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Carlyle acquires Hunkemöller from PAI Partners; LookingGlass pulls in $50 Mln Series C and acquires Cyveillance
Hunkemöller [Private Company Ticker Symbol: HUNKBVP], the top women's lingerie retailer in the Benelux region, has agreed to be acquired by Carlyle Group. The seller, Paris-based private equity firm PAI Partners, acquired 97% of the company in November 2010 from Maxeda Retail Group for €265 million, according to PrivCo Data.
Dec
10
2015
Blount International agrees to take private deal for $855 Mln; Curve raises $2 Mln seed round; Yirendai sets terms for IPO
Blount International, Inc. [Private Company Ticker Symbol: BLOINTP] today announced that it has entered into an agreement to be taken private by American Securities and P2 Capital Partners. Blount, a manufacturer and marketer of equipment, parts, and accessories for a number of industries including forestry, agriculture, and concrete cutting, agreed to a price of $10 per share.
Dec
09
2015
Savonix picks up $1.5 seed funding; Basilea Pharmaceutica and EndoStim withdraw IPOs
For years society has focused on the physical ailments of the body, paying little attention to issues of the mind. Over the last decade, however, we have seen a shift, bringing the human psyche to the forefront and spurring a wave of investment towards studying and understanding the brain. One company, Savonix Inc. [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SAVONP], has raised a $1.5 million seed round of funding to bring together all of that information in a mobile evidence-based cognitive assessment app.
Dec
07
2015
The 2015 PrivCo India 15: India's Largest Private Companies
PrivCo screened its proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 850,000 private companies to rank India's largest private companies, based on 2014 revenue.
Dec
03
2015
Flipkart takes minority stake in MapmyIndia; African equity crowdfunding portal Malaik launches; Wiivv Wearables raises $3.5 Mln seed round
Flipkart has taken a minority stake in CE Info Systems Pvt. Ltd. [Private Company Ticker Symbol:CEINFOP], the company that runs MapmyIndia. Nexus Venture Partners and Lightbox Ventures, both early investors in CE Info Systems, sold their stakes as part of the transaction.
Dec
02
2015
Qihoo 360 Technology reportedly to be taken private, valued at $9 Bln; Tiger Global raises $2.5 Bln according to filing
After receiving a buyout offer in June, Qihoo 360 Technology [Private Company Ticker Symbol: QIHTECP] will reportedly be taken private in a deal worth $9 billion. The buyers are a group of investors led by Chairman and CEO, Zhou Hongyi. Originally the group was aiming to delist in the United States to restructure, making the company eligible for a Chinese listing.
Dec
01
2015
Undertone acquired by Perion Network for $180; AppDynamics raises $158 Mln at $1.9 Bln valuation; Woodside Homes withdraws IPO
In a bid to increase its influence in the United States digital advertising market, Israel-based Perion Network acquired Undertone today in a deal valued at $180 million. AppDynamics [Private Company Ticker Symbol: APPDYNP], a platform for analyzing the performance and management of mobile applications, has raised a $158 million round of funding led by General Atlantic and Altimeter Capital. According to PrivCo data, the company had more than $150 million in revenue in the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015.
Dec
01
2015
The 2015 PrivCo Asia 20: Ranking the Largest Private Companies in Asia
PrivCo screened its proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 850,000 private companies to rank Asia's largest private companies, based on 2014 revenue.
Nov
30
2015
Sleepy's acquired by Mattress Firm for $780 Mln; Tyro Payments of Australia raises A$100 Mln round
Sleepy's LLC [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SLEELLP], one of the most well-known mattress retailers in North America, has been acquired by Mattress Firm Holding Corp. Mattress Firm will acquire Sleepy's for $780 million, uniting the two largest U.S. specialty mattress retailers. The acquisition comes at a time when smaller, leaner startups look to compete in the industry which has seen little disruption over the years.
Nov
30
2015
Xiaomi: Inside the Chinese Unicorn
Xiaomi [Private Company Ticker Symbol: XIAXMIP] is the largest mobile phone manufacturer in China, a market that will soon become the most dominant consumer market on the planet. Once criticized for employing copy-cat tactics, the company has grown to become one of the fastest growing start-ups in the world, with products and a brand recognition that can truly stand on its own two feet. PrivCo screened through our proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 850,000+ private companies to find out more about the Asian Unicorn that is Xiaomi.
Nov
25
2015
Chinese Yixia Tech raises $200 Mln Series D to become Unicorn; Vista Equity acquires MarketLive and Shopatron
Another Chinese Unicorn has emerged after Yixia Tech [Private Company Ticker Symbol: YIXTECP], the company behind video blogging app MiaoPai, raised a $200 million Series D round of funding that values the company at $1 billion. MiaoPai allows users to record and edit short videos before posting them to various social media platforms, much like Vine.
Nov
24
2015
Shiftgig raises $22 Mln Series B; '47 Brands acquires Old Time Sports
Shiftgig Inc. has raised a $22 million Series B, led by new investor Renren Inc., to connect employers with locally available and qualified hourly employees. While there are a number of freelancing job apps such as TaskRabbit and Fiverr, Shiftgig differentiates itself by focusing on the temporary employee needs of businesses and events.
Nov
23
2015
Petco is acquired by CVC and Canada Pension Plan for $4.6 Bln; Largest advertiser in Brazil acquired for 1 Bln reais
After months of shopping itself around while simultaneously filing for an IPO, Petco [Private Company Ticker Symbol: PETANIP] has announced that it will pursue a buyout offer from CVC Capital Partners Ltd and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for $4.6 billion. Omnicom Group has acquired Grupo ABC, the largest advertising group in Brazil and one of the 25 largest in the world, through its DDB Worldwide subsidiary.
Nov
23
2015
The 2015 PrivCo Latin America 20: Ranking Latin America's Largest Private Companies; Brazilian companies dominate list
PrivCo screened its proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 850,000 private companies to rank the top privately-held companies in Latin America, based on 2014 revenue.
Nov
20
2015
Airbnb raises over $100 Mln, valuation still $25.5 Bln; Duluth prices at $12, below range, closes up 14% at $13.65
Duluth Holdings Inc. priced its IPO today at $12, under its range of $14 to $16 per share. The company joins Square, Match Group and Mimecast - all of whom priced at the low end of, or below their stated price range. Airbnb [Private Company Ticker Symbol: AIRBNBP] has reportedly raised a round of over $100 million in funding at its previous valuation of $25.5 billion.
Nov
19
2015
Pague Menos of Brazil postpones 2nd IPO til' 2018; Square pops in IPO, opens $11.20 closes at $13.07
Pague Menos, Brazil's third largest chain of drugstores, announced today that it would postpone its IPO until 2018. Company CEO Francisco Deusmar de Queirós cited economic conditions in Brazil. The much anticipated Square IPO has finally happened. The IPO, which was to be a major indicator of how tech unicorns could perform when exposed to the public market, priced late last at around 7:45 PM.
Nov
18
2015
BREAKING NEWS: Square prices at $9/share, below $11 - $13 range; Valued at $2.9 Bln
PrivCo IPO Alert: Square has officially priced its IPO at $9 per share, below its $11 to $13 price range, in an IPO that will set a precedent with regard to how investors react to Unicorns in the public market.
Nov
18
2015
Have you invested in a billion dollar Unicorn already and don't even know it?
Technology start-ups, internet stalwarts, the next big SaaS to change the way we do business; these are all companies we wish we could invest in at an early stage. For most of us, however, we rarely have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a unicorn unless we happen to be walking by a garage in Palo Alto, or have the discretionary income to invest a few $100,000 as an angel.
Nov
17
2015
The 2015 PrivCo Europe 100: Ranking Europe's Largest Private Companies; Dutch Vitol Holdings tops the list; Supermarkets and retail dominate
PrivCo screened through its proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 850,000+ private companies to rank the The PrivCo Europe 100; the definitive ranking of Europe's Largest Private Companies based on 2014 revenue.
Nov
16
2015
Constellation Brands acquires Ballast Point Brewing for $1 Bln; Ample Hills Creamery scoops up $4 Mln
Constellation brands has announced a $1 billion acquisition of San Diego-based craft brewer Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits. Ballast had originally filed for a $173 million IPO on the NASDAQ in August, but changed course and opted for the acquisition; an unsurprising move given the recent turbulence of the IPO market. In an unusual round of venture capital funding, Ample Hills Creamery, a NYC-based chain of ice cream shops known for its unique flavors, raised $4 million today.
Nov
13
2015
Instructure stock price up 8% in midday trading after IPO; Zola raises $10 Mln Series B; Snapchat rolls out 99 cent lenses
Instructure Inc., a provider of an educational software platform called Canvas, raised $70 million in its IPO this morning, with the stock price increasing as much as 8% in midday trading. The company priced shares at $16, on the low end of their $16 to $18 range.
Nov
12
2015
Snapchat: What does Fidelity's write-down mean for social tech's golden ghost
It was widely reported earlier this week that Snapchat [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SNAPCP] received a mark down from one of its largest investors, Fidelity, via their Fidelity Growth Company Fund and Fidelity Series Growth Company Fund. The markdown happened in September and while this is the opinion of just one of the many investors in Snapchat, there are a few interesting lead indicators that might have pointed to this earlier. Regardless, this development may provide insight into what other investors might be thinking.
Nov
11
2015
Wave Life Sciences goes public, opens at $17.05 per share; Fiverr pulls in $60 Mln round
Wave Life Sciences went public today, debuting just above its expected price range of $15 to $17 at $17.05. The company offered 6.38 million shares, raising $117.38 million from the offering. This is a good sign for the public market which has seen a number of firms withdrawing and postponing their IPOs due to low interest.
Nov
10
2015
Tenable raises $250 Mln, one of largest cyber security rounds ever; 500 Startups raising a $15 Mln Nordic micro-fund
Today, Tenable Network Security [Private Company Ticker Symbol: TANIUMP] announced that it has raised $250 million led by Insight Venture Partners with participation from Accel Partners, making the Series B one of the largest rounds of cyber security funding ever. 500 Startups, the Silicon Valley startup accelerator and venture fund that has made investments in more than 1000 companies in more than 50 countries, has been raising money for a number of regional micro-funds.
Nov
09
2015
HelloFresh postpones Frankfurt IPO plan; Anbang Insurance takes Fidelity & Guaranty private; MoneyFarm raised a 16 Mln round
Amid the tumultuous IPO market, HelloFresh [Private Company Ticker Symbol: GRODELP] has postponed plans for a Frankfurt IPO. HelloFresh, which delivers pre-measured ingredients and healthy recipes, is majority-owned by Rocket Internet. China's Anbang Insurance has agreed to acquire Fidelity & Guaranty Life, taking the company private in a deal valued at about $1.57 billion.
Nov
09
2015
The 2015 PrivCo 100: Ranking America's Largest Private Companies; Cargill Tops the Pack; Tech Falls Short
PrivCo screened through its proprietary Private Company Financial Database with information on over 835,000+ private companies to rank the PrivCo 100; our definitive ranking of the top 100 privately-held companies in the United States based on 2014 revenue.
Nov
05
2015
Farlap Partners acquires minority stake in Bulldog Gin; Coveo snags $35 million Series D; Brainnovations to be first neuro-tech accelerator in Israel
Farlap Partners has acquired a minority stake in Bulldog Gin [PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: BULLONP], one of the fastest growing gin brands worldwide. Founded in 2007 by Anshuman Vohra, a former investment banker, Bulldog Gin is available in over 80 countries and has won numerous awards.
Nov
04
2015
The History Project gets $2 Mln from The NYT Co. for personal timelines; Wind Point acquires Daemyung Optical; Fortress closes $1.1 Bln Japan fund
The History Project now offers a way to create personal timelines to keep your history close and connect dots. Working somewhat as a modern time capsule, the company allows users to digitize and upload a variety of family artifacts from music to letters from decades past. Daemyung Optical Co. Ltd., the second largest lens manufacturer in Korea, has been acquired by Wind Point Partners.
Nov
03
2015
China's Dali Food Group looks to raise $1.3 Bln in Hong Kong IPO; IBM continues shopping spree with Gravitant; Lumo Bodytech raises $10 Mln Series B
China's Dali Foods Group [Private Company Ticker Symbol: DALIFOP] is moving forward with its Hong Kong IPO plans, according to International Financing Review (IFR.) Dali Foods Group will raise up to $1.3 billion, offering 1.7 billion shares at a price range of HK$5.00 to HK$6.15. Hot off the heels of its acquisition of The Weather Company last week, IBM has continued its shopping spree this week by acquiring Gravitant.
Nov
02
2015
Square said to price IPO this week; Vinaya gets $3 Mln seed round for human inspired wearables
Square Inc. [PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: SQUAREP], the personalized credit card scanner company from San Francisco, is said to be setting the price range for its IPO this week according to a tweet by CNBC. Vinaya, a U.K. company integrating psychology research into developing connected wearables in an attempt to better address consumer needs, raised $3 million in seed funding today, is launching the pre-order for its first collection, Altrius.
Oct
29
2015
Univision: A Testament To the Growing Influence of Latinos in the United States
Univision [Private Company Ticker Symbol: IVIMMUP], formerly known as Spanish International Network, was founded in 1962 as a small network of television stations that broadcast in Spanish, making it the first non-English network. Over the next two decades it would steadily scale operations and acquire smaller Spanish-language stations, eventually encompassing all of the United States and making it the premier network for Latino viewers.
Oct
28
2015
IBM buys Weather Co. in $2 Bln plus deal; Two Bit Circus gets $6.5 Mln for interactive tech performance
IBM has struggled over the last few years. Revenues have consistently fallen short of expectations and the company continues to pour money into its Watson division hoping it will pay off in the future. In another move to bolster Watson, IBM is acquiring the digital and data assets of The Weather Company. Two Bit Circus' originality has won it some backers, receiving $6.5 million in a Series A round of funding led by Techstars Ventures and Foundry Group with participation from Intel Capital.
Oct
27
2015
Sport Clips: A sports-themed men's salon that's cutting out a market for itself
Specialty men's hair-care has traditionally been a tricky line of business to approach; the classic stereotype being that hair care and salons are more female oriented establishments. This view is changing, however, something that Gordon Logan saw as far back as 1993 when he opened his first Sport Clips [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SPOCLIP] salon in Austin, Texas.
Oct
26
2015
Intercontinental Exchange buys Interactive Data Corp for $5.2 Bln; APR Energy in $253 Mln take-private; IronNet has $32.5 Mln Series A
Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the NYSE, has purchased Interactive Data Corp from Silver Lake and Warburg Pincus for about $5.2 billion. APR Energy Plc is being taken private for £165 million ($253 million) by a group of investors consisting of ACON Equity Management LLC, Albright Capital Management, and the company's largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings.
Oct
22
2015
Sky Zone Sports: The journey from a flop, to the top
Sky Zone Sports [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SKYZONP] began as an attempt by Rick Platt to create a new sport called Sky Zone, involving athletes jumping on a court made entirely of trampolines while performing aerial acrobats to score points for their team. After spending $2 million building a court in Las Vegas and recruiting athletes, the sport failed to gain traction and Platt was left with what looked to be an arena without a sport to play.
Oct
21
2015
SolarWinds Inc. in $4.5 Bln take-private by Silver Lake & Thoma Bravo; Less-social network Ourglass gets $1.6 Mln seed; Ferrari IPO opens at $60/share
In a move that is becoming commonplace, another large tech company has been taken private. SolarWinds Inc. [Private Company Ticker Symbol: SOLWINP], an IT management software maker, is being acquired by Silver Lake Partners and Thoma Bravo for $4.5 billion. Intimate social media app Ourglass raised $1.6 million in seed funding today led by General Catalyst Partners.
Oct
20
2015
Tropical Smoothie Cafe; A Nutritional Franchise Model for the Masses
Tropical Smoothie Café grew from a single shop in 1993 to a fast-casual, health conscious, tropical themed chain that is spreading across America. Officially founded in 1997 as Tropical Smoothie Franchise Development Corporation, the company opened its first store in Tallahassee, Florida. Tropical Smoothie Café differentiated itself early on with a line of quick but healthy sandwiches and wraps.
Oct
19
2015
Time Inc. acquires HelloGiggles, co-founded by Zooey Deschanel; NantWorks takes Majority Stake in Precision Biologics for $50 Mln
The age Print media is waning as more magazines and newspapers transition to digital platforms. Overall magazine circulation has been decreasing steadily for 7 years and many print media organizations are trying to expand their online presence. Consistent with the industry shift, Time, Inc. today announced it's intent to acquire HelloGiggles.com, an online women's pop-culture, beauty and lifestyle website cofounded by actress Zooey Deschanel.
Oct
15
2015
J. Crew: After years of ups and downs, will the iconic American brand be able to turn itself around?
J. Crew [PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: JCREWGP] was founded by Mitchell Cinader and Saul Charles in 1947 as a door to door women's clothing company called Popular Club Plan. From these humble beginnings, the company has become an international fashion staple for both men and women with revenues of about $2.5 billion in 2014.
Oct
14
2015
Square IPO details disclosed; Kabbage and 23andMe raise 9 figure E rounds
Square Inc. the personalized credit card scanner company from San Francisco, has publicly disclosed its long awaited IPO filing that was initially submitted confidentially earlier this year. PrivCo data shows the company was valued at around $6 billion a year ago in its latest round of funding.
Oct
13
2015
Cybereason raises $59 Mln from SoftBank; GHO Capital acquires DNA Diagnostics for 104 Mln; SynCardia withdraws IPO
Cyber security is a hot-button issue, and with good reason after the hi-profile hacks that have been making the news over the past few years. These prominent data breaches have led to a rapid acceleration of investments and acquisitions in the cyber security sector. In its first acquisition since its founding last year, GHO Capital Partners has acquired DNA Diagnostics Center Inc., a company that makes DNA tests for private use.
Oct
12
2015
Dell acquires EMC for $67Bln in largest tech deal in history; Fiat Chrysler announce proposed range for $1Bln Ferrari spin-off IPO
Today, Dell announced it will take EMC Corporation private, with the help of Silver Lake Partners and MSD Capital, for $67 billion in cash and stock, in what will be biggest tech merger ever. Fiat Chrysler today announced the proposed price range of its recently filed Ferrari IPO, setting the range between $48 and $52.
