Taiwanese consumer tech company HTC is working with an adviser to determine the future of the company, according to anonymous sources who spoke with Bloomberg.
The company is allegedly considering bringing in a strategic investor, selling off or launching a separate company dedicated to its Vive virtual headset, as well as simply selling off HTC as a whole.
Bloomberg‘s sources said that a full sale of HTC is less likely, “because it doesn’t fit obviously with one acquirer.”
The sources also said that no final decisions have been made and that it’s also possible that HTC won’t make any strategic changes at all.
This is not the first time such rumours have emerged, however. In May 2016, HTC CEO Cher Wang set up a separate business entity to develop “new and innovative technology,” stoking suspicion that the company was planning to spin-off its VR division.
At one point in the company’s history, HTC was ranked among the most valuable and innovative device manufacturers in the world. However, lacklustre sales and an inability to distinguish itself from its competitors caused the company to enter its current slump.
HTC’s Vive headset was made in collaboration with U.S. gaming titan Valve.
The Vive device was warmly received, but reviewers — including MobileSyrup’s Patrick O’Rourke — said that the device failed to meet the lofty expectations of full-fledged, consumer-grade virtual reality.
Source: Bloomberg
