Airbnb, DoorDash, and GitLab are among 18 unicorn companies that are set to run an initial public offering (IPO) sometime in 2020. The expectation for a more definite announcement at some point this year, already means that there is more than enough to anticipate in the financial clime. While there will most likely still be more public announcements, these 18 are already making the rounds.The market for initial public offerings in 2019 was a little disappointing, to say the least. Compared to 2018, the number of IPOs in the U.S. dropped to 139 from 192. For tech companies specifically, the number also fell to 42 from 52 in 2018.If the figures aren’t enough reason to discourage further public offerings, Lyft and Uber should be. Both ride-sharing giants went public in March and May
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Airbnb, DoorDash, and GitLab are among 18 unicorn companies that are set to run an initial public offering (IPO) sometime in 2020. The expectation for a more definite announcement at some point this year, already means that there is more than enough to anticipate in the financial clime. While there will most likely still be more public announcements, these 18 are already making the rounds.
The market for initial public offerings in 2019 was a little disappointing, to say the least. Compared to 2018, the number of IPOs in the U.S. dropped to 139 from 192. For tech companies specifically, the number also fell to 42 from 52 in 2018.
If the figures aren’t enough reason to discourage further public offerings, Lyft and Uber should be. Both ride-sharing giants went public in March and May respectively. However, investors of both companies have been disappointed as figures have been plunging repeatedly. The WeWork mishaps probably even top Lyft and Uber.
Regardless of the poor IPO rating for 2019, the following companies are moving forward with public offerings.
Airbnb to Lead Companies for 2020 IPO
Easily the most popular of them all, Airbnb has announced its intention to go public this year. The online market place for shared lodging and homestays was founded in 2008 and turned in heavy profits for many years. However, the company started garnering millions of dollars in losses after it increased its marketing budget. While there aren’t too many details available yet, it makes sense to think that investors might not be very eager to pump money into a company that seems to be losing its mojo.
DoorDash
Founded in 2013, the food delivery company has grown quite considerably since its early days. However, the company probably needs to pull in more funding to stay ahead of heavy competition in the sector. Competitors include Postmates and Uber Eats.
It is important to note that the company pulled in a mouth-watering funding round of $535 million led by SoftBank.
GitLab
A 2018 announcement from GitLab co-founder and CEO Sid Sijbrandij confirmed GitLab’s proposed IPO. The online repository manager, while being fully remote, boasts of over 1,000 employees. Even though it’s most recent funding of $268 million has pushed its valuation to $2.74 billion, GitLab will go public.
If all goes well, the IPO will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.
Robinhood
Popular for its free investment offerings, Robinhood announced its IPO intentions back in November 2018. The CEO Biaju Bhatt said this at an event not long after a new Chief Financial Officer was hired. Robinhood is currently valued at $7.6 billion.
Wish
Founded in 2010, Wish is an online e-commerce company that connects buyers directly to sellers. It sells a lot of unbranded items at interesting prices and has generally been quite successful. However, it probably needs to go public if it is to compete in a market that already includes bigwigs like Amazon. There is however the possibility that a bigwig – like Amazon – could buy it out.
Other Expected IPOs
Before 2020 is over, there definitely will be more IPOs. Others unicorn companies we already know include:
- Casper – Mattress company
- Snowflake Computing – Database software
- Credit Karma – Financial Management Services
- Asana – Task Management Services
- Unity – Gaming Company
- Instacart – Grocery delivery platform
- Rubrik – Cloud-based Data Management Platform
- Procore Technologies – Construction management software company
- TripActions – Travel Management Services.
- ZoomInfo – Business Database Provider
- Poshmark – Fashion E-Commerce Company
- Oscar Health – Health Insurance Company
- Lemonade – Insurance Startup
Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify crypto stories to the bare basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without too much background knowledge. When he's not neck-deep in crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.