Oct
08
2015
Sony acquires motion sensor tech company Softkinetik; Blackstone takes BioMed Realty Trust private for $8B
At the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Sony first unveiled its Virtual Reality (VR) concept under the name Project Morpheus. Last month the company announced it would be re-branding Project Morpheus as Playstation VR, with a tentative release date within the first half of 2016. Blackstone is taking BioMed Realty Trust private in a deal valued at $8 billion, including debt.
Oct
07
2015
Pandora acquires Ticketfly to differentiate; Paribus raises $2.1M seed to save you cash
Music streaming has been a cut throat business due to high royalty rates and low margins, but the field is only getting more crowded with the emergence of new players such as Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon's Prime Music. No one wants to purchase something at full price, only to find it on sale a week later.
Oct
06
2015
Code42 picks up $85M Series B to backup data; Digicel Group postpones $1.8B IPO due to market; Abraaj Group raises $191 for Mex fund
Code42 just raised a whopping $85 million Series B round led by JMI Equity and New Enterprise Associates. The highly anticipated Digicel Group IPO, which would have been the largest of the year so far, has been postponed today. The Caribbean mobile provider, who had been looking to raise $1.8 billion, cited market volatility as the main reason.
Oct
06
2015
[Infographic] Exclusive PrivCo data on Intel Capital 2015 YTD
PrivCo checks back in with leading venture capital firm, Intel Capital, on its 2015 YTD performance.
Sep
30
2015
AUTOnCAB acquires Indian grocery delivery BigZop; Amsterdam-based Adyen raises new round, valued at $2.3B
A growing number of ride related app companies, whether through partnerships with other firms or starting their own service, now offer some form of local delivery service. This makes NGA Technologies' (AUTOnCAB) acquisition of hyperlocal grocery delivery company BigZop a sensibly synergistic strategy.
Sep
28
2015
Wheels Up raises $115 M round; Walker & Company Brands raises $24 M from celebrity investors; KSL Capital Partners IV LP closes at $2.68 B
As more and more market disrupting products launch, we see the cost of some once prohibitively expensive goods and services being opened up to various levels of the middle class. It happened with private cars through Uber, Airbnb has done it for the vacation rental industry, and now Wheels Up is looking to do the same for the private jet industry.
Sep
24
2015
The Vizio IPO: How an American TV seller has changed the game
Vizio [PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: VIZIINP] is a brand that seems to have come out of nowhere. The company launched as an off brand vendor of affordable flat screen televisions in 2002 under former name, V Inc., entering an industry full of entrenched giants.
Sep
23
2015
Blue Jeans Network picks up $76.5M with participation from Derek Jeter; Cinven exits Guardian Financial Services for 4x return
Over the past few years, celebrities have been making their way into the venture capital and startup worlds. Some have co-founded their own companies, like Jessica Alba's Honest Company, while others have chosen to start their own venture funds to invest in startups. New York Yankees former captain, Derek Jeter, chose to do both.
Sep
22
2015
Publix's impressive net margin, how a private grocer is beating out its public competitors
Publix is blowing its competition out of the water the old fashion way, with good service, corporate transparency, and intelligent marketing. Originally founded in Florida in 1930 by George Jenkins, the 84 year old company's strategy has been to make the customer happy, a strategy that paid off judging by the $6.8 billion Jenkins Family net worth in 2015.
Sep
21
2015
Disney and Google Ventures join $65M Round C in VR cinema co, Jaunt; 3 Health companies set IPO terms; Blackstone acquires Shopping Direct
Virtual Reality (VR) has fascinated people since its early ideation in science fiction, but its mainstream use seemed a faraway futuristic concept, until now. It's a trend that some big players are betting in a new round of funding for Jaunt, a cinematic focused virtual reality company. The company closed a $65 million Series C round of funding today with some extremely prominent backers including The Walt Disney Company, Google Ventures, and The Madison Square Garden Company.
Sep
17
2015
Subway Restaurants is turning 50, facing an uphill battle to stay relevant
Subway Restaurants, almost in its 50th year of operation, has resonated with consumers for years as a healthy fast food alternative. Started in 1965 by a 17 year old Fred DeLuca with $1,000 from a family friend, the chain grew into the largest fast food franchiser in the world.
Sep
16
2015
Canadian unicorn, Lightspeed, raises $61 M; News Corp acquires Unruly
Lightspeed POS could be the next Canadian tech unicorn to IPO, if their ambitious plans for the next few years pan out, that is. The company raised a $61 million Series C round of funding today with some speculation as to their current valuation nearing $1 billion, though it was not disclosed.
Sep
15
2015
Toys "R" Us looks to a hopeful future; Compass get $50 Mil at $800 Mil valuation; Accenture acquires Clound Sherpas
Toys "R" Us [PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: TOYRUSP] has come a long way on a journey that has ranged from dominating the market to hanging on for dear life. In the early 90s, the company was the top dog of toy retail with a 25% market share at its peak, sending competitors like Child World and Kiddie City packing.
Sep
14
2015
Vista takes Solera Holdings private for $6.5 B; Ipsy get $100 M in first round of funding; Huron Consulting Group acquires Cloud62
Solera Holdings Inc. has agreed to be taken private by Vista Equity Partners for $6.5 billion, including net debt. Solera shares closed at $36.39 on August 3, 2015, and Vista is paying a 53% premium at $55.85 per share.
Sep
10
2015
Data visualization platform CartoDB raises $23 Mil; First Data Corp. looks to IPO for $2.5 Bil, biggest of the year
The way data is conveyed is increasingly important to have the desired effect. That's the idea behind CartoDB, to make any location data easy to visualize quickly and intuitively. First Data Corp., a payments technology company, is looking to pull in $2.5 billion in an IPO that could come as early as the end of the month.
Sep
09
2015
Two more companies withdraw IPO; Heineken acquires a 50% stake in Lagunitas Brewing Co
The market has been turbulent of late and it has not been inspiring confidence in companies that were looking to IPO for funds. According to PrivCo data, the last company to IPO was Benitec Biopharma Ltd.
Sep
08
2015
BlaBlaCar and Okta join the unicorn club; Accenture makes 5th acquisition in 2 months
Today we welcome two new members to the unicorn club, BlaBlaCar and Okta. In what will be its fifth acquisition in a two month period, Accenture has acquired S3 TV Technology Ltd. from S3 Group.
Sep
03
2015
Amazon acquires Elemental Technologies for $500 Mil; Colombia taxi app Taximo grabs $4.6 Mil; Boxlight sets price range for IPO
Amazon is acquiring Elemental Technologies, a back-end mobile video service, for $500 million in what could be one of its 5 biggest deals. It seems like every day we hear about another country with a new disruptive taxi-style startup and today Colombia based Taximo has raised a $4.6 million round of funding.
Sep
01
2015
Tesco's turnaround efforts; NewsCred raises $42M
Tesco has had a rough year. The UK supermarket giant ended a 32 year relationship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in favor of Deloitte after Tesco overstated its earnings by £263 million in 2014. GC Aesthetics plc withdrew its IPO plans today after having filed for an offering on June 24th.
Sep
01
2015
America's largest private company, Cargill, closes 2015 below expectations; Flipkart acquires FX Mart; Rentokil continues US expansion with Steritech
Cargill Inc., America's largest private company, has fallen short of expectations in its 2015 fiscal year. After a year of 18% revenue growth from 2010 - 2011, the company's revenue steadily declined, finally shrinking 1% in the 2014 fiscal year and almost 11% over the most recent FY.
Aug
31
2015
Dubsmash to try and go from viral hit to big business with $5.5 M raise; Blyth Inc. taken private by Carlyle; Intercorp Fin Services withdraws IPO
As the app marketplace continues to get flooded with social media apps, competitors have to differentiate themselves any way they can. Enter the young new startup from Berlin: Dubsmash. The company picked up $5.5 million today in a Series A led by Index Ventures with participation from Lowercase Capital, ENIAC Ventures, Sunstone Capital, Raine Ventures and Riccardo Zacconi, King Digital Entertainment CEO.
Aug
31
2015
PrivCo Prize Winners Announced: The 2nd PrivCo Prize for Excellence in Business Librarianship Goes to...
PrivCo is very excited to announce the award of its second PrivCo Prize for Excellence in Business Librarianship. Winners will receive cash awards, including $5,000 for the winner. This year's winner is Steve Cramer, Business Librarian at University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Aug
28
2015
Uber China prepares for war with $1B funding; Robert Bosch picks up new Lithium Ion battery technology with Seeo, Inc.
Uber China is preparing for war as it faces serious competition from its Chinese counterparts. Robert Bosch has acquired Seeo, a company that has developed next-generation lithium-ion batteries with significant potential in the electric car industry.
Aug
26
2015
More "Private IPOs" with market uncertainty; Google Ventures leads round in VR gaming Co, Resolution Games
A global selloff has sent stocks spiraling downward, with pronounced effects in the US and China. The NYSE has invoked Rule 48, which allows the exchange to open stocks without indications as a method for managing market volatility. An increasingly popular trend of late has been the 'private IPO' - where a startup raises a large round (at least $40 million, often much more) of pre-IPO funding, often with participation from institutional investors, mutual funds, hedge funds, or other non-traditional VCs.
Aug
25
2015
Postmates of Brazil, Loggi, gets funding from Qualcomm Ventures; Hearthside Food Solutions acquires VSI in Europe
Loggi, the Postmates of Brazil, has raised a R$50 million ($14m USD) round of funding from Dragoneer Investment Group, Monashees Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. Hearthside Food Solutions, the largest independent baker in the U.S. and a full-service contract manufacturer of grain-based food and snack products, has made some big moves today in growing its market share.
Aug
24
2015
RainDance withdraws IPO; Online estate marketplace, Everything But The House, raises funding
RainDance Technologies Inc., a company making genomic detectors for cancer and inherited diseases, plans to withdraw its initial public offering amid a flurry of market uncertainty. Online estate sale marketplace Everything But The House has received a $30 million Series B round of funding.
Aug
20
2015
Carbon3D gets funding to "grow"; Valeant acquires Sprout Pharma for its "Female Viagra"; castAR gets funding for its Augmented Reality Platform
On Tuesday Sprout Pharmaceuticals' controversial drug Addyi, or as it has been termed the "female Viagra," was approved by the FDA. castAR (Technical Illusions), an augmented reality glasses gaming console, raised a series A round of $15 million. Another industry catalyzing company receiving funding today is Carbon3D, with a $100 million Series C round led by Google Ventures.
Aug
18
2015
Petco Holdings files for 3rd IPO; BuzzFeed teams up with NBCUniversal, worth $1.5 Bil
Yesterday afternoon, Petco Holdings Inc. filed for what will be its 3rd IPO. It was taken private by TPG and Leonard Green & Partners for $1.8 billion in 2006. BuzzFeed has received a $200 million investment from NBCUniversal, bringing BuzzFeed's valuation to around $1.5 billion.
Aug
17
2015
REGENXBIO files for IPO; Cargill acquires Norwegian fish feed maker EWOS; KKR takes minority stake in SoftwareONE
Gene therapy company, RegenxBio Inc., filed for an IPO today. Cargill continues to expand its global reach by acquiring Norwegian fish feed maker, EWOS, from Altor and Bain Capital for $1.5 billion. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP has made a minority stake purchase in SoftwareONE, a software portfolio management solutions provider.
Aug
13
2015
Jessica Alba's The Honest Co. valued at $1.7 Bil; Six middle school entrepreneurs sell app to Visus; Nomad Foods expands in Europe
The Honest Company, famously co-founded by actress Jessica Alba, has reportedly raised $100 million in funding today pushing its valuation to almost $1.7 billion. Nomad Foods Ltd. is acquiring the continental European operations of Findus Group for £500 million ($780.7 million) in cash and shares.
Aug
12
2015
Pearson sells stake in The Economist; DoubleDutch chases growth with KKR as backer; Azul S.A. withdraws IPO
Today, Pearson sold 50% of its noncontrolling stake in The Economist Group to existing shareholders, valuing it at more than £950 million and making the Agnelli family largest shareholder of the much sought after financial publication. DoubleDutch, a provider of events performance monitoring apps and technology, has raised $45 million in Series E funding led by KKR.
Aug
06
2015
Jibo gets funding to move into the home; Adidas picks up Runtastic to get smart
Have you ever watched the Jettsons or Star Wars and dreamed of having a robot companion of your own someday? Well that day may be coming sooner than you think. Jibo, a social robot for the home, has raised an $11 million Series A expansion.
Aug
05
2015
Neiman Marcus IPO; Safway Group searches for sale; Solar City and ILIOSS consolidate
The luxury consumer goods market has seen better days. Neiman Marcus is hoping luxury sales in North America bounce back. The company just filed for its second IPO in as many years, setting a placeholder of $100 million for the raise.
Aug
04
2015
Zscaler joins growing unicorn club; Zeotap raises funding to revolutionize customer data analytics
As this generation of financiers knows, unicorns have become an increasingly common sight. Almost every week we hear of a few companies raising a round of funding that puts them in the club, and this week it's cyber security company Zscaler's turn.
Jul
29
2015
The landscape of millennial-focused new media companies; Vice and BuzzFeed leading the way
The online media world was abuzz this week with news that Comcast, the cable giant, was in talks with BuzzFeed, Vox, Business Insider, and Vice, to explore potential partnerships, including content partnerships or taking potential equity investment stakes in one of the growing new media businesses. Comcast, whose proposed merger with Time Warner Cable was called off earlier this year, is searching to find new growth in a media world in which traditional cable television is under assault.
Jul
21
2015
The $5 Billion Potential of Meal Kits. "Just Add Cooking."
n the future, your dinner will be delivered to your door in a box, complete with individually wrapped and labeled ingredients, premeasured, whole, unmarinated and accompanied by an easy to make recipe. There will be no more shopping and measuring and minimal cutting, chopping and waste. The box might as well have a label that says, "Just Add Cooking."
Jul
14
2015
5 Frontrunners In The Race To Be The Next "Fast Casual" Dining Star
"Fast casual" dining, restaurants that stop short of full table service but offer healthier-than fast-food options, has become a restaurant industry obsession since the success of Chipotle, the category's standard bearer. Chipotle stock has risen almost 1500% since its 2006 IPO, leaving little doubt why investors' are looking for its successor.
Jul
09
2015
23andMe Raises New Round as its DNA Evolves from Personal Genomics to Pharmaceuticals
Bankrolled by Big Pharma and some of Silicon Valley's top VC firms, 23andMe has long been emblematic of Silicon Valley's desire to disrupt and democratize health care. 23andMe, which landed its one millionth customer in June, is the world's largest personal genomics company.
Jul
01
2015
Puerto Rico on the Precipice of Default; A Cheat Sheet on PR's Biggest Private Companies
The Puerto Rican economy has been in a recession for years, a fact which prompted hedge funds and distressed debt investors, atypical municipal bond buyers, to continue to accumulate positions in Puerto Rican bonds as its credit rating continued to drop. While public market investors will likely stay on the sidelines, accumulate short positions, or go bargain hunting, the private market fallout remains less predictable.
Jun
29
2015
The Tutoring Industry Embraces Technology; Kumon is Schooling the Competition
As competition for college admissions and selective jobs has moved earlier in a child's life, the tutoring industry has followed along. A PrivCo analysis of the K-12 tutoring market reveals that perhaps no company has done so better than Kumon, the popular global tutoring empire that began in the 1950's in Japan by Toru Kumon
Jun
24
2015
Planet Fitness IPO Filing Validates the Budget Gym Business Model
Planet Fitness, the discount gym chain known for clever advertising and monthly pizza parties, filed for an IPO on Tuesday and, in the process, reported financial results that resoundingly validate the "budget fitness" business model that it helped to create over the last 20 years.
Jun
23
2015
The Rise of the Mega 'Private IPOs'
There's been much ado in recent weeks about the "private IPO," the much ballyhooed explanation for the rise of large late stage equity rounds for private startups. The story goes that large, late stage, mostly tech, startups are taking advantage of the most plentiful private capital markets in history. In doing so, they are delaying going public, and the increased regulation, costs, scrutiny, and expectations that goes along with it. Instead, they are taking private capital in abundant sums increasingly from non-traditional, often non-Silicon Valley investors.
Jun
17
2015
Fitbit to Go Public; A Win for Wearables; Profitable on $1B Revenue LTM
Wall Street's eyes are focused on Fitbit, the San Francisco-based, 8-year-old maker of wearable fitness tracking devices that helped spawn the dawn of the wearable technology era.
Jun
12
2015
SQUARE: The Inside Story of New Twitter CEO's $500 Million Burden; Unmet Expectations, Lofty Goals, But Growth To Be Proud Of
News of yesterday's CEO shakeup at Twitter has left a lot of people asking one question: What happens to Square? Square, the mobile payments giant that took the world by storm starting in 2009, announced in a company press release, that Jack Dorsey would stay on as CEO. This means that until Twitter finds a permanent replacement for just-ousted CEO Dick Costolo, Dorsey will be doing double duty as chief executive of both companies.
Jun
10
2015
Privacy v Security Debate Rages; A look at Cybersecurity Investing
An Eventful Week in the Nation's Privacy Versus Security Debate, Puts the Focus on Companies at the Front Line of Cybersecurity Threats
Jun
04
2015
Harvard Inc. - How would Harvard rank among the U.S.'s largest private companies?
Yesterday, hedge fund titan John Paulson gave $400 million to Harvard University's engineering school. News of the donation launched a widespread internet debate about whether philanthropists should give to institutions like Harvard. Author Malcolm Gladwell led the charge, delivering a satirical tweetstorm condemnation while high profile philanthropist and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen offered a full-throated defense and a sharp retort.
Jun
02
2015
Websense Sells For $1.9 Billion to Create Cybersecurity Powerhouse; TelaDoc files $100M IPO
Websense, Inc. [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: WEBSP], an email, mobile, and data security solutions company, was acquired by Raytheon Company. Vista Equity Partners took the company private in 2013 for approximately $907 Million, and sold an 80.3% stake to Raytheon for $1.9 Billion, valuing the company at $2.37 Billion.
May
29
2015
CF Treatment Company Nivalis Therapeutics Files For a $60 Million IPO; Tenaya Capital Closes Fund With $450 Million in Funding
Nivalis Therapeutics [PrivCo Ticker: NMZPHAP], a biotechnology company focused on treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF), filed for a $60 Million IPO. The company has a drug, N91115, in the Phase 1b clinical trial stage and plans to use the proceeds of the IPO to fund upcoming drug trials.
