Posted By: qualityFB ya tiene la segmentación de la población objetivo realizada

Groupon Advances on I.P.O. That Could Value It at $15 Billion

Groupon, the social buying site that spurned a $6 billion offer from Google, is pushing ahead with plans for its initial public offering, a debut that could value the company at $15 billion or more.

The company, which just raised a record $950 million from big investors, discussed a public offering with bankers this week, according to two people with knowledge of the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Banks are pitching Groupon on dizzying valuations at which they expect to take the company public, with many at $15 billion, these people said.

Groupon, which is expected to make its debut in the spring, is prepared to meet with bankers again on Friday, according to the two people.

A public offering, if it happens, will be a significant milestone for the start-up, led by its young founder, Andrew Mason, whose quirky personality has helped shaped the site. The offering, which would also be among the most anticipated since Google’s in 2004, would also represent the highest valuation of the company to date.

Since rejecting Google’s overtures, the company has been on the fast track for a public offering. In late December, Groupon hired its first chief financial offer, Jason Child, the former vice president of finance for Amazon’s international business. Mr. Child spent nearly 12 years at the giant online retailer, serving in a variety of financial roles.

This week, Groupon raised nearly $1 billion from large investors, including Fidelity Investments, T. Rowe Price and Morgan Stanley. It was the largest fund-raising effort ever for a start-up, a venture capital record previously held for 15 years by DreamWorks Animation SKG, based on Thomson Reuters data. Given Morgan Stanley’s recent stake, some analysts think it is on the short list of banks vying to take Groupon public.

“Morgan Stanley is one of the premier firms on Wall Street. An investment would give them an inside track on an I.P.O,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst and the founder of Sterling Market Intelligence, a research firm.

CNBC first reported Groupon’s meetings with bankers this week.
Groupon, analysts say, may be moving quickly to take advantage of the market’s momentum and the excitement around fast-growing Web companies. “It’s smart to strike while the iron is hot, and they’re the most visible and fastest-growing player in their market,” Mr. Sterling said. “To wait a year would inject a level of uncertainty for the proposition of going public.”

The latest step by Groupon comes during a particularly frenzied period for Web start-ups. Twitter recently raised $200 million, at a $3.7 billion valuation. LinkedIn, the professional social network, is preparing its own public offering this year, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. LinkedIn is expected to file a prospectus with regulators by the end of the quarter, one person said.

Groupon’s eagerness for a public offering stands in contrast to Facebook, the social networking giant that seems reluctantly headed for an offering in 2012. This month, Goldman Sachs invested $450 million in Facebook, at a $50 billion valuation. The investment bank is selling another $1.5 billion of Facebook shares to its wealthy clients.

Groupon’s sprint to the public markets matches the speed of its own evolution. In less than three years, the daily discount site has gone from a start-up to one of the Web’s fastest-growing companies, with more than 50 million users worldwide and annual revenue of more than $1 billion.

Its staff, now 3,100, has expanded so quickly that the company, which is based in Chicago, had to relocate its meetings to a nearby church.

todo el mundo piensa en dar el pelotazo en internet

Posted By: AlfredoFacebook ha pasado de una valoración de 50 mil millones de dólares a una valoración de 70 mil millones de dólares en dos semanas.

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