The 2018 US IPO market is expected to see the debut of some of the most anticipated unicorns - companies that have reached $1 billion in valuation without tapping the stock markets. With stock markets touching new highs every other day, investors are clamoring for new investment opportunities and that could help companies see a pop in shares on debut. While not many companies have publicly laid out plans for a 2018 IPO, following is the list of the most anticipated IPOs of 2018 according to experts.
Airbnb
Valuation - About $30 billion Chances of 2018 debut - High. The short-term home rental service, founded in 2008 in San Francisco, has clashed with hoteliers and authorities in cities including New York, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, which in some cases are limiting short-term rentals. Critics accuse Airbnb of exacerbating housing shortages and driving out lower-income residents.
Spotify
Valuation - About $16 billion Chances of 2018 debut - High. The world's biggest music-streaming company has more than 140 million active users. Spotify is aiming to file its intention to float with US regulators towards the end of this year in order to list in the first or second quarter next year, one source told Reuters.
Dropbox
Valuation - $10 billion Chances of 2018 debut - High. The IPO will be a key test of the data-sharing business' worth after it was valued at almost $10 billion in a private fundraising round in 2014. San Francisco-based Dropbox, which was founded in 2007 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, counts Sequoia Capital, T. Rowe Price and Greylock Partners as investors.
Lyft
Valuation - About $11 billion Chances of 2018 debut - Moderate. The US-based ride hailing company raised an additional $500 million in its recent round of funding, bringing in new capital totaling $1.5 billion. The funding round was led by one of Alphabet Inc's investment funds and CapitalG.
Palantir Technology
Valuation - About $20 billion Chances of 2018 debut - Moderate. Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel and Joe Lonsdale, two of Silicon Valley's more influential investors and entrepreneurs. It has a $20 billion valuation and is considered one of Silicon Valley's most secretive companies.
Pinterest
Valuation - About $12 billion Chances of 2018 debut - Moderate. Founded in 2010, the company develops visual search technology and allows users to save images on its website. The SanFrancisco-based company has 175 million monthly users collecting and pinning photos related to cooking, designing, travel and other interests on its website. About 60 percent of Pinterest's user base is outside the United States.
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