r/IPO: Reddit's hoping to go public in March

Not yet a subscriber? Sign up free below.

IPO forum

Social media platform Reddit has confidentially filed paperwork for its long-awaited public listing, aiming for a potential debut in March, after a series of failed attempts at an IPO that date back to 2021.

Founded just a year after Facebook in 2005 (the same year as YouTube), Reddit is very much a part of that early social media vintage — but, unlike many of its peers, Reddit has maintained its early-internet feel. At the site’s core remains a series of forums, or “subreddits”, organized by users. There are places to discuss the latest on TV (r/television), places to hype you up (r/getmotivated), places to get advice (r/careerguidance), somewhere to chat about Canada, Mexico or China, places to learn how to code (r/learnprogramming), and about a thousand places for silly stuff (r/deepfriedmemes, r/contagiouslaughter, etc.). If you can think of it, odds are there’s a subreddit for it.

With an emphasis on anonymity — and little reward for building a “following” — Reddit is a far cry from the quick-hit vertical video format that has grown astronomically on TikTok and other platforms. Reddit’s largest groups, “r/funny” and “r/askreddit”, on the other hand, have seen more steady growth.

r/stockvaluation

The company is targeting a $10bn valuation, just ~1% of social giant Meta, but closer to that of smaller social peers like Snapchat ($26bn) and Pinterest ($25bn) — the last major social media platform to go public in 2019.

Not yet a subscriber? Sign up free below.

Tags

Stories from this newsletter

Downsizing
XXL JPM: Dimon's bank has become a behemoth
Shrinking incentives: Bonuses took a hit in 2023
We and our partners use cookies and similar technologies (“Cookies”) on our website and in our newsletters for performance, analytical or advertising purposes to ensure you have the best experience on our site and/or interaction with us. To find out more about the use of Cookies, see our Cookie Notice. Please click OK if you consent to our use of Cookies or click Manage my Preferences to manage your Cookie preferences.