Born From Tsunami and Scandal, Line Heads for Biggest Tech IPO
- Japanese company seeks to add users across globe after IPO
- Livedoor DNA helped Line to adapt to new business models
People wait at the Tokyo station following an earthquake on March 12, 2011.
Photographer: Haruyoshi Yamaguchi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Line Corp., the Japanese messaging service that’s planning this year’s biggest tech IPO, was born in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami that shook Japan in March 2011.
After the tremors subsided, Tokyo’s streets were filled with millions trying to get home after transportation services were shut down. Calls and text messages weren’t going through, as telecommunication networks buckled under peak loads.