May
28
2015
Safeway and Albertsons To Form 2nd Largest Grocery Chain Pending IPO; Consumer Goods Market Frothy; With Slim Margins, Safeway Grows Slower Than Inflation
At the end of January 2015, Safeway announced that the company had completed its acquisition by Cerberus Capital Management backed Albertsons. The acquisition talks began almost a year earlier in March 2014, and Albertsons paid a hefty price for the company - $9.24 Billion.
May
26
2015
Munchery Valued At $300 Million; ConforMIS Filed For $172.5 Million IPO; Virtustream Acquired For $1.2 Billion
Munchery, Inc. [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: MUNCP], an online marketplace where consumers can order meals from local chefs, raised an $85 Million Series C funding round from venture capital firms led by Sherpa Ventures and Menlo Ventures. According to PrivCo VC Funding Data, this most recent round brings Munchery's total funding raised to $121.8 Million.
May
19
2015
PrivCo's Top 5 Exit Candidates in the Mobile Payments Sector; Fragmented Market Presents Opportunities For Growth
PrivCo has scanned its proprietary Private Company Financial Database using its exclusive PrivCo Industry Classification System (PICS) to identify the Top 5 Exit Candidates in the Mobile Payment Sector. Below is the exclusive Top 5 ranking, featuring detailed information including revenues, investors, and key findings:
May
18
2015
TPG Capital Exits Par Pharmaceutical For $8 Billion; Stock Research Company, YCharts, Picks Up $6M in Funding; With $3.5 Billion in Revenue, Vizio Contemplates IPO [PrivCo Private Markets Digest]
Par Pharmaceutical Companies was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals for $8 Billion. The company was purchased by TPG Capital in July 2012, for $1.84 Billion, resulting in a 334.8% return on investment for TPG Capital. The S&P 500 returned 60.7% over the same period.
May
14
2015
Empire Petroleum To Continue Oil & Gas's IPO Success in 2015; Women-Led VC Firm Raises $150M in 1st Fund
Empire Petroleum Partners, LP [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: EMPIPEP], a wholesale distributor of fuel and fuel products to retailers, filed for a $100 Million IPO. According to PrivCo Data, the company reported $1.50 Billion in revenue in 2014, up 20.7% from 2013. Due to falling oil prices, the company's margins shrunk and net income fell from $7 Million in 2013 to $1.9 Million in 2014.
May
13
2015
Cinnabon Creates Value For Its PE Owners, Roark Capital Group, Through Long-Term Growth; NPM 14.6%; Revenue $32.4 Million; Over 1,100 Locations
Founded in 1985, Cinnabon [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: CINNINP] quickly became a hit. The company rapidly expanded through franchising and by the end of its second year boasted 72 locations. In 1998, Cinnabon was purchased by AFC Enterprises, the company that owns Popeyes Chicken, for $65 Million, and took a huge loss in 2004, when private equity firm, Roark Capital Group bought the company for $30.3 Million.
May
11
2015
FitBit Files For $100 Million IPO, Controls 74% of Wearable Devices Market; Bojangles Raises $147 Million in IPO
FitBit [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: FITBITP], a venture capital-backed wearable device company, has filed for a $100 Million IPO. Since FitBit's founding in 2007, the company has established itself as the market leader in wearable devices that track the user's health and fitness, controlling 74% of the market. FitBit has had no trouble raising funds in the private market: according to PrivCo VC Funding data, the company has raised $73.1 Million from venture capital firms, including True Ventures and Foundry Group.
May
07
2015
PrivCo Rankings Release: PrivCo's Top 50 US Family Owned Companies
PrivCo's Top 50 US Family-Owned Companies; Cargill and Koch Industries Top the Rankings; Technology Firms Largely Absent
May
04
2015
OmniVision Technologies Acquired in Take Private for $1.9B; Mark Zuckerberg Invested in AltSchool's $100 Million Series B Funding
A trio of Chinese private equity firms, led by Hua Capital Management, have acquired OmniVision Technologies [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: OMNIVIP] for $1.9 Billion. The private equity firms, Hua Capital Management, CITIC Capital Partners, and Gold Stone Investment Co., all have experience in the semiconductor industry that they expect to leverage to help OmniVision embark upon a second growth phase, focusing on increasing the company's presence in China and globally.
May
01
2015
FanDuel Commands 80% of Daily Fantasy Sports Market; $89.3 Million in VC Funding
On Saturday, May 2nd, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in one of the most anticipated boxing fights of all time. Appearing on welterweight world champion Mayweather's belt will be the logo of privately-held FanDuel [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: FANDEUP], the largest daily fantasy sports (DFS) company.
Apr
29
2015
Cybersecurity Raises Approximately $2B in VC Funding; Mobile and Cloud Security Drive Growth in Funding
The cybersecurity sector is heating up in a big way: innovative companies are springing up in tech hotbeds around the world. Total funding raised for the sector has grown at a 26.2% CAGR over 3 years, and the rapid funding growth shows no sign of slowing. The market for cybersecurity upstarts has boomed in 2014 and 2015, with over 42% of funding recipients participating in Series A or Seed financing rounds.
Apr
20
2015
PrivCo's Top 10 METRO AREAS FOR PRIVATE TECH M&A in 2014: #1 SILICON VALLEY #2 NEW YORK #3 LOS ANGELES #4 BOSTON
PrivCo has provided its Exclusive Top 10 US Metro Areas below. Silicon Valley retained its spot atop the list - with 317 acquisitions - for the third year in a row. Los Angeles has surged from 7th into the 3rd spot.
Apr
20
2015
2015 PRIVCO PRIVATE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY M&A STUDY
Who Are the Most Active Buyers Of Private Tech Companies, What Private Tech Companies They're Buying, The Tech Sectors They're Targeting, The Investment Banks and Law Firms They Favorite, and PrivCo Reveals Exactly What They're Paying
Apr
16
2015
Rapidly Growing FIVE GUYS Generates 6-yr CAGR Systemwide Sales 31.1%, Location Growth 22.7% CAGR, Still No Profits
The founder of Five Guys, Jerry Murrell's, mother told him as a child that if he didn't study he would end up flipping burgers, but as fate would have it, Jerry Murrell was destined to make a career in fast casual dining. In 1986, Jerry told his sons that they could either start a business or go to college, and with the $70 thousand the family had saved for tuition
Apr
14
2015
Spotify Valued at $8.4 Billion with GPM of 17%; DraftKings Gets $250 Million Funding From Disney
Spotify [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SPOTFYP], a privately-held music streaming provider, is in the process of raising its 7th funding round and has already secured commitments from Goldman Sachs and an Abu Dhabi sovereign-wealth fund. According to PrivCo VC Funding Data, the company has raised $536.6 Million to date; the latest funding round is expected to raise an addition $400 Million, which will increase Spotify's valuation to $8.4 Billion
Apr
13
2015
Highly Levered SunGard Data Systems Stumbles in 2014 - PE Owners Eye Exit
In 2005, a consortium of seven private equity firms led by Silver Lake Partners completed a leveraged buyout (LBO) of SunGard Data Systems for $11.4B, at the time making it the second largest LBO ever according to PrivCo M&A Data. As the name suggests, in LBOs the target company takes on large amounts of debt, and SunGard Data Systems is no exception
Apr
09
2015
LEGO: A Deep Look into the Lucrative Toymaker that Briefly Eclipsed Mattel for #1 in the World
LEGO A/S, the privately-held toy manufacturer whose name comes from the Danish phrase "leg godt" which means play well in English, briefly became the largest toymaker in the world last year. Spurred by the massive success of the LEGO Movie, LEGO passed Barbie-producer, Mattel, and became the largest toymaker in the world.
Apr
06
2015
aTyr Pharma Follows $76 Million Series E Funding with $86.25 Million IPO; Cerberus Capital Management Begins to Raise $3 Billion; Jessica Alba Invests in Honor Technology
Less than a week after raising a $76 Million Series E funding, aTyr Pharma [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: TYRPHAP] has filed for a $86.25 Million IPO. PrivCo data shows that the company has raised just under $172 Million in funding to date.
Apr
01
2015
GoDaddy IPO Exceeds Expectations - Pops 30%; NBA Star Steph Curry Invests In CoachUp|Plus Private Co. M&A, VC, IPO & Investor Fund News
GoDaddy [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: GODADDP] has completed its IPO, electing to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GDDY. The IPO raised over $480 Million, which gives GoDaddy a market capitalization of just under $4 Billion
Mar
04
2015
Feb
10
2015
Jan
29
2015
Jan
29
2015
Jan
21
2015
The Top 20 Largest IPOs of 2014
The Top 20 Largest IPOs of 2014 based on amount of funding raised.
Dec
04
2014
Nov
06
2014
Indian Startups Officially Arrive, VC Investments up +261% YoY SOFTBANK Leading the Charge In Search Of India's ALIBABA
The Indian startup scene seems to have officially arrived, as prominent technology investor Softbank sees it as the next untapped frontier following Alibaba's record IPO.
Oct
30
2014
Top Privately-Held Candy Companies: Mars, Haribo, Spangler, Jelly Belly, Ferrara
With Halloween fast approaching, PrivCo queried its Private Company financial database to take a look that the top privately-held candy companies.
Oct
28
2014
PARTY CITY: Massive Debt From 2012 LBO Haunts Private Company; Handcuffed by Interest Expenses, IPO Is Delayed
PrivCo analyzes the financial data for privately-held PARTY CITY [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: PARTCIP], one of the US's top destinations for Halloween costumes, decorations, and other goods.
Oct
23
2014
Farfetch: One of UK's Fastest Growing Fashion E-Commerce Sites; Growing Revenue +100% Annually Since 2009; Widens Gross Margins to 57%
Privately-held FARFETCH, a London-based online marketplace for independent boutiques, is out to prove that Tech City (London) can produce more than fintech startups.
Oct
21
2014
SPOTIFY's Largest & Most Mature Market - the UK - Financials Augurs A Mixed Picture For Spotify's Future
PrivCo analyzes the financial data for privately-held SPOTIFY [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SPOTFYP] through the lens of its largest and first operating subsidiary - SPOTIFY UK (where Spotify is based). Verdict: slowing growth, near zero profit margins in Spotify's first and most mature market paints weak "best case" picture for other international markets.
Oct
16
2014
VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Financials Reveal It's Flying Towards Profitability; Only Lost £300K in 2013
PrivCo takes a look financial results of privately-held Virgin Atlantic Limited.
Oct
09
2014
Q3 2014 VC Investment In Cyber Security Falls 21% YoY; PrivCo Identifies Cyber Security Startups With The Largest War Chests
In light of recent data breaches at JP Morgan and Home Depot, PrivCo queried its Private Company Financial Database to take a look at Q3 trends in cyber security startups as well as identify which VC-backed cyber security startup has the largest war chest.
Oct
07
2014
Angry Birds' Maker ROVIO Stalled Midflight; FY 2013 Results Reveal Revenue Plateaued, Net Income Dropped 51%, The Workforce Ballooned (Pre-Layoffs), and ROVIO Still Paid a Dividend to Owners
PrivCo reveals the financials of ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: ROVIOP], the privately-held Finnish mobile game developer behind the Angry Birds franchise.
Oct
03
2014
PrivCo's Q3 Private Markets Activity Recap: Venture Capital, M&A, and IPO Stats
PrivCo queried its Private Company Financial Database to take a look back and identify trends in venture capital, M&A, and IPOs from Q3 2014.
Oct
01
2014
Privately-Held IKEA GROUP: World's Largest Furniture Retailer Worth $56 Billion; PrivCo Infographic Demystifies Complex Corporate Structure and Kamprad Family Ownership; 28.7 Billion Revenue in FY 2014 [PrivCo Infographic]
PrivCo presents an infographic to take a closer look at privately-held furniture retailer IKEA. The Swedish company, which was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, is the world's largest furniture retailer, with revenue of 28.7 Billion in 2014, up .68% from FY 2013.
Sep
25
2014
JIMMY CHOO: Privately-Held Luxury Brand The Next "EN VOGUE" Fashion IPO; £725 Million ($1.18B USD) PrivCo Private Company Valuation
PrivCo takes a closer look at JIMMY CHOO, the privately-held UK fashion brand and luxury shoemaker, which recently announced its plan to IPO on the London Stock Exchange next month. Jimmy Choo [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: JIMCHOP] had revenue of £281 Million in 2013.
Sep
23
2014
Marissa Mayer's Shopping List: Top Private Company Acquisition Targets For Yahoo!'s Alibaba IPO Cash; High-End Targets Led By BUZZFEED & APPNEXUS
PrivCo queried its Private Company Financial Database in order to identify our top private company acquisition targets for Yahoo! to spend its Alibaba IPO proceeds on.
Sep
16
2014
Why ALIBABA Is Worth $100/Share: Its Under-Reported Private Company Stakes Are Worth Billions [PrivCo Infographic]
PrivCo used its proprietary private company M&A technology to track ALIBABA's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: ALIBAP) substantial and largely under-reported string of private company stake purchases and acquisitions, which the data shows have only been growing in size and pace in recent years.
Sep
15
2014
BREAKING NEWS: ALIBABA Increases Offering Price Range to $66-$68; Initial Valuation $165-$170 Billion in Record $25 Billion IPO
ALIBABA has increased its initial offering price to $66-$68 per share, with the expectation that the final offering price per share will be $68.00.
Sep
12
2014
SQUARE Raising $100 Million at $6 Billion Valuation To Battle Apple Pay; STRIPES GROUP Closes $500 Million Third Fund; REWALK ROBOTICS Announces $14-$16 Per Share Range; ORIGINAL BOWLING COMPANY Bought by Electra PARTNERS [PrivCo Private Markets Dige[...]
[Private Markets Digest] SQUARE is raising $100 million in a Series E round of funding at a $6 billion valuation.
Sep
11
2014
J. CREW Infographic: Privately-Held Retailer Could Be Next "In" Fashion IPO; PrivCo-Estimated $5.25B IPO Value; 75% More Than Take-Private Price in 2011
PrivCo closes out PrivCo Private Companies' Fashion Week by valuing privately-held American fashion brand and hot IPO prospect J.CREW GROUP.
Sep
09
2014
VALENTINO FASHION GROUP: Record Year; Revenues +20.3% to 551 Million; Luxury Brand Cashing in on Emerging Market Demand to Drive Growth [PrivCo Infographic]
PrivCo continues PrivCo Private Companies' Fashion Week by revealing the stunning financials behind privately-held fashion house VALENTINO.
Sep
08
2014
CHANEL: A Key Inside the Private Fashion - And - Financial House; A Haute $24.4 BILLION Valuation On $8.5 BILLION Revenue
PrivCo kick's off PrivCo Private Companies' Fashion Week by revealing the stunning financials behind privately-held fashion house CHANEL through its parent company ARNAM [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: ARNSARP].
Sep
02
2014
Largest Private Cruise-Line Acquisition For $3 Billion by Norwegian Cruise; EMAAR PROPERTIES Prepares For Rare Middle Eastern IPO; THOMA BRAVO Takes COMPUWARE Private For $2.5 Billion [PrivCo Private Markets Digest]
[Private Markets Digest] Norwegian Cruise Line hours ago signed a binding agreement to acquire privately-held PRESTIGE CRUISES INTERNATIONAL for $3.025 Billion total of $1.56 Billion in cash, and Norwegian's assumption of $1.69 Billion of Prestige Cruises' debt.
Aug
28
2014
JOHNNY ROCKETS: "The Original Hamburger" Struggling, $1.2 Million Profit on $47.8 Million Revenue; FRIENDLY's Owner Sun Capital Hopes to Lead Another Turnaround [PrivCo Infographic]
PrivCo has obtained the financials of Johnny Rockets [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: JOHROCP], the 1950s diner-style restaurant had $1.2 Million in profit in 2013 on $47.8 Million in revenue [see infographic].
Aug
27
2014
PrivCo IPO Alert: ALIBABA Files Q2 Financials, Continues Record Growth on March to IPO; Stunning $1.99 Billion Profit on $2.54 Billion in Revenue; 923% YoY Mobile Revenue Growth
ALIBABA moments ago filed new IPO paperwork with the SEC. The newly filed ALIBABA (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: ALIBAP) F-1 Amended contains its Q2 financial results. The Chinese internet behemoth continued its unprecedented growth as it marches towards its record IPO.
Aug
26
2014
CHICK-FIL-A's RECORD PROFITS: $230 Million on $1.4 Billion Revenue Last Year... CHICK-FIL-A's Cathy Family Billionaires Now Worth $5.1 Billion [PrivCo Infographic]
PrivCo reveals the stunning financials behind privately-held and cash producing fast food chain Chick-fil-A [PrivCo Private Company Ticker: CHICKP].
Jul
23
2014
FLIPKART 'India's AMAZON.com' Raises Record $1 Billion at $5 Billion Valuation... Largest Indian VC Round Ever... 313% Valuation Growth in 9 Months
FLIPKART, India's Amazon.com, has reportedly raised $1 Billion at a record $5 Billion valuation.
Jul
21
2014
McDONALD'S & YUM BRANDS' CHINA "SPOILED MEAT" SUPPLIER: INSIDE PRIVATELY-HELD GIANT OSI GROUP (PrivCo Data)
PrivCo provides an exclusive look inside OSI GROUP, the private company that has set off a national scandal throughout China and crippled McDonald's and YUM Brands' massive China businesses.
Jun
25
2014
PRIVCO INFOGRAPHIC: Early Stage Venture Capital Investment in Cyber Security up 69%
PrivCo takes a look at early stage (Seed, Series A, Series B) venture capital funding in the cyber security industry.
Jun
17
2014
PRIVCO: Inside FLIPKART: 'India's AMAZON.com'- Soon To Be An India Tech IPO Star
FLIPKART.com founded in 2007 by two former Amazon employees is India's Amazon.com, and India's future Tech IPO Star.
Jun
16
2014
ALERT: ALIBABA's Revenue +52% YoY to Record $8.46 BILLION, ALIBABA Profit +175%: "Stunning" Growth; Names Partners and Directors
PrivCo has obtained the latest financial results of Chinese e-commerce giant ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD., the filing was the first financial update since the company filed for its record IPO on May 6.
Jun
06
2014
ALERT: UBER Raises $1.2 Billion at Uber-High $17 Billion Valuation... Led by FIDELITY INVESTMENTS... 360% Valuation Growth in 10 Months
UBER just announced $1.2 Billion in Series D funding at a record $17 Billion pre-money valuation. 360% valuation growth in only 10 months.
