Lyten Stock: IPO Candidate or Acquisition Target?

Explore potential ways to invest in Lyten stock before the Lyten IPO. Access pre-IPO startups like Anduril, OpenAI, and Databricks via the Fundrise Innovation Fund*. $10 minimum investment.

---

Notable Lyten News

12/18/2024: Lyten Nears $650 Million in Ex-Im Bank Loans
11/13/2024: Lyten buys battery assets from Northvolt
10/15/2024: Lyten Announces $1 Billion Lithium-Sulfur Battery Gigafactory
01/30/2024: Lyten Secures $4 Million U.S. DOE Grant
Older news…

About Lyten

Lyten is an advanced material and sustainable battery company. The company discovered a three-dimensional graphene carbon-based “super-material” that it believes has endless applications in global decarbonization. 

Its first industrial applications will be for batteries, composites, and sensors. 

Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery is better than the ubiquitous lithium-ion battery because it doesn’t use cobalt, nickel, manganese, or graphite, enabling a 100% domestic materials and manufacturing supply chain.

A domestic supply chain makes the batteries especially attractive for government defense purposes. 

The lithium-sulfur battery is safer, lighter weight (to “Lyten” batteries), higher energy density, cheaper, and domestically sourced, making it a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and electronic devices. Lyten claims a 60% reduced carbon footprint for its batteries. 

The company opened a pilot manufacturing facility near its headquarters in San Jose, CA, in June 2023.  

Here’s a recruiting video boasting the potential for innovation at Lyten:

Ownership

Lyten is a privately held startup. The ownership equity comprises of founders, employees, venture capital firms, and corporate investors.

The startup has raised more than $410 million since its founding. The latest Series B funding round raised $200 million in October 2023.

Before that, the company raised a Series A round of $160 million that was completed in early 2021. 

Venture capital and corporate investors include Prime Movers Lab, Stellantis, FedEx, Honeywell, Walbridge Aldinger Company, Catalus Capital, and River Street Management. 

Lyten Valuation

The October 2023 $200 million Series B funding round established the Lyten valuation at about $1.5 billion. 

IPO Potential

The Lyten IPO date is currently unknown and likely years away. 

The startup raised $200 million in private funding in October, which should provide adequate funding for a year or two. The company is based in San Jose, CA, where talent is abundant but expensive.

The company will need to hire high-caliber engineers to scale its technology and manufacturing. 

Most startups wait to go public after a Series D, E, or later fundraising round. Having only completed up to a Series B round, Lyten could be two or more rounds away from an IPO. That could take two to five years. 

However, if the broader IPO market becomes favorable, many startups with public intentions may take advantage of favorable market conditions. 

If the company decides to pursue a public listing, watch for media reports about the company exploring a possible IPO with investment banks or a confidential S-1 filing with the SEC.

Bookmark this page for the latest developments.

Acquisition Potential

Lyten may be a more likely acquisition target than many IPO candidates we cover. The company has already attracted investment interest from companies like Honeywell and Stellantis. 

As the pilot program matures and Lyten progresses toward being a viable company, it will need significant capital to build out capacity.

Some startups accept venture capital funding to construct large facilities like Redwood Materials has done. It may also seek Federal grants or loans like Ascend Elements has done with its Kentucky materials recycling facility. 

An IPO can provide more funding and help early investors realize profits. 

However, larger industrial companies may also swoop in to take over a fast-moving startup to gain access to disruptive technologies. 

Lyten management has not commented on its future ambitions. We expect to hear more as the company completes its next private funding round. 

How to Invest in Lyten Stock

Since Lyten is a private company at less than a $2 billion valuation, it is challenging to become a shareowner today. Early shareholders likely see the potential in such an early-stage company and will hold shares until at least the next private round. 

Most retail investors will not have a viable path to pre-IPO ownership. 

However, you can increase your chances of early equity ownership or obtain shares in the IPO by exploring the options below. 

Accredited investors have better access to pre-IPO investing platforms, but non-accredited investors can monitor venture capital funds to access shares in the future. 

1. Access Lyten stock via pre-IPO investing platforms

The author has seen limited evidence of Lyten stock availability on pre-IPO marketplaces. But monitor pre-IPO investing platforms for availability. 

