Report: Snapchat preparing for IPO

Snapchat is reportedly working on an initial public offering (IPO) that could value the firm at upwards of US$25 billion.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Snapchat – which recently renamed the company Snap Inc – is preparing paperwork for its stock market debut with a view to floating as early as the end of March.

The WSJ said that if all goes according to Snap’s plans, the IPO could be the biggest on a US exchange since China’s Alibaba made its debut in 2014.

According to predictions by research firm eMarketer, Snapchat will generate US$366.7 million in worldwide ad revenue this year, with that figure expected to jump 155.1% to US$935.5 million (€836 million) next year.

Some 95% of Snapchat’s revenues are expected to come from the US this year, with that share shrinking to 75.0% by 2018 as it expands to other markets.

By the end of 2016, eMarketer predicts that Snapchat will have 58.6 million users in the US, 31.6% of all social network users, with that number expected to rise to 66.6 million people next year.