On Monday, we announced two Bay Area companies ripe enough to make their stock market debut in 2013: Twitter and Dropbox. But that was only half the conversation.
Though the next three companies on the list have less of a social imprint on business today, they still hold a vested interest in delivering their service to the people as a public offering.
Eventbrite
The last time we checked in on Eventbrite, CEO Kevin Hatz alluded to the idea of the ticket service provider potentially filing for IPO towards the end of the 2012 year.
Well, the year has come and gone and still there has been no indication of Eventbrite making the leap towards an offer sheet. Though, the dust hasn’t quite settled on its future IPO prospects. In fact, The San-Francisco-based company is gaining popularity at an astronomical rate, doubling its revenue from the previous year and selling off its 50 millionth ticket in 2012. Not only that but it has also helped organize over a half million events across 150 countries.
If the Eventbrite continues its upward expansion, the company could sell in the ballpark of $50 million if it goes public this year.
Square
Square, a mobile payment startup headquartered in San Francisco, developed into a promising service that allows anyone to accept credit cards anywhere.
The company, which originated in 2010, became a nationwide sensation almost overnight. In just two years time, it landed a lucrative deal with Starbucks, becoming a provider for all debit or credit card transactions. Consequently, the coffee giant liked Square so much, they reportedly invested $25 million in it to compete with other mobile payment services.
Currently, Square is eyeing a public offer sheet and it may come sooner than expected. In late 2012, the company hired former Goldman Sachs and Salesforce.com executive Sarah Friar as their chief financial officer to position itself wisely before making the leap into the stock market.
Square will likely seek a $4 billion valuation, an estimation that makes it quite difficult for another company to acquire it. In other words, a company ripe for an IPO.
Xoom
Rumors have circled for a good half year over the likelihood of Xoom — the highly praised money transfer service — going public. In August, the company reportedly hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as the team’s underwriter and filed stealth paperwork to declare for an IPO to take advantage of the new U.S. Jobs Act — a law that affords startups an easier and more confidential path towards an IPO.
The San Francisco-based Xoom has gained widespread acclaim in the past year, harvesting a website that enables users the effortless ability to send money without the need for a bank account. The company has already sent out more than $1.7 billion in transactions to 30 different countries.
So with Eventbrite, Square and Xoom all presumably filing for IPOs this year, all three are sure to garner the reputation of the top California-based companies to watch in 2013.