Did you know you can buy late-stage pre-IPO companies today?
2020 and 2021 proved to be epic years for IPOs and SPACs. Airbnb, Doordash, Robinhood, Lucid Motors, Rivian, Coinbase, Sweetgreen — the list goes on.
But the well has dried.
As such, 2022 IPO volume is at a standstill and may remain that way for many months or possibly years to come.
The IPO investing crowd will need to wait for the next batch of private companies to flood into the public markets.
While we wait, patient IPO investors may find opportunities in late-stage pre-IPO companies.
Linqto, a pre-IPO investing platform, currently offers several such opportunities to accredited investors today.
You can now own the next big IPOs months or years before they go public.
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What is Linqto?
Linqto * is one of a handful of pre-IPO investing platforms that have emerged in the past five to ten years empowering retail investors to own late-stage private companies.
The company uses its capital to acquire pre-IPO shares of private companies, then offers the shares to Linqto members through its website.
Most available companies are unicorns (>$1 billion valuations), have solid revenue, and are likely to go public or be acquired in the next few years.
Anyone can open a Linqto account to browse investments and access proprietary research and insights.
However, only accredited investors (invested assets > $1 million, or income > $200k single, $300k married) can invest.
The minimum investment amount for all deals is $10,000.
Accreditation is self-attested when you sign up. But to invest, you must provide proof of accreditation, either through your financial advisor, uploaded documentation, or via customer support.
Once accredited, you can invest in any available deals in the future.
New company availability alerts come via email.
As of writing (April 2022), there are 19 pre-IPO companies available for investment.
This article highlights seven of the most interesting and well-known businesses.
Mentions of companies on this website are not investment recommendations. Please perform personalized due diligence on any company before investing. Pre-IPO investing involves unique risks only suitable for accredited investors.
7. Pre-IPO Companies Available to Invest in Today
1. WHOOP
Whoop is a wearable device technology company popular with athletes. Its newest device, the WHOOP 4.0, is a fitness tracker worn on the wrist. It’s similar to an Apple Watch or FitBit, but without the touch screen.
Instead, it tracks your body’s vitals without sending notifications. Users get data from the accompanying smartphone app.
The fitness tracker is lightweight and designed to wear 24/7. Sila Nanotechnologies provides innovative battery technology in the WHOOP 4.0.
WHOOP gives away its fitness trackers for free with a recurring membership fee, enabling a lower entry point for consumers. Membership gives access to a smartphone app, coaching features, and performance reports. Stylish watch bands add another revenue stream.
WHOOP’s latest funding round, a Series F, was completed in August 2021 at a valuation of $3.6 billion. Linqto’s offer price is $6.60 per share at an implied valuation of $4.9 billion.
Learn more: Whoop Stock: How to Buy Shares Before the IPO
2. Automation Anywhere
Automation Anywhere is a global leader in robotic process automation (RPA) software. RPA helps enterprises automate various tedious and manual digital processes involved in business operations.
More than 80% of the Fortune Global 2000 companies utilize RPA to improve worker productivity.
Automation Anywhere’s latest funding round, a Series B, was completed in November 2019 at a $7.3 billion valuation. Linqto’s offer price is $45 per share at an implied valuation of $18.4 billion. The company competes with UiPath, which completed its IPO in 2021.
Learn more: Automation Anywhere IPO
3. Eat Just
Eat Just is the Impossible Foods/Beyond Meat of plant-based eggs, owning 99% of the category market. It also develops plant-based mayonnaise and lab-grown proteins.
My wife eats this stuff. I’ve tried it, and it makes a decent egg and cheese bagel.
The key ingredient for its products is derived from the mung bean. The product is cholesterol-free and has as much protein as many animal proteins.
It cooks and tastes like an egg.
Eat Just’s latest funding round between March and November 2021 put a valuation of about $1 billion to $2.59 billion on the company (according to different sources). Linqto’s offer price is $24 per share at an implied valuation of $1.23 billion.
