Motive IPO: Date, Valuation, and Retail Access
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Explore opportunities to invest in the Motive IPO, which is expected in Q1 2026.
Motive Snapshot
- Motive Status: Confidential Filing, Series F – 2025
- Focus: Transportation, Logistics, AI
- IPO Timeline: 2-6 Months
- Retail Access: Dec 2025 Availability on Secondaries
Table of Contents
Notable Motive News
09/03/2025: Motive Files Confidentially for IPO
08/13/2025: Motive Said to Pick JPMorgan for US IPO
07/30/2025: Motive Raises $150 Million
05/22/2022: Motive Raises $150 Million in Series F
Older news…
About Motive
Motive is a San Francisco–based technology company that develops hardware and software tools to help companies with vehicles and equipment keep track of operations.
It was founded in 2013 as KeepTruckin by Shoaib Makani, Ryan Johns, and Obaid Khan, originally focusing on helping truck drivers and fleets replace paper logbooks with digital ones to meet federal regulations.
The company rebranded as Motive in 2022 to reflect a broader focus on businesses that rely on fleets and job sites.
Its main products include GPS tracking devices, in-cab cameras, and software that lets managers see where vehicles are, how they’re being driven, and when maintenance is needed.
The platform is used by trucking, construction, delivery, and field service companies to reduce accidents, cut fuel and repair costs, and simplify compliance and payroll.
Motive competes with other fleet management companies like Samsara by offering an all-in-one system that combines tracking, safety, and back-office tools in a single package.
As regulations increase and more industries look to digitize vehicle-based work, Motive has room to grow by selling deeper into existing customers and expanding into new sectors and international markets.
Ownership
Motive is a venture-backed startup owned by its founders, employees, and multiple venture capital firms.
Prominent venture capital investors include AllianceBernstein, Kleiner Perkins, Insight Partners, 9Yards Capital, Neo Ventures, BlackRock, G2 Venture Partners, Base10 Partners, Bosch Ventures, The Private Shares Fund, Scale Venture Partners, Index Ventures, GV, Greenoaks, Success Venture Partners, Odenn Impact, Reform Ventures, and Goanna Capital.
Funding Rounds
| Round | Date | Est. Valuation | Raise Amount | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series F Extention | 07/29/25 | NA | $150.0M | $7.80 |
| Series F | 05/24/22 | $2.9B | $150.0M | $7.80 |
| Series E | 06/16/21 | $2.3B | $190.0M | $7.20 |
| Series D | 04/22/19 | $1.4B | $149.0M | $4.91 |
| Series C | 03/19/18 | NA | $50.0M | $0.72 |
| Series B | 05/17/17 | NA | $18.0M | $0.11 |
| Series A | 10/11/15 | NA | $8.0M | $0.08 |
| Seed | 06/30/13 | NA | $2.3M | $0.00 |
| Source: Caplight |
Valuation
The latest confirmed Motive valuation is about $3 billion based on the Series F and estimates from Caplight.
IPO Potential
Motive filed confidentially for an IPO in early September 2025. Based on timing and likely discouraged by the government shutdown, the company is a strong candidate to move forward with its IPO in Q1 2026.
In the confidential filing stage, the company is receiving feedback and updating the S-1 to prepare for its listing.
The SEC prioritized IPO filings after the government shutdown, so I expect to see a publicly released Motive S-1 sometime in Q1.
Monitor the S-1 filing feed on this website or the SEC’s website for the latest filings. Once released, I’ll post a copy of the filing here.
How to Invest in Motive Stock
Motive is a venture-backed startup, possibly worth around $3 billion. As it approaches its IPO, shares are less likely to be available on secondary markets.
Investors and employees looking to cash out will need to wait until the IPO.
Here are some potential options to own Motive stock before, during, and after the IPO.
1. Invest Pre-IPO
Pre-IPO investment platforms may still offer Motive stock for purchase as employees or early investors seek to sell some of their shares before the Motive IPO.