May
29
2014
THE TRUE FINANCIAL STORY OF BEATS ELECTRONICS: APPLE Acquires BEATS Electronics For "Unjustifiable" Valuation: The True Financial Story Of BEATS Electronics: Was Debt-Heavy, Low-Margin "Distressed Asset"
* HEAVY DEBT LOAD After $530M Dividends Paid To Dre, Iovine Only Months Ago * BEATS Shifted Business Model In 2012 From Brand "Licensor" To Manufacturer, Requiring Large Cash Needs....Margins Plunged Despite Boasts of "Growing Revenue" Due to New Accounting * BEATS Near Bankruptcy In 2013 After Potential Lenders Shunned Loaning Co. Further Money * BEATS Was "Distressed Asset" Before CARLYLE Rescue
May
28
2014
PrivCo's Top 20 LAW FIRMS for Private Technology M&A Transactions: The League Tables: #1 KIRKLAND & ELLIS #2 GOODWIN PROCTER #3 LATHAM & WATKINS #4 SKADDEN #5 SHEARMAN & STERLING
PrivCo's Top 20 LAW FIRMS for Private Technology M&A Transactions: The League Tables: #1 KIRKLAND & ELLIS #2 GOODWIN PROCTER #3 LATHAM & WATKINS #4 SKADDEN #5 SHEARMAN & STERLING
May
21
2014
PrivCo's The Top 15 Most Successful Venture Capital Firms of 2013: (#1) INTEL CAPITAL, (#2) SV ANGEL, (#3) GREYLOCK PARTNERS, (#4) NEA, (#5) IGNITION PARTNERS
PrivCo has just released its 2014 Private Tech Company M&A Research Report: Included in this comprehensive, 400-plus page report are exclusive rankings of the Top 15 Most Successful Venture Capital Firms, ranked by the number of portfolio tech companies acquired in 2013 (IPOs are excluded).
May
13
2014
PrivCo's THE TOP 10 CITIES OF THE YEAR FOR PRIVATE TECH ACQUISITIONS: (#1) SILICON VALLEY/S.F. (#2) NYC (#3) SAN DIEGO (#4) CHICAGO (#5) SEATTLE
PrivCo has provided its Exclusive Top 10 Ranking below, with Silicon Valley ranking as the #1 metro area with 281 private tech company acquisitions in 2013. Ranked just behind it were New York (Ranked #2) & San Diego (Ranked #3).
May
09
2014
PRIVCO: Private Market Digest: ALIBABA Pre-IPO Acquisitions Continue w/ 18.5% Stake in "Chinese YouTube" YouKu... FLATIRON HEALTH Raises $130M Round... KIRKLAND Counsels PAMPLONA On BEACON RAIL Buyout...RAYMOND JAMES Advises inCONTACT M&A
PrivCo's Featured Deals as well as a roundup of the top Fund News, M&A Transactions, IPOs, Venture Capital, and Deal Advisors.
May
06
2014
ALIBABA Files For IPO; PrivCo: ALIBABA Value = $195 BILLION: YAHOO Stake: $47B
ALIBABA has just filed its Draft Registration Statement on Form F-1 with the SEC, confirming Privco's prediction that they would file by Memorial Day. PrivCo first reported in March that Alibaba would IPO in New York over Hong Kong.
May
02
2014
PrivCo's "Price is No Object" Rankings: Private Tech M&A Acquirers Paying The Greatest Revenue Multiples
* #1 YAHOO! Top Blank Check Acquirer- Paid 84.6x Revenue for Tumblr * Private #4 ALIBABA Willing to Pay High Multiples Pre-IPO * Equity is Cheap- 8 of Top 10 "Price Is No Object" Co's are Public
Apr
28
2014
LivingSocial's Accounting Alchemy: How to Claim a Major Loss As a "Profit"
LivingSocial's most recent financials obtained by PrivCo show that their operating business is still struggling despite reporting $177M in Net Income for Q1 2014. The profit is the result of "Accounting Alchemy," writing down TicketMonster prior to selling it for a $205M "gain" despite a real loss of $90M on the investment.
Apr
16
2014
PrivCo's Top 10 Most Active Buyers of Private U.S. Tech Companies in 2013... #1 YAHOO- Outpaces #2 GOOGLE and Takes Top Spot with Marissa Mayer at Helm With Open Checkbook; MARLIN EQUITY Only PE Firm in Top 10
#1 YAHOO!- Did not even make it into the Top 50 acquirer in PrivCo's 2012 report. Its increased M&A activity represents a shift in strategy since Marissa Mayer became Yahoo!'s CEO in July 2012.
Apr
03
2014
DROPBOX Selects First-Ever C.F.O: SUJAY JASWA; IPO Plans for Q4 2014 Confirmed: PRIVCO Sources....DROPBOX's Founder-Dominated Board Allowed Pick of Less Experienced JASWA To Critical IPO Finance Role
DROPBOX's Board has decided to soon publicly name SUJAY JASWA (currently Head of Partnerships at Dropbox and an early employee at the company) as its first ever Chief Financial Officer, PrivCo sources confirm. The move comes as Dropbox [ PrivCo Private Company Ticker: DROPBXP ] - a privately-held cloud computing storage company - has recently decided to launch definitive plans for an IPO in the fourth quarter of 2014, PrivCo sources confirm.
Mar
16
2014
ALERT: ALIBABA To IPO In NEW YORK Over Hong Kong: PrivCo Sources...."Favors" NYSE Over NASDAQ...Aiming For $20 BILLION IPO At $150 BILLION Valuation, Setting New IPO Records...6 Banks Close to Being Picked to Lead: GOLDMAN, CREDIT SUISSE, MORGAN STANLEY, DEUTSCHE, CITI & JP MORGAN...Law Firm SIMPSON THACHER To Be Issuer's Counsel
* Banking Source: NYSE Favored" Over NASDAQ To Win "Epic" Listing * Biggest Tech IPO in History Now Aiming for $20 BILLION IPO At $150 BILLION Valuation, Highest Ever For An IPO * LATE NIGHT IPO STRATEGY MEETING THIS WEEKEND Consulting With Bankers, ALIBABA MGMT, Wrapping Now At Late Hours With Final Decision
Mar
14
2014
ALERT: CANDY CRUSHED- KING's Co-Founder and Former CEO Left $1 Billion On The Table With Ill-Timed Cash-Out; Netting Only $3 Million
"Oh well, I'd probably have blown it on wine, women and a vanity space program." - Tony Rowland, King Co-Founder and Former CEO, to PrivCo, on his ill-timed cash-out from KING.
Mar
13
2014
On Eve of Wedding to JOS. A. BANK, EDDIE BAUER Left at the Altar... 3 Options for Private Clothing Company: PE or Strategic Sale, IPO, or Growth Through Acquisition
Privately held clothing and accessory retailer Eddie Bauer (PrivCo Ticker: EDDBAUP) has been left at the altar on the eve of their wedding to fellow clothing retailer JOS. A. BANK, leaving the company to review its options.
Mar
04
2014
WEIBO IPO Valued Up to $8 Billion (PrivCo Analysis), As "The Twitter of China" Grows Revenue +149%, ALIBABA Stands to Profit $1.5 Billion from 30% WEIBO Stake...
Chinese Internet company SINA CORP's (NASDAQ:SINA) microblogging unit WEIBO (modeled after Twitter) - planning a New York IPO as early as June, according to PrivCo sources, is valued at up to $8 billion according to PrivCo analysis, using comparable mobile IPOs and private company M&A transactions, including What'sApp and Twitter.
Feb
27
2014
Private LEVI STRAUSS Yearly Profit Jumps 59% on $4.68B in Revenue - Is the Jeans Brand Back "IN"?
PrivCo has recently obtained the 2013 Financials for Levi Strauss & Co (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: LEVSTRP), one of America's oldest and most iconic brands.
Feb
20
2014
King Digital Entertainment, maker of wildly popular mobile game Candy Crush, files for $500M IPO: Will it Win?
King Digital Entertainment (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: INGIGIP), the maker of the wildly successful match-three game, Candy Crush Saga filed for a $500 million IPO on Tuesday, February 18.
Feb
19
2014
ALERT: Facebook buys WhatsApp for $16 Billion
On the heels of Viber's acquisition, Kakao and Kik remain.
Feb
10
2014
ALERT: ALIBABA to Acquire AUTONAVI Online Mapping for $1.45 Billion...Deal To Add $3.4 Billion To ALIBABA IPO Valuation: PrivCo
ALERT: ALIBABA to Acquire AUTONAVI Online Mapping for $1.45 Billion...Deal To Add $3.4 Billion To ALIBABA IPO Valuation: PrivCo
Feb
10
2014
E-Cigarette Private Companies Inhaled By BigTobacco and VCs: Our Top 5 E-Cigarette Acquisition Targets
E-Cigarette Private Companies Inhaled By BigTobacco and VCs: Our Top 5 E-Cigarette Acquisition Targets
Jan
27
2014
The Top 10 Largest PE Deals of 2013
The Top 10 Largest PE Deals of 2013: Berkshire and 3G's Take-Private of H.J.Heinz was 2013's Top Deal; Wachtell was Top Legal Advisor; JP Morgan, Credit Suisse Top Financial Advisors
Jan
07
2014
LEGO's Private Financials: Privately-Held Toymaker Raked in $5.2 Billion, with $2.2 Billion in 2013 Holiday Loot (Up 21% from 2012 actuals)
The firm is on track to earn $6.2 billion by 2014 and generate $1.6 billion in profits despite stagnating sector growth, double 2011 results.
Dec
10
2013
Announcing the First Annual PrivCo Prize for Excellence in Business Librarianship
This year's winner is Ray Cruitt, Business Librarian at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD.
Dec
10
2013
Conversation Ray Cruitt, Winner of the PrivCo Prize for Business Librarianship
Ray Cruitt of the Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource Center in Baltimore, MD discusses mission focus.
Nov
22
2013
Is Pret-A-Manger a Bigger Potbelly? Latest Infographic
New Infographic compares UK's Pret-a-Manger to recent IPO Potbelly. Is Pret the next big sandwich IPO to ride Potbelly's recent IPO pop?
Nov
08
2013
The "Twitter Mafia" and Yesterday's Big IRS Payday
The Twitter Mafia and Yesterday's Big IRS Payday
Nov
07
2013
Nov
06
2013
Oct
29
2013
Oct
29
2013
Spotify's Latest Financials: Does Subscription Music Have a Future?
Does Subscription Music Have a Future?
Oct
24
2013
Oct
16
2013
Oct
09
2013
Revisions to Twitter's Prospectus: Twitter's IPO Date Revealed
IPO Date Revealed; Increased Focus on Mobile, International
Sep
26
2013
IPO Watch: Violin Memory
Red Flags abound in Violin Memory's Business
Sep
20
2013
FireEye, ClubCorp Rise in IPOs
The companies just staged very strong IPOs and enjoy businesses that exemplify what PrivCo has predicted would be one of the year's top investment trends: firms with strong recurring revenue models.
Sep
18
2013
Research on Two Autumn IPOs
Two IPOs this week enjoy cash flow structures that PrivCo believes exemplify this year's major trend in new business models.
Sep
12
2013
Twitter Files Confidentially for IPO
Twitter has just filed confidentially for an IPO, confirming PrivCo's top prediction for 2013.
Sep
04
2013
Yankee Candle Sold to Jarden After PE Firms Lose Interest
This week, Jarden Corporation entered an agreement to purchas Yankee Candle Company from PE Firm Madison Dearborn.
Aug
28
2013
Direct Edge, BATS Merge, Become 2nd Largest U.S. Stock Exchange
Earlier this week, trading firms BATS Global Markets and Direct Edge announced plans to merge.
Aug
21
2013
Powa Technologies Pockets $76 Million In Series A Funding
Powa Technologies has raised a whopping $76 Million in Series A funding.
Aug
14
2013
Neiman Marcus Gets Dressed For IPO
Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus continues on its road to an IPO by hiring Credit Suisse, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and J.P. Morgan as lead underwriters.
Aug
09
2013
Hilton & Blackstone Select Banks, Move On IPO Plans & Debt Refinancing
Hilton Worldwide is in the process of preparing for an IPO.
Jul
17
2013
CBS To Sell International Outdoor Ad Business To Platinum Equity For $225 Million
CBS Corp has reached an agreement to sell its international outdoor advertising business, CBS Outdoor International, to Platinum Equity for $225 million in cash.
May
28
2013
BETTER PLACE INC. Lost $459M In 2012 on Only $6.9M in Sales, PrivCo Exclusive Financial Documents Reveal; BETTER PLACE Cash Left Dec. 31: $34.4M, Now Just $9.5M, vs. $915M Of Liabilities; "Israeli Liquidation Laws Very Pro-Creditor"
BETTER PLACE's CASH Left On Dec. 31, 2012: $34.4M (Despite Raising $900M+ in Venture Capital Funding At Peak Valuation of $2.25 Billion In Nov. 2011)....PAINFUL LIQUIDATION Ahead for Investors & Creditors: BETTER PLACE Cash of $34.4 MILLION vs. Liabilities of $915.5 MILLION
May
20
2013
YAHOO! Ropes In TUMBLR For $1.1 Billion: Tumblr's Enormous Young Adult User Base Is A Sea Of Opportunity for Yahoo! Under CEO Marissa Mayer, But Also A Wild West Fraught With Content Safety and Copyright Infringement Risks
Tumblr, the popular social media photo-blogging site, has been acquired by Yahoo for approximately $1.1 Billion in cash (85x Tumblr's 2012 revenues).
May
17
2013
TABLEAU SOFTWARE HITS IPO GRAND SLAM - Opens With 52% Pop In First Trades After Raising Price Range
Tableau Software opened trading this morning at $47 per share (a 52% pop over its IPO pricing of $31 per share).
Apr
29
2013
FISKER AUTO's $529M D.O.E. Taxpayer Loans -- NEW TOP-SECRET INTERNAL GOV'T DOCs Prove: Years-Long Cover Up of Privately-Held FISKER's Endless Loan Defaults, D.O.E. Loan Office's Ongoing Misleading Of U.S. Taxpayers, Congress, Federal Agencies & Auditors To Keep Loan Defaults Secret
PrivCo releases never before seen Classified internal government documents on the U.S. Dept. of Energy's $529M Loan facility to Fisker Automotive, proving a concerted effort by the DEO' Loan Programs Office to cover up the unraveling of Fisker, in violation of federal law regarding DOE Loan Program Defaults, and inevitable erosion of the last U.S. taxpayer collateral that backed the Loans.
Apr
23
2013
ALERT: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE Loan Payment Made With RESTRICTED CASH ACCOUNT HELD AS COLLATERAL w/ DOE's Knowledge ...DOE Still Has Not Foreclosed or Declared FISKER In DEFAULT...Restricted Cash Use Permission Contrary to Taxpayers' Interest, Avoids Embarrassment of FISKER Missing 1st Payment - 2 Days Before Congressional Hearing Investigating $192M DOE Loans...Results In Depletion of Most of Last Collateral Protecting U.S. Taxpayers' Total Loss
Fisker Automotive made the first payment on April 22nd of its $192 Million D.O.E. Loan by using a Restricted Reserve Account intended as collateral to protect U.S. taxpayers.
Apr
17
2013
FISKER AUTOMOTIVE'S ROAD TO RUIN: Original Exclusive Documents Detail How a "Billion-Dollar Startup Became a Billion-Dollar Disaster"
17th 1:02pm ET: After weeks of analysis by PrivCo's staff of attorneys, accountants and financial analysts, PrivCo has released its timeline detailing Fisker Automotive's "ROAD TO RUIN", supplemented by never-before published documents obtained through multiple Freedom Of Information Act requests. "Largest V.C. Debacle in U.S. History"...U.S. Taxpayers To Lose $194M+...Fisker To File Bankruptcy Within Days
Apr
09
2013
IPO Alert: TAYLOR MORRISON Prices IPO At $22 Per Share, Top Of $20-$22 Filing Range; IPO Upsized 20% To 28.6 Million Shares Offered; Only 2nd Homebuilder IPO In Nearly A Decade
7:02pm ET: Taylor Morrison, Inc. has just priced its IPO at $22 per share, at the top of its initial range of $20-$22
Apr
05
2013
FISKER AUTOMOTIVE NEAR DEATH: Electric Vehicle Pioneer "Out of Gas" Despite Raising $1 BILLION+
After raising over $1 Billion from the world's elite venture capital firms - and receiving approval for $529 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy in September of 2009 - drawing $193 million - , Fisker Automotive has only $29 million of cash left as of today (Friday) - just laid off 80% of its last remaining employees - and the company lacks the ability to make the 1st $123M Loan payment on April 22nd to avoid debt default and bankruptcy.
Apr
03
2013
ANGRY BIRDS' Studio Soared In 2012 With 101% Revenue Growth & 50% Profit Margins
Rovio Entertainment Ltd. has demonstrated phenomenal 101% revenue growth in 2012
Mar
28
2013
IPO ALERT: PINNACLE FOODS IPO Up 11% On First Day Of Trading After Pricing At Top Of Range; Successful $580 Million Offering Is Largest IPO So Far In 2013
Pinnacle Foods closed at $22.21 on its first day on the NYSE, up 11% after pricing at $20.00
Mar
28
2013
RISE OF THE "ACQ-HIRE": Top 5 U.S. Tech Co.'s With The Most ACQ-HIRES: (#1.) FACEBOOK, (#2.) TWITTER, (#3.) YAHOO (#4.) GOOGLE (#5.) AIRBNB; Recent ACQ-HIRE Phenomenon Pioneered By FACEBOOK, Now Commonplace & Trending Up 91% Quarter Over Quarter
PrivCo analyzes the growing trend of the "Acq-Hire" and uses its proprietary research platform to provide an inside look at the facts and statistics behind it.
Mar
27
2013
IPO Alert: PINNACLE FOODS IPO PRICES AT $20, Top of $18-20 range; As Owner of BIRDS EYE, DUNCAN HINES, AUNT JEMIMA Targets Dividend Yielding 3.6% At IPO Price
Pinnacle Foods has just priced its IPO at $20 per share.
