Corsair is adding to its growing empire of PC gaming-focused companies with a deal to purchase assets from Drop, an enthusiast keyboard boutique known for keyboards, mechanical switches, other parts for building your own mechanical keyboard, as well as other peripherals.
Drop is joining Elgato, Scuf Gaming, and Origin under the Corsair umbrella. At least from outside, those brands have operated relatively separately from the Corsair mothership, which also makes its own PCs, peripherals, and components. We've reached out to Corsair to learn what exactly the "certain assets" it is acquiring are, and will update this story if we learn more.
The companies didn't detail the financial terms of the deal, other than to note they were "all-cash" and "non-material."
“Personalized Keyboards that can be modified by the consumer is one of the fastest growing trends in the gaming peripheral space," Corsair CEO and founder Andy Paul said in a press release. "Drop has proven to be one of the leaders in this space and with Corsair’s global footprint, we expect to significantly grow the Drop brand worldwide. We are also excited to be able to offer specialized Corsair and Elgato products to the enthusiast community that Drop is engaged with."
In a blog post on Drop's website, Drop CEO Jef Holove wrote that Drop won't change dramatically and will continue to be a community-focused brand. "Being a part of Corsair will help our team deliver more of what you love," Holove's post reads. "You’ll see new products from us soon that Corsair is just as excited about as we were in creating them. You’ll see new collabs with community favorites. Access to a world class supply chain will make getting you those products more reliable." He also suggested that Corsair's supply chain means Drop could sell more products outside of the United States.
Drop, founded in 2011 as Massdrop, will also continue to handle all of its own customer service and warranties, according to the announcement. Drop is also known for its community-oriented focus, so we'll be curious to see how fans of the brand respond, both on Drop itself and across social media. Drop has held major licensing deals with brands like Marvel for themed keyboards and keycap sets.
Corsair went public in 2020, which may partially explain its acquisition spree. The company's stock is down approximately 1.3% on the news as of this writing.