I’ve seen shares of the company in the past, but availability is less frequent now that it has filed confidentially.
Accredited investors can access shares, provided they are registered on the platform and receive notifications about their availability.
Monitor pre-IPO investing platforms such as Hiive, Equitybee, Forge Global, and EquityZen for share availability.
If shares become available, expect to pay at least a $10,000 investment minimum, often more.
Non-accredited investors can invest in pre-IPO companies via venture capital funds targeted at retail investors.
Fundrise Venture (review) is an excellent option. However, Motive is not currently in the portfolio.
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 Motive IPO through a broker
When a company goes public, ordinary investors can sometimes buy the stock during the IPO at the IPO price.
In the past, only Wall Street’s top customers could invest in IPOs. But retail access is becoming more common.
That said, Motive is a smaller deal, meaning fewer shares will be available for retail.
Some online brokers (like the ones listed below) allow investors to invest in IPOs for free, even if they have limited funds in their accounts.
TradeStation has a more established track record of accessing more than 400 IPOs and secondary offerings via its partnership with Click Markets (formerly Click Markets).
Robinhood has the advantage of Silicon Valley networks and a history of getting allocations for high-profile IPOs.
Check out this list of the best brokers for IPO investing to learn more about IPO access for retail investors.
3. Buy Motive stock after the IPO
Most retail and institutional investors must wait until after the IPO to invest.
Waiting for the IPO can be advantageous, as it provides access to more established financials after the first quarter of trading. Pre-IPO investing has limited data for due diligence for most investors.
High-demand newly IPO’d companies may have exaggerated valuations initially. Investors can benefit by attempting to sell within the first month of trading, but may suffer when prices revert to fair valuations.
Avoid buying overvalued new stocks immediately after the IPO due to lockup expirations and earnings disappointments.
Stock price declines can be excellent entry points for recent IPO stocks.
However, the most disruptive companies may perform better over a decade, so patience is of utmost importance.
Investor Takeaways
Motive’s long-awaited IPO could arrive as early as Q1 2026. Employees or existing equity holders may finally get their opportunity for liquidity.
Investors looking to capitalize on AI, automation, and transportation trends may find Motive to be an attractive investment if its S-1 financial results reveal a healthy, growing business.
The confidential filing signals management’s intent to move forward, but the upcoming public S-1 will need to show a strong business in a competitive field led by well-capitalized peers.
A roughly $3 billion valuation places Motive in a range where execution risk matters as much as category tailwinds, especially given recent secondary price softness.
Hardware-plus-software models (similar to Verkada) reward scale, but can expose lapses in cost discipline and supply chain inefficiencies, unlike a pure SaaS.
For markets with a market cap under $5 billion, retail investors should expect limited IPO allocations (perhaps none) and prepare for post-IPO volatility tied to lockups, early earnings reports, and multiple compression.
Interested investors can monitor this page for the latest information about the Motive IPO.
Motive News Archive
04/23/2019: Motive raises Series D investment
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Craig Stephens founded Access IPOs in 2016 to help ordinary investors explore IPO and pre-IPO opportunities. He also manages the Access Club, a membership community for IPO and startup investors. Craig studied Finance at Michigan State University and lives in Northern Virginia. Learn more about Craig.
* This is a testimonial in partnership with Fundrise, Hiive, Robinhood, and other affiliate partners. We earn a commission from partner links on AccessIPOs.com. All opinions are my own. If you sign up with one of our partners through certain on this website, Access IPOs will be compensated at no additional cost to the reader. See the full disclosure here. Risk Statement: Access IPOs is for informational purposes only and does not recommend buying or selling any specific pre-IPO company, IPO, or public company. Investing in IPOs and pre-IPO startups involves significant risk. Do not invest in companies based solely on what is included in this article. Only invest in IPOs and pre-IPO companies with money you can afford to lose. Mentions of specific investments should not be construed as financial advice. Conduct personalized research and consider consulting with an investment advisor before investing. Disclosure: The author may hold an active or pending position in this company either directly or indirectly through an investment fund.