Mar
22
2013
BAUSCH & LOMB FILES FOR IPO: Expected To Be Largest IPO Of 2013 At Over $1 Billion; Privately-Held Eye-Care Giant BAUSCH & LOMB Owns ReNu Contact Business, PureVision Brand & Dozens More
BAUSCH & LOMB, the eye-care giant owned by top private equity firm Warburg Pincus, just filed for an IPO.
Mar
20
2013
THE 2 HOTTEST IPOS OF THE BUSIEST IPO WEEK OF THE YEAR: A Record EIGHT IPOs On Deck, PrivCo Names Its Top 2 IPO Winners: (#1) MARIN SOFTWARE, and (#2) MODEL N
Marin Software, a digital ad management software platform, is slated to go public on Friday, and is PrivCo's Hot IPO Pick Of The Week.
Mar
13
2013
SILVER SPRING NETWORKS' IPO Valuation: $4.50/Share: SILVER SPRING Is "Poster Child" Of 7 Key IPO Red Flags IPO Investors Must Know (& That Foresaw ZYNGA & GROUPON IPO Debacles)
Silver Spring Networks, one of the longest waiting IPOs (nearly 21 months since filing in July 2011), has just priced its IPO at $17 per share to raise downsized $81 Million. PrivCo analyzes the Silver Spring IPO filing and financials and concludes for IPO investors that this may well be the "poster child" for what to avoid in considering IPO investments.
Mar
11
2013
INTEL CAPITAL President ARVIND SODHANI Sits Down w/ PrivCo Founder SAM HAMADEH At The NASDAQ In N.Y.C In Rare Exclusive Interview - "The Smartest VC In the World"
INTEL CAPITAL President sat down Thursday in rare, exclusive interview w/ PrivCo Founder Sam Hamadeh at the NASDAQ in NYC: "The Smartest VC In the World".
Mar
08
2013
PrivCo Company Spotlight: Why Sara Blakely's Spanx Is Worth $1 Billion: Making Her World's Youngest Billionaires
Fresh off its $1 billion valuation, PrivCo takes a look at the story of Spanx, Inc. Sara Blakely, how the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
Feb
26
2013
(Official Top 10 Tech Cities Rankings): The TOP 10 U.S. CITIES FOR PRIVATE TECH M&A In 2012: (#1) SF/SILICON VALLEY (#2) NYC (#3) BOSTON (#4) LOS ANGELES (#5) SEATTLE
PrivCo reveals its exclusive official Rankings of the "Top 10 U.S. Cities For Private Tech Company Acquisitions In 2012", ranked by the total number of U.S. private technology companies in each city's metro area acquired last year. Also included in the Top 10 Rankings table below for each city is the largest acquisition for the year.
Feb
20
2013
LIVINGSOCIAL Receives Emergency $110M Debt ("Equity" In Name Only) Infusion From Existing Investors With Oppressive Terms, JUST DAYS FROM BANKRUPTCY, Effectively Handing Over Distressed Co. to Today's Financing Participants
LivingSocial has just received $110 million in emergency funding from some of its existing investors today, in a last ditch attempt to save the company from imminent financial ruin.
Feb
19
2013
(Top V.C. Firm Rankings): The TOP 20 MOST SUCCESSFUL TECH VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS Of 2012: (#1) INTEL CAPITAL (#2) FELICIS (#3) SV ANGEL (#4) SEQUOIA CAPITAL (#5) FIRST ROUND CAPITAL. INTEL CAPITAL: #1 Rank Reflects "Excellent Year For Us"; FELICIS: [...]
PrivCo reveals its exclusive Top 20 Ranking of the Most Successful Venture Capital Firms In 2012, ranked by the total number of the firms' U.S. private tech companies acquired last year. With the most investment exits, Intel Capital ranked as the #1 V.C. firm of 2012. Rounding out the rest of the top 3 were Felicis Ventures (Ranked #2) & SV Angel (Ranked #3).
Feb
13
2013
(Top M&A Law Firm Rankings): THE TOP 20 LAW FIRMS For Private Tech Company M&A Deals Of 2012: (#1) KIRKLAND & ELLIS (#2) WEIL GOTSHAL (#3) JONES DAY (#4) DAVIS POLK (#5) FENWICK & WEST; 2012 Private Tech Co. M&A Law Firm Trends: (1) Rise Of NYC Based[...]
PrivCo reveals its Exclusive Top 20 Ranking of the most sought out M&A Law Firms for Private Tech M&A deals in 2012. Topping the list as the #1 Law Firm in private tech M&A deals was Chicago-based international law firm Kirkland & Ellis. Ranked just behind Kirkland Ellis were Weil, Gotshall & Manges (Ranked #2) & Jones Day (Ranked #3).
Feb
12
2013
THE TOP 20 INVESTMENT BANKS / M&A FIRMS For Private Tech Company Acquisitions Of 2012: #1. BARCLAYS; #2. MORGAN STANLEY; #3. CREDIT SUISSE; #4: RBC, #5: PwC M&A Services; 2012 Private Tech Co. M&A Financial Advisor Trends: (1) Top Accounting Firms' "[...]
PrivCo releases its Exclusive Top 20 Rankings of M&A Financial Advisors for private tech M&A deals in 2012, with U.K.-based Barclays ranked #1.
Feb
07
2013
The TOP 100 ACQUIRERS OF PRIVATE TECH COMPANIES IN 2012: (#1) FACEBOOK (#2) GOOGLE (#3) GROUPON (#4) TWITTER (#5) CISCO (PrivCo Report): 2,357 Private Tech Cos. Were Acquired; Surprises: TWITTER Bought As Many Private Tech Co's As Giant CISCO; SOFTWA[...]
PrivCo has just released Vol. 1 of its exclusive Annual Private Company M&A Report Series: "The Top 100 Acquirers Of U.S. Private Tech Companies In 2012". This comprehensive, 353-page report provides in-depth private company M&A data, rankings, and analytics on 2012's private technology company acquisitions.
Feb
07
2013
THE 2012 PRIVATE TECH COMPANY M&A REPORT
Who Are the 100 Most Active Buyers Of Private Tech Companies, What Private Tech Companies They're Buying, The Tech Sectors They're Targeting, The Investment Banks and Law Firms They Favorite, and PrivCo Reveals Exactly What They're Paying
Feb
05
2013
DELL, INC $24.4 BILLION TAKE PRIVATE: Largest LBO Since Hilton's In 2007; Founder & CEO MICHAEL DELL Takes 3rd Largest Computer Maker Private With SILVER LAKE PARTNERS; MICROSOFT CORP. Provides Loan
Dell, Inc. was taken private this morning for $13.65 per share in a $24.4 Billion leverage buyout (LBO) deal led by the company's founder & CEO Michael Dell. This LBO was the biggest since Hilton was taken private in 2007 for approximately $26 Billion by the Blackstone Group, before the financial crisis.
Feb
04
2013
The 5 Privately-Held Companies That Ran Superbowl Ads This Year: MARS INC., GODADDY, SUBWAY, POM WONDERFUL (aka Roll Global : Wonderful Pistachios) and TRIBUNE MEDIA'S CARS.COM; Only 5 of this year's 40 SuperBowl Advertisers (12%) Were Private Compan[...]
During Sunday's SuperBowl, of the 40 companies that ran SuperBowl ads, 5 of them (12%) were privately held companies: Mars Inc. (PrivCo Private Company Ticker:MARSP), GoDaddy (PrivCo Private Company Ticker:GODADDP), Subway (Doctor's Associates) (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SUBRESP), Roll Global (Wonderful Pistachios) (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: ROLGLOP) and Cars.com (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: CARSP).
Jan
30
2013
(Exclusive): THE TOP 5 PRIVATELY-HELD FIREARMS COMPANIES IN AMERICA: #1: FREEDOM GROUP (Maker of Notorious Bushmaster), #2: MOSSBERG, #3: COLT'S, #4: SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, #5: BARRETT FIREARMS; How Some of U.S.'s Oldest Private Companies Dating To 1794[...]
Using the PrivCo financial data platform to screen for these private companies, we now present our exclusive list of the Top 5 Privately-Held Firearms Companies in America potentially affected by the passing of the proposed new gun control legislation:
Jan
29
2013
SILVER SPRING NETWORKS IPO: Is It "Lights Out" For The CleanTech Company's IPO? (After 10 S-1 Amendments & Steadily Declining Revenues, Co. Now "Technically Insolvent" Without Emergency Capital Raise Or Half-Priced IPO)
Nineteen months and ten S-1 Amendments later, Silver Spring Networks, Inc. has yet to go public. PrivCo analysis indicates that despite Silver Spring's persistence, its chances of actually going public are getting slimmer by the day. Pulling the plug on the company's once highly anticipated IPO is now likelyonly a matter of when and not if, PrivCo's IPO analysis concludes.
Jan
24
2013
PrivCo Deals Alert: CISCO Sells LINKSYS Routers Division For $275 Million In Cash To Privately-Held BELKIN; (CHET PIPKIN's Stake In Belkin Now Makes Him A Billionaire According to New PrivCo Valuation of Belkin)
Cisco Systems has just sold its home networking business unit, including the well-known Linksys router brand, to privately-held Belkin International, Inc. This sale makes it clear that Cisco Systems is determined to exit the consumer networking business.
Jan
24
2013
BREAKING NEWS: BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS Prices IPO At $22 Per Share, Above Initial Range; Success For Majority Shareholder BAIN CAPITAL
January 24, 2013 6:30 pm EST - Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. just priced its IPO at $22 per share, above its initial range of $19-$21.
Jan
24
2013
WEEK'S IPO REVIEW: 2 High Profile IPOs On Tap: (1) BAIN CAPITAL Backed BRIGHT HORIZONS Eyes $202M IPO To Pay Down LBO-Related Debt; (2) LIPOSCIENCE Aims To Go Public In 2013's 1st Health-Care IPO, Expected to Set Tone For Sector's IPOs This Year
January 24, 2013 2:00 am EST - PrivCo analyzes the two anticipated IPOs for this week: Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc., and LipoScience, Inc.
Jan
23
2013
The TOP 10 LARGEST PRIVATE-EQUITY DEALS OF 2012: #1. EP Energy Corp. ($7.2B); #2. CEQUEL COMMUNICATIONS ($6.6B); #3. DUPONT PERFORMANCE COATINGS ($4.9B); Most Active Buyers In The 2012 Top 10 PrivCo Rankings: CARLYLE GROUP And APOLLO GLOBAL; GOLDMAN [...]
January 23, 2013 2:00 am EST - 2012 has come to a close, so it's time for PrivCo to release our annual rankings of the Top 10 Largest Private-Equity Deals of the Year.
Jan
18
2013
IPO ALERT: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE IPO Opens +30%, Proves "Unsinkable" Despite Carrying Heavy Debt Load; First Major IPO Of 2013 Sets Stage For IPO Market; Big Win For Private Equity Owners APOLLO And TPG
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings IPO just began trading today on the NASDAQ, opening at $25.10, a 32.1% pop over its IPO price of $19 per share.
Jan
15
2013
EXCLUSIVE 2012 RANKINGS - The TOP 10 LARGEST V.C.-BACKED ACQUISITIONS OF THE YEAR: 1st Place: NICIRA NETWORKS ($1.26B); 2nd Place: YAMMER ($1.20B); 3rd Place: MERAKI, INC. ($1.20B); BIGGEST WINNERS: BENCHMARK CAPITAL, ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ, SEQUOIA CAP[...]
January 15, 2012 2:00 am EST - PrivCo compiles our annual list of the largest V.C.-backed private company mergers and acquisitions. Enterprise technology, social media, and cloud technology company acquisitions dominated the top ten list this year, with Nicira Networks, Inc.'s acquisition by VMware, Inc. topping the list.
Jan
09
2013
PrivCo's Top 10 2013 PREDICTIONS: (1) TWITTER Will File For An IPO In 4th Quarter, IPO In Q1 2014 At $15B Valuation (2) HOSTESS Split In Two & Acquired, (3) TORY BURCH Will IPO At $4B Valuation, (4) One-Third of All Incubators Will Shut Down, (5) CRE[...]
PrivCo provides our Top 10 Predictions for 2013:
Jan
09
2013
PrivCo's Top 10 2013 PREDICTIONS (Part 2): (6) FOURSQUARE Will Fail, (7) TABLEAU Will Be Year's Top IPO, (8) MGM Will Abandon IPO Filing, Be Acquired By TIME WARNER, (9) SQUARE Will Be Acquired By VISA, AMEX Or PAYPAL for $5 Billion+, (10) NYSE Will [...]
January 9, 2013 2:00 am EST - PrivCo provides the rest of our Top 10 Predictions for 2013 (#6-10)
Jan
08
2013
PrivCo's Top 10 2013 PREDICTIONS (Part 1): (1) TWITTER Will File For An I.P.O. In 4th Quarter, IPO In Q1 2014 At $15B Valuation (2) HOSTESS Split In Two & Acquired, (3) TORY BURCH Will I.P.O. At $4B Valuation, (4) One-Third of All Incubators Will Shu[...]
January 8, 2013 2:00 am EST - PrivCo provides our Top 10 Predictions for 2013 (#1-5 revealed here, look out for our newsletter tomorrow containing predictions #6-10)
Jan
02
2013
ALERT: CURRENT TV Cable Network Acquired By AL JAZEERA For $784 Million, With AL GORE Pocketing $78.4 Million In Cash
Al Jazeera, the pan-Arab news provider owned by the Qatari Royal Family, paid a PrivCo estimated $784 million to acquire Current TV, or 7X Current TV's 2012 revenue of $112 million. (Purchase price based on comparable revenue multiple analysis and inside knowledge of the sale proceedings).
Jan
02
2013
ALERT: TORY BURCH And Ex-Husband CHRIS BURCH Bury Hatchet In $650 Million Deal, Making Tory Burch A Self-Made FEMALE BILLIONAIRE: Mr. Burch Sells A 20% Stake In Private Co. TORY BURCH LLC To Private-Equity Firms GENERAL ATLANTIC & BDT CAPITAL for $65[...]
Tory Burch LLC (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: TORYP) just had two investors, private equity firms General Atlantic and BDT Capital Partners, acquire 20% of the company through stakes held by Tory Burch's former husband, J. Christopher Burch, according to PrivCo sources.
Dec
27
2012
IPO ALERT: SEAWORLD Files For IPO - Private-Equity Backed (By BLACKSTONE GROUP) Theme Park Company With Over $1.3 Billion In Annual Revenue Files To Raise At Least $100M: Strong Brand, But Financials Show Narrow Margins
December 27, 2012 5:30 pm EST - SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. officially filed for an IPO today, seeking to raise $100 million. SeaWorld is backed by private equity firm Blackstone Group and plans to use the IPO proceeds for payments to Blackstone as well as paying down of debt. PrivCo breaks down SeaWorld's IPO filings and private company financials.
Dec
27
2012
EXCLUSIVE 2012 RANKINGS - The TOP 10 LARGEST V.C. FUNDING ROUNDS OF THE YEAR: 1st Place: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE ($411M); 2nd Place: 360BUY ($400M); 3rd Place: SQUARETRADE ($238M); See the Full List Of Top 10 Largest Venture Rounds of 2012
December 27, 2012 11:00 am EST - The top ten venture capital funding rounds in 2012, in terms of round size, reveals much about investor interest as a whole. PrivCo reveals 2012's Top 10 V.C. Funding Rounds Of The Year:
Dec
21
2012
CREDIT SUISSE Ranked As PrivCo's #1 U.S. IPO Underwriter Of The Year (1st Time In A Decade); #2: JP MORGAN, And #3: GOLDMAN SACHS
December 21, 2012 4:00 pm EST - With the IPO window now officially shut for the year, PrivCo ranks the Top 3 Underwriters of U.S. IPOs for 2012 as follows: 1. Credit Suisse Group; 2. JP Morgan; 3. Goldman Sachs
Dec
19
2012
KPMG's Record Year: With $23 Billion In Revenues & A Global Workforce Of 152,000, Privately-Held KPMG Is Breaking Records In Tough Economic Times By Doubling Down On Emerging Markets & Non-Core Business Services
December 19, 2010 2:00 am EST - KPMG International just closed a record year of financial performance. KPMG's annual combined revenues grew to an all-time high of $23.0 billion for its fiscal year ending Sep. 30, 2012. At the same time, KPMG expanded its global workforce to 152,390, also a record high. PrivCo analyzes KPMG's record year in 2012.
Dec
13
2012
SOLARCITY IPO Pops 47% To $11.79 In Today's Debut, After Dramatic Price Cut To $8 From $13-$15 Initial Range; PBF Energy Inc. Also Goes Public
December 13, 2012 4:00 pm EST - SolarCity Corporation's (NASDAQ: SCTY) stock price surged in its first day of trading, closing at $11.79, up 47% over its IPO price of $8 (saw highs of $12.7). This successful first day of trading is a validation of investor interest in SolarCity, which experienced a rocky week on its way to today's NASDAQ IPO. Also going public today is petroleum refiner PBF Energy, Inc. (NYSE: PBF).
Dec
12
2012
SOLARCITY Slashes IPO Price To $8 Per Share - Far Below Initial Range Of $13-$15 - On Weak Demand, After Postponing Last Minute Tuesday Night; Shares Offered Boosted To 11.5 Million Shares For Downsized IPO Of Just $92M: "Big Blow To Cleantech IPOs"
December 12, 2012 4:30 pm EST - SolarCity has set the final terms for its IPO, pricing its shares at $8 per share, well below its initial range of $13-$15.
Dec
11
2012
Breaking News: SOLARCITY Postpones NASDAQ IPO on Weak Demand
December 11, 2012 6:30 pm EST - SolarCity has postponed its IPO plans.
Dec
10
2012
SOLARCITY To IPO On NASDAQ This Week, Aims To Raise $141 Million In Rocky Market For Clean-Tech IPOs, But ELON MUSK's Backing Raises Hopes For Sunshine; PrivCo Analyzes SOLARCITY's Financials And Its IPO's Strengths & Risks
December 10, 2010 7:45 pm EST - SolarCity is looking to price on NASDAQ this week. With a revised goal to raise $141 Million, down from $201 Million when it first filed - SolarCity is testing an IPO market that has generally given solar and clean-tech companies the cold shoulder. The only other clean-tech company to IPO this year is Enphase (March 2012).
