Opera (company) facts for kids
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| Public company | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: OPRA |
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| Founded | 1995 in Oslo, Norway |
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| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
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Key people
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| Products | Opera Browser, Opera GX |
| Revenue |  US$481 million (2024) |
 US$81 million (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$1.06 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$940 million (2024) |
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Number of employees
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599 (2024) |
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Opera is a technology company from Norway. It has its main office in Oslo, Norway. Opera also has offices in other parts of Europe, China, and Africa.
Opera creates many different products and services. These include web browsers for computers and phones. They also have gaming tools, a news app called Opera News, and an advertising platform. Opera also works with Web3 and online shopping services.
The company has a large number of users. About 296 million people use Opera's products every month. Today, the Chinese company Kunlun Tech Co., Ltd. owns most of Opera. Opera became a public company on July 27, 2018. It is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.
Contents
Opera's Journey: A Look at Its History
How Opera Started
Opera was started in Norway in 1995. Two friends, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy, founded the company. They first began working on the Opera web browser while at a company called Telenor.
Opera's first web browser was released in 1996. It was called Opera version 2.10 and worked on Windows computers. In 1998, Opera started making browsers for mobile phones. Opera 4.0 came out in 2000. This version had a new core that made it easier to create Opera for different operating systems.
At first, you had to buy Opera after a trial period. But with version 5.0 in 2000, it became free. Instead, it showed advertisements to users who didn't buy a license. Later, with version 8.5 in 2005, all ads were removed. Opera then made money from agreements with companies like Google. Google became the default search engine in the browser.
Becoming a Public Company
In February 2004, Opera announced it would offer shares to the public. This happened on the Oslo Stock Exchange in March 2004.
In 2005, Opera made a big change. It started offering free licenses to universities. This meant schools like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University could use Opera for free.
In August 2005, Opera launched Opera Mini. This was a new web browser for mobile phones. It was designed to save data, which was very helpful for phone users. In 2007, Opera complained to the European Commission about Microsoft. Opera said that including Internet Explorer with Microsoft Windows was unfair. This led to a system called BrowserChoice.eu. This system allowed Windows users to choose their web browser.
In 2012, Opera partnered with Bharti Airtel. This helped bring Opera Mini to many mobile customers. In 2013, Opera decided to change how its desktop browser worked. From version 15, the Opera browser started using the Blink rendering engine. This engine was developed with Google.
In March 2015, Opera won an award for its Opera Web Pass. This was for being the best mobile product in new markets. In April 2015, Opera decided to focus its desktop browser development in Poland. Also in 2015, Opera changed its logo and brand name. The company name became simply "Opera" instead of "Opera Software."
New Ownership and Growth
In 2016, a group of Chinese investors bought Opera's web browser, consumer business, and brand. The rest of the company was renamed Otello Corporation. This sale was completed on October 31, 2016. The Chinese investors paid US$600 million for these parts of Opera.
In January 2017, Opera introduced Opera Neon. This was a new experimental browser. It explored different ways a browser could look and work. In January 2018, Opera launched Opera News. This was a news app for users in Africa. It quickly became very popular. In April 2018, the company released Opera Touch. This mobile browser was designed for easy one-handed use.
In July 2018, Opera became a public company on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It raised over $115 million. Today, Opera is part of Kunlun Tech Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Zhou Yahui.
Recent Developments and Acquisitions
In November 2019, Opera started Opera News Hub. This platform helps bloggers create and share content. In January 2020, Opera bought PocoSys. This was an Estonian company that made banking software.
In June 2020, Opera worked with APO Group. They provided accurate information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. This information was available through the Opera Mini browser and Opera News app.
In January 2021, Opera bought YoYo Games. This company makes GameMaker, a tool for creating 2D games. Opera also launched its Opera Gaming division. This division helps promote game development within the Opera GX browser.
In February 2021, Opera launched Dify. This is an in-browser payment app. It offers cashback services and a digital wallet. It was first tested in Spain.
Opera's Products and Services
What Opera Offers Today
Opera has several popular products that many people use:
- Opera desktop browser: This browser works on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers.
- Opera Air: This is a beta version of a new browser for Windows and Mac OS.
- Opera Mobile browser: This browser is for Android and iOS phones.
- Opera GX: This is Opera's special browser for gamers. It was released in June 2019. Users can control how much computer power it uses. In 2024, it had 34 million users every month.
- Opera Mini: This browser was first released in 2005. It helps save mobile data. The latest version, released in May 2020, has a new look and a file-sharing service.
- Opera News: This is a news app that uses smart technology to show you news you might like. It was released in 2018. In 2024, Opera News had over 368 million users each month.
- Opera Ads: This is an advertising platform. It works across all of Opera's products. It was released in May 2019.
- GameMaker: This is a platform for making 2D video games.
Other Investments
- OPay: This is a mobile payment company. Opera helped start it. OPay focuses on growing markets like Nigeria and Egypt. As of December 31, 2024, Opera owned 9.4% of OPay.
Products That Are No Longer Available
Opera has also stopped offering some products over time:
- Opera Max: This app helped save mobile data. It was sold to Samsung in February 2018. It is now called Samsung Max.
- Opera Touch for iOS: In March 2021, the iOS version of Opera Touch was renamed simply Opera. It also got a new design.
- Opera Coast: This browser was removed from the Apple App Store in August 2017.
- Microlending business: Opera sold its small loan businesses, including OKash and Opesa, in March 2022.