4. Ripple
Ripple offers a global real-time payment system enabling banks and financial institutions to transact in a decentralized manner (no third-party bank, network, or servers).
The company also offers a digital asset called XRP for global payments and FX Market Making, a foreign exchange solution for enterprises.
Ripple counts several legitimate banking institutions as customers, including Santander, Bank of America, and American Express.
Like many crypto startups, Ripple has some issues to address with the SEC. Pay attention to any legal liabilities if you decide to invest.
Ripple’s latest funding round, a Series C buyback, was completed in January 2022 at a valuation of $15 billion. Linqto’s offer price is $48.50 per share at an implied valuation of $7.9 billion.
5. Carbon
Carbon combines software, hardware, and molecular science innovations to deliver industry-leading 3D printing capabilities to customers. It serves diverse industries such as automotive, life sciences, dental, consumer products, and industrial parts manufacturing.
The company leases its machines instead of selling them, which provides a more reliable cash flow stream than traditional sales and support. It’s made the Fast Company 2021 World’s Most Innovative Companies List and is quickly expanding to Europe and Asian markets.
Carbon’s latest funding round, a Series E, was completed in October 2019 at a valuation of $2.4 billion. Linqto’s offer price is $32.50 per share at an implied valuation of $2.8 billion.
6. Linqto
Linqto is using its platform to sell shares of itself. We’ve seen this done by other companies in the past, including Fundrise.
Offering equity in itself is one validation that the company believes in its mission and future prospects to enable a new class of investors to access pre-IPO opportunities.
Competing platforms Forge Global and EquityZen are valued considerably higher ($6.3 billion and $700 million, respectively).
Linqto is offering ownership for $3.50 per share at an implied valuation of $248.5 million.
7. BlockFi
BlockFi is no longer available on the Linqto platform. Several media sources have reported that the company is a takeover candidate at a significantly reduced valuation.
Read more: BlockFi Stock
BlockFi is a fintech company that has built several products around the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The company is a leader in DeFi (decentralized finance), offering high-interest yield on crypto holdings, crypto trading, crypto-backed loans, and a Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card (earn 1.5% bitcoin for each $1 spent).
BlockFi aims to go public in the next year or two, according to investor documents. Be aware that, like many crypto startups, the company is coping with some regulatory scrutiny over its high-interest products.
BlockFi’s latest funding round, a Series E, was completed in July 2021 at a valuation of $4.8 billion. Linqto’s offer price is $110 per share at an implied valuation of $6.9 billion.
Other Pre-IPO Companies Currently Available on Linqto
The list of seven is just a start. There are 12 additional pre-IPO companies currently available.
Explore the research information available on Linqto to find more opportunities that fit your investment objectives.
Please note: Availability may come and go for these companies. All companies listed in this article are available to invest as of April 17th, 2022.
- bitpay – Crypto payments and blockchain tech
- Dapper Labs – Games and NFTs on a blockchain
- Uphold – A multi-asset financial services platform
- Tradeshift – Supply chain management software
- HoneyBook – Client management software for small businesses
- Varo – A mobile-only neobank
- Bloomreach – eCommerce API on the cloud
- Workrise – Workforce management solution for the skilled trades
- Thrasio – Data science to improve consumer goods
- Bolt Threads – Sustainable materials
- Zipline – Autonomous drone delivery
- Cityblock – Digital health
- Opturo – Supply chain, online returns
Conclusion
Massive IPO volume in 2022 graduated many of the most innovative global late-stage startups. It’s now time to identify the next batch of forthcoming IPOs before the media and investor masses catch on.
New platforms such as Linqto empower knowledgeable investors to buy pre-IPO companies well before the IPOs.
The benefits of acquiring shares before broader public access are lower cost basis and more significant capital gain when the IPOs arrive.
Featured photo via DepositPhotos used under license.
* Access IPOs is an affiliate partner with Linqto. If readers open an account with Linqto through links on this page, Access IPOs will be compensated. IPO investing involves unique risks. Do not invest with money you cannot afford to lose.
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