Nothing looks to its community to raise $5M, wants to be ‘IPO-ready’ in 3 years

Hardware maker Nothing is letting its user base buy its stock as part of a new community investment round of $5 million. The new round, which opens on December 10, will enable consumers to buy the company’s shares at its Series C valuation of $1.3 billion.

The company said it has so far raised $8 million in total from over 8,000 people across two previous community investment rounds. It held its first community funding event in 2021, aiming to raise $1.5 million.

“This isn’t about raising capital, it’s about giving our community/fans a chance to invest while we’re private and join us on the journey,” a spokesperson for Nothing told TechCrunch.

Community investors have a rotating seat on the company’s board, but it is unclear what else they get for investing in the company through such rounds.

Nothing raised $200 million in its Series C back in September from investors including Tiger Global, GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF and Tapestry. The company has raised $450 million to date.

The community round comes as Nothing makes changes to its corporate structure as it tries to increase its share of a smartphone market dominated by giants like Samsung and Apple. The company is spinning off its budget CMF brand, and plans to explore AI-centric devices while it keeps building smartphones and audio products. And Nothing claims it crossed $1 billion in cumulative revenue this year, up 150% from 2024.

The startup is working to be “IPO-ready” in three years, CEO Carl Pei told TechCrunch in an email. “The timing will depend on market conditions and what makes sense for the business at that point in time,” he said.

“What’s important is that we’re already operating with that discipline now. We’re building the systems, the governance, the financial discipline that a public company needs. It forces us to think longer-term and make smarter decisions that prioritise sustainable growth,” Pei added.

It’s not clear if Nothing aims to raise another round before an IPO. When asked about its fundraising plans, a Nothing spokesperson said the company is not thinking about raising capital immediately, but it wouldn’t be averse to those conversations.

Those interested in investing in the community round can use platforms like Wefunder and Crowdcube to participate.