After months of uncertainty, StreamElements has found a path forward under the Razer umbrella.
Razer, the gaming lifestyle and hardware brand, announced its acquisition of StreamElements today, July 31, with Razer purchasing the assets of the livestreaming services platform from its previous owner Live Momentum Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. A press release published by Razer framed the move as “part of Razer’s long-term commitment to building a more robust ecosystem for content creators that spans hardware, software, and partnership opportunities.” Under the terms of the agreement, Razer has acquired StreamElements’ intellectual property rights, platform data, and business records, per the press release.
“I’ve been a Razer fan for as long as I can remember. They actually sponsored my first esports team, so this story comes full circle in a way that still doesn’t feel real to me,” said StreamElements Inc. co-founder and chief executive officer Or Perry in the press release. “StreamElements could not be in better hands. Razer understands that creators have been embedded in this community for years, and they share the same obsession for getting it right.”
Razer’s acquisition of StreamElements resulted from months of discussions between the owners of StreamElements and potential acquisition partners. On May 14, a StreamElements employee informed some of the company’s creator clients that it was preparing to “close its doors,” sparking a flurry of discussion within the online creator community. GamesBeat has knowledge of at least two potential acquisition partners that were in talks with StreamElements prior to the announcement of Razer’s acquisition of the company’s assets.
StreamElements has been ubiquitous in the livestreaming space for nearly a decade, with millions of content creators using the company’s free tools and services, which ranged from custom overlays to sponsorship management tools, on a daily basis. However, the company struggled to successfully monetize its products as it scaled, launching a “Keep It Live” crowdfunding campaign in January in a transparent bid to keep the lights on.
In its press release, Razer stressed that nothing would change for StreamElements users, with service continuing without disruptions and the same internal team operating the levers on the back end. Part of the acquisition fee paid to Live Momentum Ltd. has been earmarked for outstanding payments owed to creators, which are already underway, according to the release.
Razer does not plan to absorb StreamElements into its homegrown software, and the platform will continue to operate independently, according to an FAQ page published by Razer to explain the acquisition. Creators using StreamElements’ tools will have to agree to an updated privacy policy reflecting the platform’s new ownership structure by August 1. StreamElements plans sunset SEPay, its built-in tipping service, and creators will be able to withdraw their existing balance from the platform until December 31, with payment processing moving to PayPal in 2027.
In the FAQ, Razer assured creators that StreamElements would not limit its services to creators using Razer products in the future. However, StreamElements will begin offering optional Razer-specific opportunities for creators, including hardware discounts and bounty campaigns for Razer products.
“This is a natural step forward for us. Content creators and live streamers are an integral part of the Razer community, and they have been for a very long time,” said Razer co-founder and chief executive officer Min-Liang Tan in the press release. “StreamElements has built something millions of creators depend on every single day. Bringing them into the Razer family lets us double down on what we already do for creators.”