenery on the ground and mid-level sky terraces are integrated with communal spaces and public pedestrian thoroughfares to facilitate social interactions. Public events will also be held at these communal areas to promote a vibrant knowledge-sharing environment, such as product showcases, industry exhibitions, expert-led forum discussions, and more.
In support of Singapore’s car-lite vision, the headquarters will include facilities encouraging employees to engage in alternative modes of commuting, such as cycling. Bicycle parking will be abundant, as well as locker room and shower facilities to ensure staff can face the day fresh.
Razer will also explore the use of alternative sources of clean energy such as solar power and batteries to power certain features of the building.
Developing future leaders of gaming and esports
To support the exponential growth of the company, the gaming industry, and the esports community, Razer plans to increase its investment in the continued development of its talents in Singapore, both in quantity and quality.
Currently, the company employs around 400 staff in its Singapore office, spanning roles from product development, sales and marketing, legal, finance, and more.
By the end of 2020, Razer expects to boost this number by 2.5 times to 1,000. This includes adding headcount to support the expansion of existing business units, as well as in emerging new business areas to cement its leadership as the world’s largest integrated ecosystem for gamers.
Razer will also increase its investment in internal skills training and upgrading for its employees, which will be conducted in-house in the new HQ and across all offices globally. This will deepen their proficiency not only in their areas of expertise but also broaden their skillsets in other areas to better support cross-functional development.
Disrupting traditional real estate development
Today’s groundbreaking ceremony also marked the announcement of Echo Base, a nextgeneration digital real estate start-up aimed at disrupting traditional real estate development by incorporating a seamless digital layer – including Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and other next-generation technologies into real estate development projects.
Operating in stealth mode over the past few months, Echo Base will focus on the development, investment and management of smart buildings and integrated developments in Asia Pacific and selected global gateway cities.
Echo Base’s maiden project is the new Razer SEA headquarters and has already secured its first smart city project in the region to be developed over the next few years. More details about this smart city project will be revealed in the coming months.
Echo Base is backed by SGX Mainboard-listed Boustead Projects Limited and Moor House Capital Pte Ltd, an investment holding company majority-controlled by Min-Liang Tan, co-founder and CEO of Razer.
ABOUT RAZER
Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers.
The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.
Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals, Blade gaming laptops and the acclaimed Razer Phone.
Razer’s software platform, with over 50 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher).
In services, Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest virtual credit services for gamers, and Razer Pay is the e-wallet designed for youth and millennials.
Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, Razer has 15 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337).
