It is estimated the initial market value of Line would be in the range of 1 trillion yen (US$10.3 billion). The fund secured from the public listing would be invested in expanding overseas business.
Up until recently, Line was rumored to be listed in the U.S. Nasdaq market. As the Japanese financial market started to recover of late, analysts believed, the company shifted its plan and opted to list the shares in Japan.
Line was first launched in Japan in June 2011. It was soon followed at the end of August 2011 by an introduction in the Korean market. As of the end of Sepember this year, the cumulative subscriber numbers is 270 million across the world. For one year between August 2012 and July 2013, the number of messages, stickers, and voice calls made on the messenger rose 440, 488, and 912 percent, respectively.
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