Smartisan Valuation, Funding & Investors
Smartisan is valued at $161M as of April 2014.
Last Smartisan valuation
$161M
Series B · Apr 2014
Last Smartisan funding round
$150M
Series D · Aug 2017
Cumulative funding Smartisan raised
$234M
across 4 funding rounds
Key investors in Smartisan
PurpleSky Capital
Hejun Capital
Suning.com
About Smartisan
Smartisan is a Beijing-headquartered designer of Android smartphones emphasizing custom UI and hardware innovations like the Nut Pro series with 18:9 displays. Founded in 2012 by Luo Yonghao, its Digital subsidiary sells devices through JD.com and Tmall, incorporating features such as hydrogen-cooled processors and metal unibody frames. The lineup targets premium mid-range markets in China with sales exceeding 2 million units annually.
Founded
2012
HQ
BeijingWebsite
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Product sales
Valuation
$161M (Apr 2014)
Sectors
Smartisan Valuation
Smartisan is currently valued at $161M, based on its Series B in April 2014.
The $29M round included Hejun Capital and PurpleSky Capital.
Smartisan's valuation has grown 1.0x from $160M at its Series A in December 2013 to $161M in April 2014, across 2 priced rounds.
Smartisan valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2014 | Series B | $161M |
| Dec 2013 | Series A | $160M |
Smartisan Funding History
Smartisan has raised a total of $234M across 4 funding rounds.
Smartisan's first fundraising round was a $12M Series A in December 2013. The most recent completed round was a $150M Series D in August 2017.
Smartisan funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2017 | Series D | - | $150M | - | Smartisan, a Chinese smartphone maker founded in 2012 by Luo Yonghao, raised approximately RMB 1 billion ($150 million) in an equity funding round announced around August 8, 2017, at the Geek Park Rebuild 2017 conference. The funding came from undisclosed investors, following a period of severe financial distress in 2016 when the company nearly collapsed and faced acquisition talks with Xiaomi. Previous backers included PurpleSky, Buttonwood Capital, and Momo founder Tang Yan. The capital infusion aimed to revive Smartisan's operations, enabling the launch of five to six smartphone models annually across low- to high-end market segments. Recent products like the Smartisan M1 and Nuts Pro had garnered positive reviews and market response, helping shift momentum after early setbacks from delayed shipments and premium pricing in a competitive landscape dominated by faster rivals like Xiaomi. Founder Luo projected 1.9 billion yuan in cash flow by fall 2017, though this was not specified as revenue. Smartisan targeted tech-savvy users with a focus on superior user experience and artisanal quality, but struggled in China's cutthroat smartphone market. The company was also expanding into smart speakers and voice-recognition development in Chengdu. Despite the funding boost, analysts noted challenges in scaling beyond a niche audience. Smartisan continued operations post-2017 but was later acquired in April 2019 after raising a total of about $228 million across five rounds. |
| Nov 2016 | Series C | Suning.com (lead); PurpleSky Capital | $44M | - | Smartisan is referenced in China Internet Reports from 2018 and 2020 as a company in internet-related sectors, listed with rankings like 235 and 234, and investors including PurpleSky Capital, Hejun Capital, Tang Yan, CDF Capital, Sailing Capital, Lucion Venture Capital, Matrix Partners China, Baidu, Bojiang Capital, and XGIMI. No details confirm the specific VC round on or around November 21, 2016, involving PurpleSky Capital and lead investor Suning.com, including round size, valuation, or use of funds. The reports focus on broader internet company rankings, IPOs, and market caps but omit financial metrics for Smartisan's private funding events. |
| Apr 2014 | Series B | Hejun Capital; PurpleSky Capital | $29M | $161M | Smartisan, a Chinese smartphone venture founded by Luo Yonghao, received investment from PurpleSky Capital and Hejun Capital around 2014, as noted in investor lists within the China Internet Report 2020. Smartisan later faced challenges, with Luo Yonghao declaring bankruptcy due to the company's failure in the smartphone market by 2019. |
| Dec 2013 | Series A | PurpleSky Capital (lead) | $12M | $160M | - |
Who has invested in Smartisan?