Dec
07
2012
ASTON MARTIN (Free PrivCo Private Company Profile of the Week): With A New $241 Million (£150 Million) Investment From Private-Equtiy Firm INVESTINDUSTRIAL, The Privately-Held Iconic Luxury British Sports Car Brand Is Now Valued At $1.25 Billion (£78[...]
Aston Martin has sold a 37.5% stake to Investindustrial for $241 Million (£150 million). As a result of the sale, privately-held Aston Martin's value is now at $1.25 Billion (£780 million). PrivCo offers a free, exclusive look at Aston Martin's private financials..
Dec
04
2012
BAXTER Acquiring GAMBRO AB Of Sweden For $4 Billion (26.5 Billion Swedish Kroner) From Private Equity Firms EQT PARTNERS & INVESTOR AB, Adding Privately Held Dialysis Leader... Deal Price At 2.5x Revenue A Successful Exit For Its P.E. Backers
December 4, 2012 2:30 pm ET - Baxter International, Inc. has just agreed to acquire privately held Gambro AB for $4 Billion (SEK 26.5 Billion). Baxter acquired Gambro AB from its private equity owners EQT Partners and Investor AB, who took Gambro private in 2006 for $4.7 Billion (38.3 Billion Swedish Kroner). This marks the last step of a successful exit for Gambro AB's private equity owners.
Nov
28
2012
LIVINGSOCIAL To Layoff 500 Employees This Week As Holiday Sales Miss Badly For Privately-Held, VC Backed Daily-Deals Site (Move Comes as Its Public Rival Groupon's Board Considers Replacing CEO Andrew Mason In Thursday Board Meeting); LIVINGSOCIAL $3[...]
LivingSocial Inc. about to launch a major round of layoffs this week, with at least 500 job cuts across the private-held venture backed company, PrivCo has learned. The emergency move comes as LivingSocial has had holiday sales that have thus far badly missed LivingSocial's targets.
Nov
28
2012
Breaking News: Privately-Held GETCO Just Bid $3.50 Per Share For Public KNIGHT CAPITAL ($KCG), 17.8% Premium Over Tuesday Closing Price For Valuation Of $637 Million; Financing Arranged By Jefferies; Competing Bid Expected From Private Co. VIRTU; "Ve[...]
November 28, 2012 12:00 pm EST - Getco LLC just bid $3.50 per share (17.8% premium over Tuesday closing price of $2.97) to acquire Knight Capital Group. This values Knight Capital's equity value at $636.6 million. Financing for private-equity backed Getco LLC will be arranged by Jefferies.
Nov
26
2012
The Top 5 Private Companies To Profit From Cyber Monday: FAB. COM, FRY'S ELECTRONICS, NEIMAN MARCUS, PETCO, TOYS "R" US: "Cyber Monday Is Now The New Black Friday"- PrivCo
November 26, 2012 8:15 pm ET - PrivCo offers exclusive financial data on 5 major privately-held companies poised to profit from Cyber Monday: VC-backed online home goods retailer Fab.com, Silicon Valley electronics giant Fry's Electronics, P.E.-backed luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, pet chain Petco, and private-equity owned toy giant Toys "R" Us.
Nov
21
2012
Breaking News: HOSTESS Bankruptcy Judge Just Approves Liquidation Plan, Approves Immediate Firing of 15,000 employees; Judge Keeps Existing Management In Place, Keeps Case As a Ch. 11 Restructuring for Privately-Held HOSTESS BRANDS During "Orderly" M[...]
November 21, 2012 3:32 pm EST - PrivCo sources have just confirmed that the bankruptcy judge has just issued a ruling granting Hostess management's motion to begin liquidation of the company. The judge approved order of immediate firing of 15,000 union employees, keeping existing Hostess management in place (about 3,200 employees) as company seeks buyers in orderly M&A process.
Nov
19
2012
ALERT: HOSTESS, Unions Agree To Last-Minute Mediation In Attempt To Avoid Liquidation, Save Some Of 18,000+ Jobs At Privately-Held HOSTESS (PrivCo Breaking News Exclusive)
November 19, 2012 3:18 pm EST - PrivCo has just learned from sources close to the matter that pastry maker Hostess Brands, Inc. (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: TWINKIEP), has agreed to last minute mediation efforts with its major unions in order to avoid immediate liquidation. Attorneys representing Hostess and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union will be in mediation Tuesday in a bid to avoid the loss of 18,000+ jobs.
Nov
19
2012
Pastry Maker HOSTESS BRANDS Liquidating... PrivCo Reveals Extent Of Privately-Held HOSTESS' Dire Finances: 9 Straight Yrs Of Revenue Declines ($3.53B In 2003 To $2.45B In 2011), Was Down To Just $40M In Cash With $1.43B In Total Liabilities + Another[...]
Hostess Brands requested U.S. Bankruptcy Court aproval Friday for liquidation. Leading to Hostess Brands' downfall are the company's financial woes, with revenue plunging from $3.06 billion in 2006 to just $2.45 billion in 2011, 9 straight yrs of decline. Also, Hostess Brands had total liabilities of over $1.43 B versus cash of just $40.4 million, plus another $2 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
Oct
30
2012
Breaking Alert: Star Wars Episode 7 Film To Be Released In 2015 By Privately-Held LUCASFILM LTD. (Though Under Soon-To-Be New Owner DISNEY), With Episodes 8 & 9 To Follow Shortly After; PrivCo: "George Lucas's Consent To Final 3 Star Wars Films Being[...]
October 30 Lucasfilm Ltd. now plans to release the 7th Star Wars feature film in 2015, with the 8th & 9th films to follow soon after.
Oct
30
2012
Breaking Alert: StarWars Film Studio LUCASFILM Acquired By DISNEY For $4.05 Billion, Sole 100% Owner of Privately-Held Studio - George Lucas -Gets $2.025B in Cash and $2.021B In Disney Stock; George Lucas Now Officially Non-Paper Billionaire, Worth O[...]
LUCASFILM - the privately-held film studio giant behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises as well as market leading special effects provider Industrial Light & Magic -has just agreed to be acquired by Disney in a massive $4.05 cash and stock acquisition.
Oct
26
2012
PrivCo Exclusive: LIVINGSOCIAL Now Valued At Just $325 Million Per Outside Auditors, Down A Stunning 94% From $5.7 Billion Valuation Just Last December: PrivCo Obtains Exclusive CEO Letter to Employees Attempting to Explain Stunning Red Ink; PrivCo U[...]
LivingSocial's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: LIVINGP) financials obtained by PrivCo prove that the company is in deep water in an increasingly out of favor daily deals market.
Oct
23
2012
GILBANE INC: Inside The 139-Year Old Family-Owned Construction Giant Generating $2.9 Billion In Annual Revenue; Its Secrets For How The Company Has Thrived Through 5 Generations Of Family Leadership, Lessons Applicable To Other Family-Owned Corporate[...]
GILBANE INC., the quiet, multi-billion dollar a year construction giant – both privately-held and family-owned – has written a model recipe for harmony, successful performance, and continuity spanning over 139 years and 5 generations of family leadership.
Oct
17
2012
IPO MARKET GAINS MOMENTUM IN OCTOBER: Last Week Was 1st Time In 10 Years That 4 IPOS All Popped Over 20% In Same 1st-Day Trading; Next On Tap: RESTORATION HARDWARE, SILVER SPRING NETWORKS, And SOLARCITY; Twitter Acquires Mobile App Cabana
The IPO market has officially returned from the summer lull and swung into full force last week with Workday's $637 million offering. In addition to Workday, four other companies debuted last week: Realogy, Shutterstock, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. These four stocks climbed at least 20% in their first trading sessions on Thursday. This is the first time in more than 10 years that as many IPOs have popped over 20% in their first day of trading.
Oct
16
2012
PrivCo Exclusive: NYC Taxi Mobile-Payments Business To Go Free-Market Starting This Feb. 15th, Opening Competition to Startups Incl. SQUARE; But Despite Early Pole Position In Current Pilot Program, SQUARE Abruptly Just Ended Participation Early To U[...]
PrivCo has learned that, effective this February 15th, New York City's current taxi cab payments contract will be allowed to expire so that the taxi mobile payments market will be open to free competition. Beginning this Feb. 15th, any payment processor that meets new rules to be issued soon by the Mayor's Office can compete for taxi cab payment installs.
Oct
12
2012
Breaking News: WORKDAY Opens Trading At $48.05, 72% Above IPO Price Of $28 / Share; Biggest US Tech IPO Since Facebook In May 2012; Big Win For Founder Duffield and Venture Backers Greylock Partners And New Enterprise Associates
Workday (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: WORKP) began trading today on the NYSE, opening at $48.05, a huge 72% pop over its IPO price of $28 per share. Workday's opening trades are double its initially filing range of $21-$24, adding to the list of well received previous enterprise IPOs, such as Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and ServiceNow (NOW).
Oct
11
2012
Breaking News: WORKDAY Prices IPO at $28, Above Range of $24-$26 (Itself Already Upsized From $21-$24), Amidst Very Strong Demand For B2B Enterprise Software IPOs, Opens Friday Morning; PrivCo: "A Pop Before The Pop"
Workday has priced its shares at $28/share, above its previously upsized range of $24 - $26.
Oct
11
2012
Inside HUAWEI Of China's Private Financials: PrivCo Reveals That The Privately-Held Telecom Giant Just Declared By Congress A "National Security Threat" To The U.S. Is Minting Billions Annually; Twitter Acquires Vine
Vilified as a threat to national security in a report by U.S. House Intelligence Committee, Huawei is a growing international enterprise with revenues over $32B in 2011 (Up 12% over 2010) with $1.9 billion net profits
Oct
08
2012
Breaking News: SQUARE Likely To Obtain 10% Of NYC’s Taxi Payment Market By End Of 2013 As NYC To Let Current Exclusive Taxi Contract Expire; PrivCo: "It's A Huge Win For Square"
PrivCo has confirmed that Square now has the pole position on obtaining a substantial portion of the NYC taxi payments business, as PrivCo has learned exclusively that the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission will allow free-market bidding starting Feb. 15, with Square a likely major winner. Allan Fromberg, Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs at NYC TLC, confirmed with PrivCo that there are no new contracts to be had by any party after the current exclusive with Verifone-CMT expires February 15th..
Oct
04
2012
Alert (PrivCo Exclusive): SPOTIFY's Just-Closed Full-Year Financials Obtained By PrivCo Reveal Rapid Revenue Growth, But "Unsustainable" Business Model: Revenues Up 151% to $244M, Yet Cost Of Sales Up 98%, Net Losses Ballooned 60% to -$59M: "Somethin[...]
Popular online music service Spotify's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SPOTFYP) financials show that the bigger the company gets, the bigger its losses. PrivCo has exclusively obtained privately-held Spotify's just-closed full year financials, and while Spotify's revenue growth is impressive, its overall financial results are alarming.
Oct
01
2012
WORKDAY Sets IPO Price At $21-$24, Rich $3.6B Valuation (18.1x TTM Revenue), Yet Will Be Well Received As Hot B2B Cloud-Software IPO Market Sizzles, And Workday's Sterling Mgmt Team Led By PeopleSoft Founder Duffield (Who Sold PeopleSoft To Oracle Fo[...]
Workday (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: WORKP), the maker of cloud-based enterprise software for human resources and finance, has set its IPO range at $21-24 per share, looking to raise $512 million at the midpoint of the range. Workday is the second company this year to set its IPO price range after initially filing confidentially, a new provision allowed for under the JOBS Act of April 2012.
Sep
26
2012
GILT GROUPE, INC.: Amidst Layoffs And Having Raised $255M In Venture Capital, GILT Now Looks To "Double Down" On Core Luxury Flash Sales Business, Aiming For GILT IPO For 2013
Gilt Groupe (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: GILTP), the darling of luxury-obsessed bargain hunters, recently had layoffs focused on recently added business segments. Now, having already raised $255 million in venture capital, and hoping to try for an IPO in 2013, Gilt Groupe's future performance hinges on CEO Kevin Ryan's strategy to 'double down' on its core luxury flash-sales business, and successfully address the rapid increase in competition.
Sep
21
2012
Alert (PrivCo Exclusive): TRIBUNE COMPANY To Name TV Veteran Peter Liguori, Former Fox TV and Discovery Channels Executive, As New CEO Upon Imminent Emergence From Chapter 11; "Media-Veteran - Along With Reduced Chapter 11 Debt Load - Could Be Tribun[...]
Tribune Company's interim Board management committee has just selected and will soon name TV veteran Peter Liguori as its new CEO. Tribune filed for bankruptcy in 2008, with Oaktree Capital, JP Morgan and Angelo, Gordon & Co taking control in July 2012, when the bankruptcy judge approved the reorganization plan. Peter Liguori is known for his leadership roles at News Corp.'s Fox TV and Discovery Communications' TV networks.
Sep
21
2012
IPO Week In Review: TRULIA Shares Jump 41% On First Day Of Trading; PrivCo: "IPO Pipeline Will Breathe A Collective Sigh Of Relief"; SMITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES Withdraws And GLOBEIMMUNE Delays IPO
The IPO window officially opens, with impressive debut from Trulia, up 41% after first day (PrivCo estimated valuation at $33/sh). Muted response for other 3 company debuts.
Sep
20
2012
Alert: TRULIA Shares Begin Trading at $22.10, Shares See 30% Pop In First Trades; PrivCo earlier this week issued valuation to subscribers of Trulia = $33/share
Trulia Inc. (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: TRULIP), after setting the final terms for its IPO last night, opened trading today at $22.31 per share, an impressive 31% pop over its IPO price of $17 per share. Trulia is only the second consumer Internet IPO since May 18th when Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) went public, and the first since July 2012 when Kayak (NASDAQ:KYAK) went public.
Sep
19
2012
Breaking News: TRULIA Prices IPO at $17 / Share Above Preliminary Range of $14-$16; PrivCo Valuation Of Trulia = $33 / Share (Double IPO Price)
Trulia Inc. has just priced its IPO at $17/ share, above initial range of $14 - $16. (PrivCo valuation of Trulia = $33/share, nearly double IPO price). Trulia only 2nd Internet IPO since Facebook's May 18th IPO, and the first since July 2012's Kayak IPO.
Sep
18
2012
IPO PIPELINE PACKED, With 210 Private Companies Awaiting Fall Debuts: Online Real Estate Site TRULIA Aiming to "Close Escrow" On $90M IPO (PrivCo's Fair Value of Trulia = $33/Share), While Electric Vehicle Maker SMITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES & Auto Website[...]
The September IPO pipeline has an enormous backlog, even by the standards of the normal post-summer IPO lull, with PrivCo tracking at least 210 US private companies with IPOs pending (including several dozen confirmed by PrivCo has having filed under the recent Confidential IPO provisions of the US JOBS Act).
Sep
17
2012
Breaking News: SQUARE Closes $225M Round Led By Rizvi Traverse ($150M), w/ Citi Ventures ($50M) & Starbucks ($25M); Post-Money Valuation Of $3.225 Billion; Founder JACK DORSEY (Also Co-Founder of Twitter) Now A Billionaire; PrivCo's Hamadeh: "1st Tim[...]
PrivCo sources have confirmed that Square's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SQUAREP) latest $225 million round gives the company a $3 Billion pre-money valuation.
Sep
11
2012
How THRIVE CAPITAL Has Been Thriving: Josh Kushner's Young NYC Venture Capital Firm Raises $150M New Fund To Compete With The Big Boys After Multiple Successful Exits
THRIVE CAPITAL, the upstart New York venture firm, last week raised its third fund since its founding just 3 years ago...and by far its largest fund, at an impressive $150 Million ($147 Million to be exact, securing 36 investors - including Princeton University - to Thrive's latest and largest fund).
Sep
04
2012
DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS - Producer of The Golden Globes and Miss Universe Pagent- Acquired for $370M By Guggenheim Partners, Mosaic Media Group & Mandalay Sports, Beating Out Ryan Seacrest's Bid
Dick Clark Productions (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: DICKP), the privately-held company behind storied TV franchises including The American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards and The Miss Universe Pageant, has closed a PrivCo-estimated $370 million deal for Guggenheim Partners to take a majority position
Aug
27
2012
NASTY GAL Attracts $40 Million Series B Funding From Index Ventures, Tracking 2012 Sales of $128M, +357% Year Over Year
Lightning has struck twice for privately-held apparel e-tailer Nasty Gal (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: NASTP), raising its second round of funding in just five months, with this week's $40 Million of new funding bringing Nasty Gal's funding up to $49 Million.
Aug
17
2012
Breaking Alert: TRULIA Files For IPO; Zillow Rival Reveals Impressive 94% Annual Revenue Growth, Abandons Confidential IPO For Regular IPO Route
Trulia's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: TRULIP) IPO will no longer be "Confidential", PrivCo sources confirm. Trulia, which first filed last month under the recently enacted JOBS Act provisions allowing for confidential IPO filings with the S.E.C.,
Aug
16
2012
FACEBOOK IPO Alert: First of Facebook Post-IPO Lockups Expires, Shares Hit New Low on Record Volume: More Shoes To Drop As Over 1.7 Billion Shares Becoming Eligible for Sale Through May; "Likely To Get Worse Before It Gets Better"
August 16, 2012 3:15 pm EST - Facebook's (Nasdaq: FB) first lockup has officially expired, allowing up to 271 million shares of insider stock to be available for sale on the public markets. Today is only the first shoe to drop for Facebook's post-IPO lockup expirations, with today being one of the smallest.
Aug
15
2012
MANCHESTER UNITED IPO Alert: Soccer Team Manchester United Falls Below IPO Price: Breaches $14 Offering Price Despite IPO Underwriters' Best Efforts To Prop Up Stock Using "Stabilizing Bids"; PrivCo Fair Value For MANU: $4.97/share
Newly public Manchester United (NYSE: MANU) (PrivCo Ticker: MANUP) has sunk below its $14 IPO price this morning after continually testing the boundary in the days after its public debut.
