Chime IPO: A Bellwether for Fintech Startups in 2025

Explore ways to invest in Chime stock before and during the Chime IPO, which is now expected in 2025. Linqto* removes barriers to private markets and gives you access to invest in pre-IPO companies. Chime is recently available to accredited investors on the platform.

---

Notable Chime News

12/18/2024: Chime Files Confidentially for an IPO
09/26/2024: Chime Hires Morgan Stanley to Handle IPO in 2025
07/30/2024: Chime Takes New Steps for 2025 IPO
03/22/2024: Chime Targets Public Listing in US in 2025
Older news…

About Chime

Chime is a financial smartphone app that has redesigned the way millennials manage their money.

Customers conduct financial activities on the app or desktop platforms, and each receives a debit card for spending. Chime makes money on interchange fees each time a customers swipe their debit cards.

With no physical locations, the company can scale at a lower cost than traditional banks. Its simple-to-use mobile interface appeals to a generation with limited banking needs dissatisfied with legacy banking bloat and fees. 

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.

Along with Brex stock and Stripe, Chime is one of several fintech apps and upcoming IPOs riding the wave of mobile technology efficiencies.
Here’s a recent promotional video:

Ownership

The Chime shareholders include founders, venture capital investors, and employees.

Prominent venture capital investors include Sequoia Capital, SoftBank, Coatue Management, Tiger Global Management, DST Global, General Atlantic, Forerunner Ventures, ICONIQ, Amino Capital, Homebrew, Dragoneer, and Menlo Ventures.

Chime has raised at least $2.5 billion in private financing since its founding.

Its most recent funding round raised $1.1 billion and was completed in August 2021. 

Funding Rounds

WordPress Data Table Plugin

Valuation

The latest confirmed Chime valuation was $25 billion based on the August 2021 Series G fundraise. 

Analysis of private market transaction data provided by Hiive and Caplight suggest the company is likely valued at closer to $10 billion as of December 2024.

However, a Fortune article cites a long-time investor who values the company at $16-$21 billion. We won’t know a more accurate Chime valuation until the IPO or another private funding round is completed.

IPO Potential

The specific Chime IPO date is currently unknown. But Chime filed confidentially for an IPO in December 2024, suggesting a 2025 is likely (though not guaranteed).

A September 2024 report by Bloomberg indicated the company has hired Morgan Stanley to conduct its IPO and plans to move forward in 2025. No more specificity was provided. 

The CEO told Bloomberg in December 2023 that the company is “IPO ready, ” which usually means if market conditions improve. 

Bloomberg reported on March 22nd, 2024, that Chime has “yet to engage banks on the expected initial public offering”, but is targeting a 2025 Chime IPO. 

We won’t get a more concrete timeline of when the Chime IPO will be until: 

1. A more refined Chime IPO date range leaks to the financial press
2. The SEC releases a publicly-available Chime S-1 filing

Bookmark this page for the latest Chime IPO news.

How to Invest in Chime Stock

Generally, it’s challenging to acquire shares of high-demand IPOs. Most investors must settle for buying the stock after it begins trading. 

IPO underwriters typically give their best customers access first, then allocate shares to certain institutions and brokers often tied by professional relationships. 

When the largest brokers receive IPO shares, they divvy them up amongst their eligible customers, prioritizing their most valued customers first (wealthiest). 

For high-demand deals, most investors will not get shares. 

Savvy IPO investors can follow the tips below to improve their chances of owning the company before and during the IPO. 

1. Acquire shares on pre-IPO secondary marketplaces

The author has seen evidence of opportunities to invest in Chime stock on pre-IPO investing platforms. Early investors or employees may sell shares before the IPO.

Interested investors can monitor pre-IPO platforms such as Linqto (recently available), EquityZen, Forge Global, Equitybee, and Hiive, for current availability. 

Minimum investments on these platforms range from $2,500 to $50,000 or more, and are available to accredited investors only. 

Accessing pre-IPO data, deal alerts, and expressing interest in unavailable startups is free when signing up online.

Non-accredited retail investors can invest in pre-IPO companies via venture capital funds like the Fundrise Innovation Fund (review).

However, investors cannot select individual pre-IPO companies, and Chime stock is currently not in the portfolio. There’s a $10 minimum investment.

Check out our list of top pre-IPO investing platforms for current share availability across platforms. 

Please note: This is a testimonial in partnership with Fundrise. We earn a commission from partner links on AccessIPOs.com. All opinions are my own.

2. Participate in the Chime IPO through a broker

Most retail investors will not receive IPO shares in the Chime IPO. IPO access is often challenging. 

But, savvy retail IPO investors may find opportunities to invest during the IPO when it arrives. IPO access has become increasingly accessible to retail investors in the past few years. 

The following online brokers give customers free access to IPOs with low minimum deposits:

• TradeStation 
• Robinhood

TradeStation has a longer track record of accessing more than 360 IPOs and secondary offerings via its partnership with ClickIPO. 

But Robinhood has the advantage of Silicon Valley networks and a history of getting allocations for high-profile IPOs.

Read the S-1 filings to find mentions of these online brokers to find opportunities. 

Check out this list of best brokers for IPO investing to learn more about IPO access for retail investors.