Non-accredited retail investors can bypass the accreditation requirement to own pre-IPO companies by owning venture capital funds such as the Fundrise Innovation Fund. However, individual pre-IPO companies cannot be selected, and Lyten stock is currently not present in the portfolio.

Accredited investors can monitor pre-IPO equity platforms such as Equitybee, Hiive, Linqto, Forge Global, and EquityZen for share future share access. View our list of the top pre-IPO investing platforms. 

Direct share investors should expect to pay at least a $10,000 investment minimum for direct share access. In many cases, the minimum investment is higher. 

Signing up for access to pre-IPO data, deal alerts, and expressing interest in currently unavailable startups is free.

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. Invest Indirectly in Lyten Equity

Investors can own a small piece of Lyten stock today by investing in corporate investors.

The following public companies have invested in Lyten. Own these companies to access Lyten equity indirectly today. 

• Stellantis (STLA)
• Honeywell (HON)
• FedEx (FDX)

3. Participate in the Lyten IPO

The October 2023 Lyten private funding round should provide sufficient funding for operations for another year or two. 

Venture capital firms and individual investors have invested in Lyten and may seek to liquidate ownership in the coming years when market conditions favor IPOs. 

We do not expect broader IPO volume to pick up until at least 2024 due to rising interest rates. 

Investors eyeing IPOs may find opportunities to buy shares at the IPO price a day before public trading through online brokers offering free IPO access.

The following brokers offer free IPO access:

• TradeStation 
• Robinhood

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

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

Read company S-1 filings to find evidence that these online brokers may offer access to shares. 

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

4. Buy Lyten stock after the IPO

Many investors find it challenging to obtain pre-IPO shares or secure an allocation during the IPO. Waiting for stocks to go public has advantages, providing access to diverse financial sets through the S-1 and post-IPO reporting quarters. Pre-IPO investing, however, offers limited financials for review.

IPO stock prices often rise for high-demand companies, and early entry with selling during price overheating can be beneficial. However, investors without IPO access might be tempted to buy shares at inflated prices post-IPO.

It’s advisable to avoid purchasing overvalued shares immediately after the IPO, as declines may follow lockup expirations and quarterly earnings disappointments.

Declining stock prices after IPOs can create excellent entry opportunities, especially for the most disruptive companies expected to experience higher valuations in the future. Exercise selectivity and patience.

In the case of Lyten, an IPO may not occur, as it could be an attractive acquisition candidate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Lyten Stock Publicly Traded?

No. Lyten is a private company, it is not publicly traded.

What is the Lyten Stock Symbol?

There is no Lyten stock symbol yet because it is a private company.

Here are a few Lyten ticker suggestions that are available in the U.S.: 

• LYTN
• LYTE

Where can I find the Lyten S-1 Filing?

Lyten has yet to release an S-1 filing to the public. There is no evidence of a confidential S-1 filing, and we do not expect one in the next three years. 

News of a confidential or public S-1 filing would kick off the IPO process, suggesting the IPO could occur during the following two to six months. 

When the company releases the S-1 filing to investors, we’ll link to and embed the document on this web page.

In the meantime, you can check out the most recent S-1 filings in our S-1 filings feed. 

Lyten News Archive

10/03/2023: Lyten Raises $200 Million In Equity Financing Round
06/14/2023: Lyten Opens Lithium-Sulfur Battery Pilot Line

Conclusion

Investors become interested in buying companies riding extraordinary macroeconomic trends (materials science, battery tech).

However, acquiring ownership in Lyten pre-IPO will be challenging for retail investors, particularly for non-accredited ones. This is especially true for an early-stage company. Shareholders who anticipate excellent long-term gains are unlikely to liquidate this early. 

Pre-IPO investing platforms have opened more opportunities for retail investors, but we’ve seen limited indications of share availability for retail investors interested in Lyten stock. Venture capital investing is still mostly reserved for accredited investors, but non-accredited investors can access startups via the Fundrise Innovation Fund. 

Temper expectations if you’re inclined to pursue pre-IPO equity in Lyten. You’ll likely need to wait for the IPO, or at least until a significant valuation raise associated with a private round is complete. Both may be multiple years away.

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