Aug
15
2012
Meet VISIBLE MEASURES, The Now $200 Million-Valued "Big-Data" Video Startup Growing At 300% A Year (With The Help Of $21.5M In New Funding From DAG Ventures, General Catalyst, Mohr Davidow, Northgate Capital & Conde Nast)
As online video giants Hulu (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: HULUP), Netflix (Nasdaq:NFLX), and Google's YouTube (Nasdaq:GOOG) continue to rapidly build out the breadth of content on their online video platforms, digital video "big data" startup, Visible Measures Corporation (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: VISP)
Aug
11
2012
MANCHESTER UNITED IPO Alert: PrivCo Calculates Manchester United Fair Value At Just $4.97 / Share, Team's $14/Share IPO Price Overvalued By 281%, MANU Could Fall by Over 64% Within A Year To Reach Financial Valuation
PrivCo's analysts released today detailed calculations that definitively conclude that Manchester United's (NYSE:MANU) valuation using several standard valuation methodologies is a mere $4.97/share, only about 1/3 of its $14/share offering price (which is also the price at which it closed its 1st trading day, but only because IPO underwriters placed large open-market bids at $14/share to prevent the stock from closing below the IPO price).
Aug
09
2012
ALERT: MANCHESTER UNITED Prices IPO At $14 / Share, Below Range, Now Most Valuable (Expensive?) Sports Team In World; Billionaire Glazer Family Stake In Team Now Worth $2.1 Billion
Manchester United (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: MANUP) [NYSE:MANU Pending], now officially the world's most valuable professional sports team, just set its final IPO price at $14 per share (£8.96) (€11.34).
Aug
08
2012
Breaking News: SQUARE's Starbucks Deal Will Add $120 Million In Annual Revenue For SQUARE Next Year, Boost SQUARE's Valuation By $2.2 Billion By Year-End 2013 To $5.5 Billion; STARBUCKS Rollout Positions SQUARE As Solution To Retailers Vexing "Peak H[...]
Square's (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SQUAREP) latest partnership with Starbucks has broad implications beyond a simple $25 Million investment and Starbucks' switch of its credit card processor, PrivCo research concludes.
Aug
08
2012
Breaking News: SQUARE And STARBUCKS Sign Massive New Partnership; Square Mobile Payments To Process At All 6,800 Starbucks US Stores, Square Receives $25M Investment From Starbucks at $3 Billion Pre-Money Valuation as Part of New $225M+ Round
PrivCo sources have confirmed that Square (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: SQUAREP) finalized a massive new partnership with coffee chain Starbucks to be announced on Wednesday August 8th, in which Square will begin processing all credit and debit card transactions inside all of Starbucks' chain of stores across the United States.
Aug
07
2012
BREAKING NEWS: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE Parent Bloomin' Brands Prices IPO At $11 / Share, $2 Below Range Of $13-$15
Bloomin' Brands (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: BLOOMP) has set its IPO price at $11 per share, below its initial range of $13-15 dollars.
Aug
07
2012
BUSIEST IPO WEEK SINCE MAY: Soccer Team MANCHESTER UNITED Aims To Score $300M At A $3.8B Valuation To Become World's Most Valuable Sports Team, While Restaurants CARL'S JR. And OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE Each Serve Up IPOs To Paydown Debt
This week is poised to be the busiest for U.S. IPOs since May - when Facebook's poorly received IPO all but shut the IPO window - as several well known privately-held consumer brands hope to brave the normally quiet August IPO market.
Jul
31
2012
BREAKING NEWS: BOX Raises $125 Million Led By General Atlantic At $1.2 Billion Valuation, 49x Revenue, BOX Join's PrivCo's Exclusive "Billion Dollar Club" Of Privately-Held Companies With Venture Rounds At Valuation Of $1 Billion Or More
Cloud content management company, Box (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: BOXNTP), has just raised a $125 round led by General Atlantic, with participation from new investor Social+Capital Partnership.
Jul
31
2012
CHICK-FIL-A's Stunning Cash-Flow Machine: Co's Cathy Family Now Billionaires As 100% Stake In Privately-Held CHICK-FIL-A Worth Whopping $4.5 Billion, CHICK-FIL-A Has 44% EBITDA Margins, Voluntarily Forgoes $47.5M In Revenue Yearly From Sunday-Closing[...]
PrivCo analysts reveal the impressive financials behind privately-held fast food chain Chick-fil-A.
Jul
25
2012
BREAKING NEWS: SQUARE Inc. Raising $200M Funding Round At Whopping $3.2 Billion Valuation, Double Year Ago Valuation; Round Led By Private Equity Firm RIZVI TRAVERSE; Founder Jack Dorsey (Also Co-Founder of Twitter) Now Officially A Billionaire
Square is closing a new $200 Million funding round valuing the 3 year old privately-held mobile payments company at a whopping $3.2 Billion valuation, representing a doubling of Square's last valuation of $1.6 Billion just 1 year ago, in July 2011.
Jul
23
2012
DREAMWORKS Acquires Privately-Held CLASSIC MEDIA, Owner Of "Casper The Friendly Ghost", "Frosty The Snowman" & "Lassie" Characters For $155M
Hollywood's Dreamworks Animation (Nasdaq: DWA) has significantly bolstered its library of children's entertainment with Monday's $155 million acquisition of Classic Media.
Jul
20
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Palo Alto Networks IPO Pops 36% On Open, Kayak.com IPO Up 23%
In a busy day for U.S. IPOs, new IPOS from Cloud Software Provider Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW) and internet travel site Kayak.com (Nasdaq:KYAK) have just begun trading.
Jul
17
2012
Meet The Foreign Company That Outfitted The U.S. Olympic Team Before Ralph Lauren: Privately-Held ROOTS CANADA Ltd. (Starting With The Salt Lake City Games In 2002 Under Mitt Romney)
As the Summer 2012 London Olympics approach, Privco examines privately-held Canadian company Roots Canada, the previous US Olympics Official Outfitter.
Jul
12
2012
INSIDE PEREGRINE FINANCIAL'S SECRET WEB; Multiple Private Companies Devastated By Broker's Collapse; Peregrine's 1-Woman "Work From Home" Audit Firm
As regulators search for the $220 million dollars missing from privately-held Peregrine Financial Group (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: PEREGP), PrivCo details the series of red flags that emerged over the years; PrivCo also untangles and presents visually Peregrine's complex web of relationships.
Jul
11
2012
Why Palo Alto Networks IPO Will Be A Winner, And Bring A Billion-Dollar Payday For Sequoia Capital, Greylock And Globespan Capital
Seven months after PrivCo declared privately-held Palo Alto Networks as a model IPO Candidate, Palo Alto Networks has set its expected IPO price range at $34 - $37
Jul
09
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Campbell Soup Acquires Privately-Held Bolthouse Farms for $1.5 Billion From Madison Dearborn Partners: Major Push Into Fresh Produce
Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) is buying privately-held Bolthouse Farms (PrivCo Private Ticker: BOLTP) from private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners and others for $1.55 Billion
Jul
02
2012
Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) Raises Massive $1 Billion VC Fund: Tells PrivCo "Private Companies Will Stay Private Longer & Raise Bigger Venture Rounds"
PrivCo's exclusive interview with Gina Bauman, Director of Marketing at Institutional Venture Partners, and the venture capital firm's massive $1 billion VC fund raise.
Jun
29
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Worst June for IPOs Since 2008
PrivCo recaps the June 2012 U.S. IPO market, when IPOs dropped sharply over June 2011 to their lowest level since 2008.
Jun
27
2012
The 2005 Email That Created a $50 Million Startup Company: PICNIK, a Look Back
PrivCo has obtained the December 2005 email exchange between founders Mike Harrington and Darrin Massena in which the “entrepreneurial light bulb” illuminated for Picnik, their online photo editing site. Less than five years later, Picnik was acquired by Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) for $50 million.
Jun
19
2012
Seven Summertime IPOs: What to Expect
PrivCo breaks down seven private companies with summer IPOs in the pipeline, offering key facts on each, and whether its IPO is likely to get done.
Jun
15
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook-SEC Pre-IPO Correspondence Reveals IPO Delays from Late Instagram & Patent Acquisitions, Overall Last-Minute Scrambling To Make May 18 IPO Date
A series of new SEC filings released just hours ago document the extensive scope of SEC questioning Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) received prior to its IPO, and Facebook's minimalist revisions in response.
Jun
13
2012
Online Sports Apparel Site Fanatics Joins Twitter, Spotify, and Pinterest in PrivCo's 'Billion Dollar Club' of Private Companies With $1B+ Venture Capital Round Valuations
Privately-held online sports merchandise retailer, Fanatics, was valued at $1.5 billion during its $150 million funding round on June 6, 2012. With a VC-round valuation of over $1 billion, Fanatics joins an elite Billion Dollar Club along side names like Twitter, Pinterest, and Spotify as the newest and PrivCo suspects latest member for quite a while.
Jun
07
2012
Privately-held SpaceX Worth Nearly $2.4 Billion or $20/Share, Double Its Pre-Mission Secondary Market Value Following Historic Success at the International Space Station
Last week, privately-held SpaceX completed a successful cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station, becoming the first-ever commercial enterprise to dock its spacecraft onto the ISS. PrivCo evaluates just how high this privately-held rocket ship of a company can soar.
Jun
04
2012
Eduardo Saverin's Renouncing US Citizenship Backfires, Actually Raised His Tax Bill $43M As Facebook Stock Dives; "Ultimate Karmic Justice"? Zuckerberg Also To Overpay On Own Taxes Due to Ill-Timed Stock Option Exercise
Facebook co-founder and 4% owner, Eduardo Saverin, infamously renounced his United States citizenship in September 2011 in what many viewed as a disloyal aversion to pay the taxes he rightfully owed to the United States. With Facebook's stock sinking below $28 on June 1, 2012, PrivCo investigates why his tax-move backfired and by how much.
May
31
2012
Kayak.com Pulls IPO; More IPO Withdraws in Wake of Facebook IPO Flop as Kayak, "Russian Facebook", even Graff Diamonds Pull IPOs; "Facebook's Cold Proving to Be Contagious"
Following in the footsteps of Russian social media company, VKontakte, Kayak Software Corporation, an Internet travel search engine, has postponed its IPO roadshow which was scheduled to begin last week. Kayak is the first U.S. Internet company to postpone its IPO following the Facebook IPO debacle.
May
29
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Instagram Acquisition No Longer Worth $1 Billion as Facebook Stock Falls Below $30; Private Internet Company Valuations Likely to Suffer
As Facebook stock continues to tumble, PrivCo breaks down the implications on Instagram and future private internet company valuations.
May
25
2012
The State of the IPO Market In the Wake of Facebook's IPO Fiasco
PrivCo CEO & Founder Sam Hamadeh sits down and discusses the Facebook IPO and its impact on the broader IPO market.
May
22
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook IPO Fiasco Worsens: Morgan Stanley Under Investigation, Subpoenaed On Selective Disclosures of Facebook's Q2 and 2012 Earnings Miss; Selling Facebook Insiders Likely Had Material Non-Public Information While Boosting Own Share[...]
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin has subpoenaed Morgan Stanley over questionable actions surrounding its role as lead underwriter of Facebooks IPO. PrivCo pieces together the chronology and related missteps of Facebooks IPO to date based on public records and confirmed sources.
May
21
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Dives Below $38 Price, Wiping Out $10.4 Billion in Market Value in Just Hours; IPO Investors Lose $1.6 Billion In One Day; Additional "Green-Shoe" Stock Sales of $2.4 Billion and $26.4 Million in Wall Street Fees in Jeopardy; [...]
Newly public Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) (PrivCo Ticker: FACEP) has plunged below its $38 IPO price this morning after testing that boundary all-day on Friday during its public debut. On Friday, Facebook was saved from closing below $38 by its IPO underwriters who bought heavily at a $38 "stabilizing bid".
May
18
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Disappoints at $38.23 Close; Market Surprised by Lack of Pop; Underwriters Forced to Step In And Buy Shares With $38 Bids To Prevent Close Below IPO Price
May 18, 2012 4:10pm EST – Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) (PrivCo Ticker: FACEP) closed its first day as a publicly traded company at a disappointing $38.37, a 0.97% increase from its $38 IPO price and 8.75% decline from where the stock opened at $42.05.
May
18
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Shares Begin Trading at $43; Up 13.2% In Muted First Day Pop
Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) (PrivCo Ticker: FACEP) stock began trading on the NASDAQ this morning shortly after 11:30am EST under the ticker “FB” at $43/share.
May
17
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Prices IPO at $38; Facebook Valued at $104 Billion
Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB [pending]) (PrivCo Private Company Ticker: FACEP) priced its initial public offering of Class A Common stock at $38 per share, the high-end of its price range, valuing the social media site at $104 billion, a new record IPO valuation.
May
17
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Pinterest Raises $100M at a Massive $1.5B Valuation; To Fund International Expansion, E-Commerce
Social networking site Pinterest, an online scrapbook which allows users to virtually “pin” photos, lists, and ideas to their page, has raised $100 million in a funding round led by Japanese internet giant Rakuten, Inc and offers Pinterest a $1.5 billion.
May
16
2012
FACEBOOK: Fair Value: $25/Share; SELL RECOMMENDATION on Overvaluation, Slowing Growth, Risks: New Valuations and Financial Projections (PrivCo)
With Facebook's IPO set for Friday May 18, PrivCo issues its opinion on Facebook's future financial projections, valuation, and share value price range.
May
16
2012
Facebook Valuation Slideshow: May 2012
With Facebook's IPO set for Friday May 18, PrivCo issues its opinion on Facebook's future financial projections, valuation, and share value price range. Here is PrivCo's complete Facebook slide deck.
May
15
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Re-Prices IPO in $34-$38 Range; Facebook Valuation Rises to $85.4B-$95.5B; Green-Shoe Option Almost Guaranteed To Be Exercised
May 15, 2012 10:30am EST- Privately-held Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB [pending]) (PrivCo Private Company Ticker Symbol: FACEP) just amended its S-1 overnight, offering more details on the upcoming IPO.
May
09
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Admits Mobile Shift Damaging Business Faster Than Expected In New SEC Filing; Will Miss Q2 Projections
May 9, 2012 7:10pm EST – Facebook, Inc. just filed a new amendment to its IPO prospectus (S-1) tonight which offers new transparency into its weak Q1 results, and a stunning preview of a less than optimal Q2 as a result of the shift to mobile devices adversely impacting Facebook's ad revenue growth.
May
08
2012
Facebook IPO Roadshow Schedule: PrivCo's Exclusive Details
May 8, 2012 5:30pm EST – PrivCo has obtained exclusive access to the Facebook IPO Roadshow schedule with commentary covering Facebook's first two stops in New York and Boston.
May
07
2012
Key Questions to Ask at Facebook's IPO Road Show: An IPO Investors' Guide: PrivCo
8:00am EST – Privately-held Facebook Inc.’s road show began this morning as CFO David Ebersman and underwriters spent the end of last week preparing for the 9-day presentation which will culminate in Mark Zuckerberg ringing the NASDAQ opening bell on May 18th when Facebook shares begin trading publicly.
May
04
2012
FACEBOOK IPO ROADSHOW VIDEO RELEASED; LIGHT ON DETAIL; HIGH ON PRODUCTION VALUE
10:00am EST - Facebook uploaded its IPO road show video last night. PrivCo's gives its breakdown of Facebook's roadshow video.
May
03
2012
PRIVCO EXCLUSIVE: ZUCKERBERG WILL POCKET NET $142 MILLION CASH FROM IPO; I.R.S. ZUCKERBERG TAX WINDFALL: $714M; CALIFORNIA TAX WINDFALL: $189M
7:20pm EST – PrivCo’s analysis of privately-held Facebook, Inc.’s revised pre-road show prospectus concludes that Mark Zuckerberg could gain $142 million in net proceeds from shares sold during the May 18th IPO.
May
03
2012
BREAKING NEWS: FACEBOOK ROADSHOW A GO; INITIAL PRICE RANGE $28-$35 FILED; INITIAL VALUATION $70.4B-$88B; ZUCKERBERG TO SHOW UP; ZUCKERBERG TO RING NASDAQ BELL MAY 18th
3:50pm EST– Privately-held Facebook, Inc. just amended its S-1 this afternoon including initial price range of $28-$35/share, which is legally required in order form Facebook to begin marketing the offering to investors in person. The move indicates the final step before Facebook's IPO roadshow which PrivCo sources confirm is expected to begin on Monday morning May 7, 2012.
May
03
2012
The 3 Private Companies Groupon or LivingSocial Should Acquire ASAP
Hosts of problems and sub-par performances from Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) and privately-held LivingSocial (PrivCo Ticker: LIVINGP) make it clear the daily deals business model is fundamentally broken. Massive and costly local salesforces (over 6,000 local-merchant telemarketers in Groupon's case), no recurring revenue, and few economies of scale mean the companies are likely heading toward inevitable extinction or a drastic reduction in size and value
Apr
25
2012
The IPO Track: Facebook v. Google: Comparing Pre-IPO Growth Rates, And Why Facebook's Q1 Revenue Declines Can't Be Explained Away By "Seasonality"
Facebook’s upcoming IPO is looking to raise over $5 billion dollars in the largest internet initial public offering to date. However, it was not long ago that Google’s 2004 IPO raised $1.9 billion in the largest internet offering ever at that time. PrivCo compares the two and raises some critical questions.
Apr
23
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook's S-1 Amendment Shows First Ever Sequential Revenue Drop; PrivCo Re-Affirms 2012 Revenue Projection of $5.41 Billion
Social media giant Facebook Inc. just amended its S-1 filing to include its first quarter 2012 numbers which have largely disappointed.
Apr
19
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Tumi Pops Over 50% in IPO Debut Minutes Ago; Indicates Strong Demand for Branded Retail IPOs in 2012; Splunk Also Pops 90% in First Trades
Tumi Holdings Inc., an established maker of luxury luggage and travel accessories, is soaring this morning in its New York Stock Exchange debut under the ticker ‘TUMI’. After pricing at $18, $1 higher than its anticipated $15-$17 range, Tumi popped over 50% to $27 in the first minutes of initial trades.
Apr
17
2012
Your Trash Is Their Treasure: Harvest Power Scores $112 Million Venture Funding
On April 12, privately-held Harvest Power, Inc., a producer of renewable energy and fertilizer from organic waste materials, landed $110 million in Round C venture capital. This was followed up by another $2 million on April 16. The deal size represents one of the largest private VC funding rounds of 2012 and the 14th largest clean tech deal since January 2011.
Apr
11
2012
Facebook Goes Shopping, Acquires Instagram for $1 Billion
On April 9, Facebook acquired photo-sharing company Instagram for $1 billion. PrivCo believes this is the first of Facebook's shopping list of defensive acquisitions.
