Consumer tech brand Nothing has announced two major moves: appointing former Loewe chief marketing and communications officer Charlie Smith as its chief brand officer, and launching a new USD 5 million community investment round.
The initiatives address two longstanding challenges for the company: capital and brand. Industry observers view them as important steps toward strengthening Nothing’s financial foundation and brand strategy as it prepares for a potential IPO within the next three years.
Smith will join Nothing’s executive team in January 2026, reporting directly to Carl Pei, the company’s founder and CEO. In his new role, he will oversee global brand strategy, including brand identity, marketing, external communications, and retail space design.
Smith joined Loewe in 2018. During his tenure, the brand appeared multiple times on the Lyst Index, which tracks what it considers fashion’s “hottest brands and products.” He also led high-profile collaborations with Studio Ghibli, On, and Japanese ceramics studio Suna Fujita.
Alongside the appointment, Nothing is opening a new round of community funding at the same valuation as its Series C round: USD 1.3 billion. Early bird access opens December 10 on Wefunder and Crowdcube, followed by a public opening on December 11. The company emphasized that although its business has grown since the Series C raise, the new round maintains the same share price.
“This could be one of the last chances for the public to participate before an IPO,” Nothing said in a statement.
In September, the company closed its USD 200 million Series C round. To date, Nothing has raised more than USD 450 million from investors including Tiger Global Management, Google Ventures, Highland Europe, EQT, and Qualcomm Ventures. It also has nearly 8,000 community investors, who have contributed about USD 8 million across previous rounds and participate in governance through a rotating community board seat program.
Nothing aims to be IPO-ready within three years, according to Pei, though the exact timing will depend on market conditions and what is most appropriate for the business.
Founded in 2020, Nothing focuses on consumer electronic hardware and ecosystem development. Its product line includes smartphones and true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. In July, the company launched its third flagship smartphone, the Phone (3), and entered the over-ear audio category with the Headphone (1). Pei recently revealed that Nothing plans to introduce its first artificial intelligence-native devices next year.
According to 36Kr, the company has shipped several million devices to date, generated more than USD 1 billion in cumulative revenue, and achieved roughly 150% year-on-year growth in 2024.
As the global smartphone market stagnates, Nothing is attempting to differentiate itself through bold design, deep community co-creation, and a distinct brand identity. With AI reshaping the smartphone landscape, the company’s ability to sustain growth through its community, design ethos, and AI strategy will be central to realizing its IPO ambitions. Smith’s appointment underscores Nothing’s intention to move beyond a utilitarian tech image and evolve into a culturally influential consumer brand.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Ou Xue for 36Kr.