Four sources with knowledge of the situation told Reuters that Unity Software Inc. (U.N), a U.S. producer known best for software used to make video games, is in discussions to spinoff off its China division to assist it to expand in the largest games market in the world.
Two of the persons, who declined to be named because they were not allowed to testify on the subject, claimed that San Francisco-based Unity has been looking for strategic financiers to join it in a company estimated at over $1 billion during conversations.
Unity opted not to respond. Tuesday’s news caused its share price to increase by more than 5%.
The discussions take place at a time when tense Sino-U.S. relations are exacerbating sensitive issues including the transfer of technology and data processing across borders, leading tech companies to reevaluate their Chinese operations. Additionally, there is significant interest in integrating game development tools with cutting-edge platforms like the so-called metaverse, a fully immersive three-dimensional internet.
A game engine by the name of Unity, which entered China in 2012, powers many of the most well-known video games there, including Genshin Impact by miHoYo and Honor of Kings from market leader Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK).
Rivals include Epic Games, a U.S. company financed by Tencent and creator of the increasingly well-liked Unreal Engine 5.
According to two of the sources, Unity’s spin-off proposal is motivated by an ambition to see its software utilised more widely in China in fields like smart city modelling and product engineering, as well as in the metaverse. Potential funders Unity has spoken to reportedly placed significant wagers on the metaverse.
Unity believes that a spin-off would help this expansion because it would give the organisation more local ownership and individuality over how it performs in the country, which could also boost its appeal to local state-owned and government-owned partners in light of China’s tightening data handling regulations, according to the people.
As investment engagement has slowed as a result of subpar economic development, COVID-19 outbreaks, and regulatory tightening, the spin-off would be among China’s larger technological deals this year.
According to two of the persons, Zhang Junbo, the Unity China Chief Executive has been focusing on the proposal for at least a year. They said that the share price of Unity, which has dropped 80% from its November 2021 peak amidst a decline in U.S. tech markets, and a product that has fallen short of expectations have both hindered progress.
Without addressing a spin-off, Zhang told a local tech media source, 36Kr, last month that Unity was looking into ways to make its technology secure and controllable within China, a nod to the government’s requirement that significant technologies be handled domestically.
Additionally, he stated that Unity, in complement to its main office in Shanghai, would likely grow its engineering team in the upcoming years, opening other locations in Beijing and Guangzhou.
As per the statement by two of the individuals, contracts with the new business have been requested from Unity’s Shanghai-based staff, and discussions over an operational budget distinct from that of its parent company are still ongoing.
Ball Metaverse Research Partners’ Director of Research, Matthew Kanterman, stated that a local joint venture (JV) could help Unity gain a foothold with sensitive industries like governments and manufacturing that are looking to modernise their operational processes with computerised twins and real-time 3D-enabled technologies.
While creating a China JV is risky, as demonstrated by the conflict between the British chip producer Arm and its subsidiary in China, Kanterman noted that several Western tech companies, like Nokia Oyj (NOKIA.HE) and HP Inc (HPQ.N) have found success with such JVs.
Where others fail, Unity may be able to flourish with the appropriate local partners, as forecasted by Kanterman.
