Stripe is discussing public listing for 2022 with bankers

[NEW YORK] Stripe Inc, the digital payments company last valued at nearly US$100 billion, is in early discussions with investment bankers about going public as early as next year, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The 11-year-old company is considering listing its shares through a direct listing or initial public offering, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information was private. Deliberations are at an early stage and its plans including the timing could still change, the people said.

A representative for Stripe, with headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, declined to comment.

Stripe is one of the most anticipated listings in years and it would mark one of the biggest private companies to ever go public. Stripe raised US$600 million in March at a valuation of US$95 billion, making it the most valuable U.S. startups and one of the biggest globally alongside TikTok parent ByteDance Ltd.

If it pursues a direct listing, it would be the latest in a growing list of companies to go the less conventional route pioneered by Spotify Technology SA in 2018. In a direct listing, a company's investors can typically begin selling their shares on the public market without new shares being issued to raise capital for the firm.

Reuters previously reported some details of its listing. Founded by Irish brothers Patrick and John Collison, Stripe competes with Square Inc. and Paypal Holdings. Its products are used by businesses including Amazon.com, Salesforce.com and Lyft.

Stripe's investors include Allianz SE, Axa SA, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Co, Sequoia Capital and Ireland's National Treasury Management Agency.

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