Raspberry Pi, the widely recognized company behind the credit-card sized, low-cost computers, has taken a significant step by entering the public market. On Tuesday, the company priced its initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange at £2.80 per share, valuing Raspberry Pi at a total of £542 million (approximately $690 million based on current exchange rates). This IPO marks a milestone for both Raspberry Pi and the London Stock Exchange, which has seen a trend of UK tech companies choosing US markets for their public debuts.
Teeny-tiny Raspberry Pi makes a giant Stock Market debut on London Exchange
The move comes amidst continued success for Raspberry Pi. Their single-board computers, powered by ARM processors,have become a favorite among tech enthusiasts for their affordability and versatility. Hobbyists leverage these tiny computers for a wide range of projects, including building media servers, retro gaming consoles, and even robots.Interestingly, Raspberry Pi has also seen significant adoption within the industrial sector, with reports indicating that 72% of their sales stem from industrial and embedded applications.
The latest iteration, the Raspberry Pi 5, boasts a significant performance upgrade with its quad-core 2.4GHz system-on-chip, making it three times faster than its predecessors. While news coverage often highlights the more fantastical projects built with Raspberry Pi, such as smart mirrors and self-piloted drones, there are numerous practical applications for these tiny computers as well.
Whacky stuff you could do with Pi(e)
For instance, a Raspberry Pi can be used to stream media content or extend the range of your Wi-Fi network. It can also breathe new life into an older television by transforming it into a smart TV with internet connectivity. Gamers can leverage Pi’s capabilities as well. While the legal status of game emulators remains a debated topic, there’s no denying the popularity of using Raspberry Pi as a retro gaming console. With a collection of legal game ROMs, users can revisit classic titles from various consoles, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane for players from the PlayStation 1 era and earlier.
Beyond gaming, the tiny gadget also caters to entertainment enthusiasts as well. Several operating systems can be installed on a Raspberry Pi, transforming it into a high-fidelity music player when connected to a speaker system. This offers a more powerful and versatile alternative to popular streaming devices like Chromecast Audio. These music-oriented operating systems cater to a variety of needs, allowing users to choose the option that best suits their setup. Online tutorials abound,guiding users through the process of setting up music players like Volumio or Rune Audio on their Raspberry Pi, both of which offer mobile applications for remote control.