3. Participate in a potential directed share program (if available)

Occasionally, companies with an existing customer base offer IPO shares to a limited number of those customers through a directed share program. 

Companies disclose the intent to implement a directed share program in the S-1 filing to the SEC once released to the public. The program states that a certain number of shares are set aside to allow customers and affiliates the opportunity to buy IPO shares. 

Those customers may receive an email leading up to the IPO asking if they would like to participate. Customers participate on a first-come, first-served basis and must purchase shares to participate.

Directed share programs have become more prevalent in recent years. Uber, Airbnb, GoPro, and LendingClub all offered shares to customers and affiliates. 

At this stage, there have been zero indications that Chime would offer a directed share program. However, it’s possible with their extensive customer base. 

Keep in mind that Chime does not owe this to anyone. It will only happen if they want to reward customers for helping them grow.

Only a fraction of customers may be eligible invest, and fewer will follow through with the investment.

4. Buy the stock after the IPO

Most investors will not acquire pre-IPO shares or receive an allocation during the IPO. They will need to wait until an IPO to buy the stock in the open market. 

Investing after the IPO has advantages. The market-based pricing and regulated filings reduce investor risk. Furthermore, public numbers make it easier for retail investors to perform due diligence before investing. 

Avoid chasing over-inflated share prices immediately after the IPO. Stock price declines after IPOs can be excellent entry points.

Be selective and patient. The most disruptive companies are likely to experience higher valuations a decade from now.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Chime Stock Publicly Traded?

No, Chime Financial, Inc. is not publicly traded.

What is the Chime Stock Price?

Pre-IPO transactions as of late 2024 suggest the stock price is around $25 per share. This is down significantly from its Series G round, which priced at $69 per share. 

Since Chime is not publicly traded on a stock exchange, there is no public Chime stock price yet.

What is the Chime Stock Symbol? 

Chime has not yet submitted public filings to the SEC, so the Chime stock symbol is unknown. We can only speculate.

A shorter symbol may be more likely in this case, as these two suggestions appear to be available on U.S. exchanges:

• CH
• CHM
• CHIM

One obvious suggestions appear to be already taken. However, this is a beaten-down penny stock that may not stay public. 

• CHME – China Medicine Corporation (penny stock that trades OTC). 

How many customers does Chime have?

As of May 2024, Chime has seven million customers.

Chime’s customer number varies widely across the internet. However, the only verified source is an exclusive Jeff Kauflin Forbes interview with Chime CEO Chris Britt and cofounder Ryan King.

King says: 

[AI will eventually help Chime build new features, since you can…] pipe every customer interaction into the AI so it understands everything about our seven million active members and what they need and what they’re complaining about.

Kauflin claims this is the first time Chime has disclosed the number. He states in the article: 

the nation’s largest digital-only bank with $1.5 billion in annualized revenue and seven million customers using its cards for $8 billion a month in transactions.

Customer estimates over seven million are inaccurate and not properly sourced. 

Where is the Chime S-1 Filing?

The Chime S-1 filing won’t be publicly available until released. Once it is public, we’ll post it here. 

You can find a real-time SEC feed of the latest IPO filings from other companies on the recent S-1 filings page.

Recent Chime Stock IPO News

01/26/2024: Chime CEO: We are ‘IPO ready’
12/06/2023: Chime CEO Sees Some Weakening in U.S.
11/10/2022: Chime cuts 12% of its workforce
05/27/2022: Barron’s: Fintech Chime Financial Is Staying Private
05/17/2022: Chime Ranked #12 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 List
02/18/2022: With Fintech Stocks Down 40%, Chime Delays Its IPO
01/21/2022: Chime lines up Goldman Sachs for blockbuster IPO
12/13/2021: Chime Users Can Now Make Deposits at Walgreens For Free
10/23/2021: Chime In Talks To Go Public At $35 Billion To $45 Billion Valuation
08/13/2021: WSJ: Chime Financial Raises $750 Million in Latest Funding Round
09/16/2020: Chime prepares stock market listing as online banking grows
09/18/2020: Chime is now worth $14.5 billion
12/05/2019: Digital company Chime quadruples valuation 

Additional Resources

• 11 Fintech startups in the IPO Pipeline

Conclusion

Retail investors often become interested in buying startups riding extraordinary macroeconomic and technology trends (e.g., fintech) before they go public. 

However, due to regulations and high demand for shares, acquiring pre-IPO ownership in Chime and similar companies is challenging for retail investors, especially non-accredited ones.

Pre-IPO investing platforms have opened more opportunities for retail investors. However, availability is still limited. Monitor platforms for the latest availability. 

Investors will likely hit roadblocks trying to obtain pre-IPO shares or IPO shares if the company chooses a public offering. 

Chime took advantage of the 2021 private funding bonanza to cover its operating expenses. However, venture capital investors will be looking to cash out when market conditions become favorable. An IPO could be around the corner.

The outcomes of other fintech IPOs could share Chime’s IPO timeline.

If you want to pursue pre-IPO equity in Chime, look first to pre-IPO platforms. If the Chime IPO is further delayed and early employees seek liquidity, more availability may emerge.

Good luck if you wish to buy Chime stock before the Chime IPO. Invest in pre-IPO and IPO companies at your own risk.