3 investors have backed Smartisan across its funding rounds, including PurpleSky Capital, Hejun Capital and Suning.com.
Lead investors include Suning.com and PurpleSky Capital.
Smartisan Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 3 | Lead | Dec 2013 | |
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 3 Smartisan investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialInvestments by Smartisan
Smartisan has invested in 2 companies to date.
Latest investment by Smartisan was on June 1st 2018. Smartisan invested in SG.WORK in their $3M Angel round.
Latest Investments by Smartisan
| Description | SG.WORK is a cloud-based office services provider. | Source Technology is a developer of VR and AR applications alongside HMD software for consumer and enterprise use. The company creates immersive training simulations and interactive experiences accessible via web, mobile, and standalone headsets. Source Technology supports customer support through multichannel channels for deployments in education and remote collaboration. |
| HQ Country | | |
| HQ City | Beijing | Beijing |
| Deal Date | 1 Jun 2018 | 1 Aug 2016 |
| Round | Angel | Angel |
| Raised | $3M | $500K |
| Investors | Cheetah Mobile | Alpha Startups |
| Valuation | undisclosed | undisclosed |
| EV/Revenue | ||
| EV/EBITDA | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Smartisan investments and their VC round multiples. Start Free Trial | ||
Smartisan Competitors
Smartisan competitors include listed companies like Kjell Group, Vestel and İndeks Bilgisayar, and private ones like Candela Speed Boat, Brompton Bicycle and FIIL.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Stockholm | Private | - | - | $161M | - | |
 London | Private | - | - | $162M | - | |
| Sweden | Publicly listed | $243M | $8M | $156M | 0.8x | |
 Turkey | Publicly listed | $2.8B | ($174M) | $166M | - | |
| Turkey | Publicly listed | $1.9B | $50M | $167M | - | |
| China | Private | - | - | $152M | - |
Smartisan Public Comps
Smartisan is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Kjell Group, Vestel, İndeks Bilgisayar, Action S.A., Mitac Digital Technology, B&C Speakers, Empa Electronics, Spigen, Everybot and Xplora.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $243M | $8M | 0.9x | 0.8x | 25.4x | 8.6x | |||
| $2.8B | ($174M) | 0.9x | - | (14.6x) | - | |||
| $1.9B | $50M | 0.1x | - | 3.3x | - | |||
| $792M | $18M | 0.2x | 0.2x | 7.5x | 8.3x | |||
| $261M | $14M | 0.2x | 0.2x | 4.4x | - | |||
| $114M | $21M | 1.3x | 1.4x | 7.0x | 7.1x | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| $338M | $27M | - | - | - | - | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Smartisan competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Smartisan
| When was Smartisan founded? | Smartisan was founded in 2012. |
| Where is Smartisan headquartered? | Smartisan is headquartered in Beijing, China. |
| Is Smartisan publicly listed? | No, Smartisan is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is Smartisan's valuation? | Smartisan was last valued at $161M in its Series B in April 2014. |
| How much funding has Smartisan raised? | Smartisan has raised $234M across 4 funding rounds. |
| What was Smartisan's last funding round? | Smartisan's last funding round was a $150M Series D in August 2017. |
| Who are Smartisan's investors? | Smartisan's investors include PurpleSky Capital, Hejun Capital and Suning.com. |
| Which companies are comparable to Smartisan? | Companies comparable to Smartisan include Candela Speed Boat, Brompton Bicycle, Kjell Group, Vestel, İndeks Bilgisayar and FIIL. |
| How many companies has Smartisan invested in? | Smartisan has invested in 2 companies, including SG.WORK and Source Technology. |
| What was Smartisan's last investment? | In June 2018, Smartisan invested in SG.WORK's $3M angel round alongside Cheetah Mobile. |
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