Apr
05
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook to List on NASDAQ, Major Coup Over Rival NYSE; Ticker: "FB"
Sources close to the deal confirm that Facebook will file its IPO on the NASDAQ exchange, representing a major coup over the NYSE. On NASDAQ, Facebook will trade under the distinct 2-letter ticker "FB".
Apr
03
2012
Groupon: Poster Child of a Premature IPO, Dangers of Dual-Class Supervoting Stock; CFO Must Go: PrivCo
Freshly IPO’d Groupon hit yet another stumbling block as the company announced late Friday that its fourth quarter revenue and earnings – which had already missed its own underwriters’ estimates - were even lower than what the Company had previously reported in February. PrivCo breaks down Groupon's re-statement and the dangers of a premature IPO.
Mar
30
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Final Secondary Auction Closes at $44.10/Share and $104 Billion Valuation
Facebook shares officially ended its final secondary auction trading today at noon PST, with a final trading price of $44.10/share and a record $104 Billion valuation.
Mar
28
2012
BREAKING NEWS - PrivCo Exclusive: Facebook Secondary Market Trading Officially Over, Trading Ban Permanent
PrivCo has confirmed exclusively with SharesPost that Facebook secondary market shares will not trade again on secondary markets after Friday. The previously reported suspension isn't temporary, but permanent. The next trades of Facebook stock will be with Facebook as a public company.
Mar
28
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Targets Road Show Launch In Several Weeks; Secondary Shares Trading To Be Suspended This Friday at Noon
BREAKING NEWS - According to several sources close to the company, Facebook’s IPO Roadshow will begin as early as the last week of April. The Facebook IPO Roadshow video has now been recorded and is to be posted online as early the prior Friday afternoon.
Mar
27
2012
BATS Botches IPO
On Friday March 23, BATS Global Markets made the unprecedented move of pulling its IPO hours into trading. PrivCo recaps the failed launch and investigates the next steps for re-privatized BATS.
Mar
15
2012
Following Quiet Retail Success, Fender Guitar's $200M IPO Makes Some Noise
Tech and social media seem to be the only IPO groups turning heads with more traditional IPO candidates like consumer branded goods largely ignored. But do they deserve the disproportionate attention? PrivCo, The Private Company Financial Data Authority, takes a closer look at the headline catching techies and gives due credit to some low-flying retail IPOs.
Mar
12
2012
Twitter's Business #Disappoints, Below Expectations; 2011 Revenues Less Than $100M; Lofty $8.4B Valuation in Jeopardy
March 12, 2012 Privately-held, venture-backed social media platform Twitter Inc. once again makes headlines; this time in a very different light. According to recently leaked financials, Twitter is operating at only a fraction of analysts expectations with a meager $28.5 million in revenue culminating in a $67.8 million net loss for its 2010 fiscal year end. This represented just 1/5th of its internally projected 2010 revenue, and 2011 numbers fare no better. A net loss of $25.8 million on $23.8 million in revenue for the 4 months ending April 2011 means Twitter is losing two dollars for every dollar it brings in.
Mar
06
2012
Top 5 Reasons Facebook Should Acquire Pinterest - And Quickly
March 6, 2012 Privately-held social media site Pinterest has been red hot since going live just 2-years ago. Founded in 2010 by a trio of social media veterans (Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra co-founded e-commerce site Cold Brew Labs), Pinterest has recently received venture capital injections from Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital with individual funding from the whos who of the startup community including: PayPal Co-Founder Max Levchin, super-angel Ron Conway, and former Microsoft exec turned full-time angel investor Fritz Lanman.
Feb
23
2012
Recently Leaked Facebook Documents Show Facebook Scrambling for Improved Ad Performance to Boost Short-Term Revenues for IPO: Company Trailing Revenue Plan
Recently leaked documents sent by Facebook to select social media advertising agencies reveal that privately-held Facebook plans on revamping its Premium Ad campaign, phasing out the old ad system by February 29th, 2012. Facebook's not yet publicized new "Premium Ads" product - to be announced Wednesday at an invite-only event in New York for top ad agencies - will have a larger format and more intrusive placement and distracting features that will appear on users' profiles. In addition to a much larger size than current ads, advertisers will be allowed to add distractions such as video and sound to what were previously text ads. Facebook hopes the new formats help to address the problem that users are tuning out ads on the social network as well as the failed e-commerce attempts by retailers.
Feb
21
2012
The Largest Private-Equity Buyout of 2012: Credit Reporting Giant TransUnion Flipped for $3 Billion
In the largest private equity deal year-to-date, privately-held TransUnion has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Advent International and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS). The deal announced last Friday would value TransUnion at over $3 billion or at a 50% premium of its value less than a year ago. Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc. bought a controlling interest in the company from the Pritzker family in April 2011 in a deal valuing the company at over $2 billion (See PrivCo’s Financial Report on TransUnion LLC for more information on the deal).
Feb
16
2012
SeraCare to be Taken Private by Linden Capital in $81 Million Private Equity Deal
SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRLS) recently announced it will be acquired by Linden Capital. The 25 year old Milford, Massachusetts-based company specializes in medical diagnostics equipment including testing & screening of patients, drug & vaccine research, development, and manufacturing, and sample storage management & processing. SeraCare began looking for a buyer in August 2011 after rejecting a $4.25/share unsolicited offer by MSMB Capital in June 2011.
Feb
09
2012
BREAKING NEWS: Facebook Soars to $103 Billion Value on Secondary Markets; Shares Spike to $44, Up 16% from Pre-IPO Filing Price of $38, Up 29% YTD
Facebook stock prices on private secondary markets have soared to a post-IPO filing high of $44/share yesterday, despite having a 2011 total revenue figure of $3.711 billion, far below analyst expectations of $4.3 to 5 billion. In the first post-S1 filing secondary market trading, Facebook stock jumped to a $40/share high followed by a second, sequential jump to $44 yesterday, placing the implied valuation of Facebook above $100 billion for the first time, with a valuation of $103 billion according to PrivCo calculations.
Feb
06
2012
Privately-held NY Giants Win Super Bowl: Does the Victory Translate into Higher Revenues?
Privately-held New York Giants emerged victorious after a nail biting finish against also privately-held New England Patriots on Sunday. One of the most watched sporting events annually, the Super Bowl is the pinnacle of broadcast spectator sports. So does winning the Super Bowl actually increase the revenue of the winning team the following year?
Feb
01
2012
Facebook Finally Files for IPO: Financial Details Reveal Impressive But Slowing Growth, Lower Than Expected Results, Facebook Credits Are Upside
Facebook has filed for its much awaited IPO. In a post-market close filing that generated enough traffic to clog the SEC website, Facebook filed an S-1 that revealed $3.711 billion in 2011 revenue, a growth of 88% from 2010.
Jan
31
2012
Pep Boys To Be Taken Private by Gores Group
Pep Boys (NYSE:PBY) has announced it has agreed to be acquired by top tier private equity firm The Gores Group in one of the largest take-private transactions so far this year. The deal values Pep Boys at roughly $1 billion. The Gores Group is paying $15/share cash, or roughly a 24% premium above PBY’s Friday close of $12.08/share. Pep Boys stock closed at $14.93/share on Monday and remains consistently above the $15 mark on Tuesday trading, signaling a revised final price or a competing bidder may be in the works. (Pep Boys negotiated a 45 day right to solicit superior offers. PrivCo data on take-private shows the typical window – if any- is usually 30 days). PrivCo has initiated financial cover of soon to be private Pep Boys.
Jan
27
2012
Facebook to File IPO Wed., Price of $38-$40/share, Selects Morgan Stanley to Lead IPO, "Likes" NYSE Over NASDAQ, Ticker is "FB"
PrivCo sources say that Facebook plans to file its long-awaited IPO documents early this Wednesday morning (late Tuesday night). The filing would confirm an earlier PrivCo report that this week's freeze in Facebook's processing of secondary market trades indicated the IPO document had been completed and that the filing was imminent.
Jan
24
2012
Facebook Secondary Market Trading to Be Suspended, Signals Facebook IPO Filing Imminent
Just released by Bloomberg, Facebook secondary market trading is to be suspended for three days this week amid IPO speculation. Bloomberg worked with PrivCo this afternoon for exclusive analysis on this confidential and exclusive breaking story. PrivCo analysis concludes that a several day freeze on secondary market trading is consistent with an imminent IPO filing later this week. The freeze in Facebook private stock trading will start tomorrow January 25th and will continue at least through January 27th.
Jan
23
2012
Zynga Tries to Acquire Its Way to Growth, Buying 4 Mobile Game Developers in as Many Months
Despite its tepid IPO reception, Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) is using its new $1B+ in cash raised in the IPO to rapidly acquire privately-held 4 mobile game developers in an attempt to increase its presence in the mobile gaming market. The moves put Zynga in a stronger strategic position moving forward: for one, Zynga cannot introduce new game titles fast enough to make a dent in the company's earnings or its user base, which per previous PrivCo analysis has peaked and has been in decline for several quarters. Moreover, the mobile gaming market is projected to evolve into an $11.4 billion industry by 2014 as smart phones begin to dominate the mobile market (60% of new phone sales in 4th Quarter 2012 were smart phones).
Jan
16
2012
IGT Makes $500 Million Bet on Double Down
In a recently announced deal, International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT) announced it will acquire Double Down Interactive LLC, a social media game developer, in a deal worth up to $500 million. Las Vegas, Nevada-based IGT is one of the largest players in the casino games and gaming equipment market, producing nearly 70% of all slot machines in North America. As IGT’s core business segments struggle to recover from the recent economic downturn, the growing social gaming market is a tempting extension for IGT as it offers a new revenue stream with a large, growing user base.
Jan
11
2012
The Top 10 Largest Venture Capital Rounds of 2011
PrivCo, the private company financial data authority, has researched and ranked the Top 10 largest V.C. Funding Rounds of 2011 by size of the round:
Jan
03
2012
2011 Tech IPO In Review: From LinkedIn to Zynga
2011 was not a great year for IPOs. Domestically, 125 IPOs raised a total $36.3 billion in 2011 compared to $38.7 billion raised by 154 IPOs in 2010. Although total proceeds dipped only slightly (-6.2%), the number of private companies going public took a nosedive, falling over 18%. What does this mean? Fewer companies are going public at higher valuations. This could not be truer for the Tech IPOs of 2011.
Dec
28
2011
Privately-Held BI-LO Swallows Public Co. Rival WINN-DIXIE, A Rare Form of Take-Private
In a deal announced Dec. 19, 2011, privately-held supermarket giant BI-LO Holdings signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire publicly traded rival Winn-Dixie Stores for $560 million, creating one of the largest supermarket operators in the US. The combined entity, which will retain the Winn-Dixie name, will have a total of 690 stores and 63,000 employees across eight states in southeastern US. Its relatively uncommon for a publicly company to get acquired by a privately-held one. Typically, a take-private transaction is the result of a private equity led Leveraged Buyout, or a Management Buyout, making the WINN DIXIE acquisition by its privately-held rival BI-LO a true rarity in private company M&A. PrivCo, the Private Company Financial Data Authority, has broken down the deal and found the key drivers for the take-private, namely:
Dec
20
2011
Zynga IPO Hurt By Tactical Errors: Implications for Facebook's IPO
ZYNGA's (NASDAQ: ZNGA) overly hyped IPO has been confirmed a dud on its second day of trading. Zynga’s stock took a heavy beating on its opening day last Friday, falling as low as 12% below its $10/share offering price (already slashed from its initial pricing target of $25/share in June; Read more here: [LINK TO ZYNGA REPORT]) for an intraday low of $9.02 and closing at a meek $9.50/share. Zynga fared no better its second day of trading on Monday, dropping to just $8.75 before settling at $9.05, an unsettling 9.5% below its offering price just 2 days after its IPO.
Dec
13
2011
Meet A Model IPO Candidate: Palo Alto Networks
With the recent flurry of tech companies that have gone public (or are rumored to go public), it is easy to lose sight of the fundamentals necessary to have a successful IPO and to be a successful public company. With many of the recent crop of IPOs having spotty businesses at best (e.g. Groupon), or are tiny in terms of size (Angie’s List and Zillow), PrivCo is presenting the other side of the coin: What does an ideal IPO candidate look like? Meet Palo Alto Networks, PrivCo’s example of a model IPO candidate. Palo Alto Networks is a privately-held, venture-backed networking security company that is making ripples in the network firewall market.
Dec
05
2011
Top 5 Reasons Zynga's Valuation was Cut in Half
Zynga announced last week the price range for its IPO will be $8.50-$10.00, valuing the company at just over $9 billion. This is down over 50% from the original target of $20 billion (or an initial asking price of around $24/share). As PrivCo predicted months ago, Zynga’s sky high $20 billion valuation was not feasible. The information provided since Zynga’s original S-1 filing in July has raised questions about the company’s operations and financials. PrivCo has run analysis on Zynga’s deteriorating market position and have found the 5 main strikes against Zynga’s valuation.
Dec
01
2011
Facebook IPO Valuation Expectations Are So High, Can Any Mortal Company Exceed Them?
The buzz is back around Facebook. It's been reported that Mark Zuckerberg is once again considering an initial public offering. As predicted by PrivCo earlier this year, Facebook's IPO, widely expected to be a sure thing for 2011-- was in fact delayed at least into 2012. Several factors including the threat of Google+ and fear over the economy contributed to the postponement. Now that it seems that Facebook has kept its position over Google+ and Merkel and Sarkozy have quelled fears surrounding Europe, Facebook is ready for its IPO, apparently worth $10 billion at a valuation of $100 billion. The offering is tentatively set for June 2012.
Nov
18
2011
Yelp's $100 M IPO Filed: 5 Star Rating?
On Thursday, Yelp filed to raise $100 million in an initial public offering. Will “YELP” be a hit? The local business reviews platform has amassed a considerable following: 61 million monthly unique visitors, up from about 16 million in 2008. Despite the fans, Yelp is not yet profitable. However, it shows more promise than its brazenly illiquid Internet cousin Groupon. Still, delving deeper into Yelp’s filing has us wondering if Yelp will be yelping for joy or yelped by insolvency.
Nov
08
2011
PrivCo 2011 America's Largest Private Companies
PrivCo.com, the Private Company Financial Data Authority, has released its annual 2011 America’s Largest Private Companies list. It is no surprise Cargill Incorporated remains on top of its throne with an eye-popping $119.5 billion in revenue. Fueling its 11% revenue growth, Cargill has recently been on an acquisition spree aimed to diversify its core holdings. According to PrivCo analysis, Cargill has spent over $6.5 billion in acquisitions starting with Agro Tech Foods Ltd. in November 2010 and, most recently, Provimi Group in September 2011 (See Cargill’s M&A Table for more information). Koch Industries, Inc. maintains its position as runner up with $102 billion in revenues while Ernst & Young LLP and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. round out the top 10. Jump to the full list of America’s Largest Private Companies including the top private companies in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Florida.
Nov
03
2011
November 03, 2011: Groupon Prices IPO at $20/Share, Above $16-$18 Range, But Less than Half $50 June Goal; Smallest Internet IPO % Float in History, All But Assuring Opening Pop
As expected, Groupon's underwriters just priced its IPO at $20/share, above the $16-$18 range set earlier this month, but a dramatic comedown from initial price talk of $50/share in June when Groupon first filed for its IPO. Groupon is expected to open for trading tomorrow shortly after the opening of stock market trading, where PrivCo expects the stock will open at an initial pop due to behind the scenes engineering by underwriters as well as small retail investor curiosity. PrivCo expected the modest pricing above the stated range - a range that was vastly discounted since June - in order to provide Groupon with a much needed seemingly positive heading Friday morning before trading opens.
Oct
21
2011
October 21, 2011 Groupon's 3rd Quarter Financials Filed this Morning; PrivCo.com Analysis: All Key Business Metrics Took Quarterly Sequential Tumble - Again
Groupon's 3rd quarter 2011 financials have just been filed this morning. PrivCo.com has crunched the numbers. Summary: Good headline, business still rotten. Aside from slashing marketing spending late-quarter for pre-IPO window dressing, the company's business metrics have all taken a sequential tumble - again. Revenue grew by single digits (just 9.5%) in the quarter sequentially for the first time in the company's history. Groupon's daily deals % revenue share plunged 5 percentage points in the current quarter from the 2nd quarter (from 42.2% to just 37.1%, down from nearly 50% a year ago); revenue per user falls again to just $1.10/month, down from over $5.30/month 2 years ago and $4/month a year ago (and down another 16% sequentially, from $1.30 to just $1.10, an all-time low). Fair value estimate of just $8/share, though IPO will proceed at new reduced target price of $16-$18/share as Groupon issues a groupon to potential IPO investors good for "2/3rds off Groupon shares."
Oct
01
2011
New Analysis by PrivCo.com: Zynga Valuation Range Mid-Point of $5.5 Billion
Zynga IPO Plans Stalling, Zynga New 3-Class Voting Stock Structure Confirmed, Zynga's "Project Z" Attempt to Diversify Away From Facebook, Where the Company is For First Time Facing Meaningful New Competition
Sep
01
2011
Cargill's Latest $2.2 Billion Acquisition of Provimi Group Is Part of The Private Company's Recent Acquisition Spree, Diversification
Privately-held and family-owned Cargill, Incorporated is a multinational corporation headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota and is America's largest private company by revenue, as measured by private company financial data site PrivCo.com
Aug
24
2011
Facebook Valuation Suffers First-Ever Consecutive Drop - $5 Billion Erased, Facebook Back to Valuation from March 2011
Facebook, Inc., widely believed to be among the fastest growing companies in the world, has recently suffered its first-ever consecutive decline in private markets. Facebook's recent drop to $33 per share in secondary market auctions has erased nearly $5 billion in the company's value, reducing Facebook's valuation to the same price it had received nearly six months ago, in March 2011.
Aug
20
2011
Groupon Running Low on Cash and IPO Likely to be Withdrawn, Nearing Insolvency
A new financial research report just released on private company Groupon, Inc. from PrivCo.com concludes that the group buying company faces an imminent need for financing due to a deteriorating cash position, and otherwise resulting in an impending risk of
Aug
10
2011
Groupon IPO In Jeopardy Due To Increasing Local Competition, Pricing Pressure, and Legal Threats: New Report
A new financial research report released today on private company Groupon Inc., which has filed for a proposed IPO concludes that Groupon's IPO is in serious jeopardy and is likely to be delayed or withdrawn entirely due to a number of serious issues that are causing its business
Jul
20
2011