Will SeatGeek Stock Sell Out in a 2025 IPO?

Explore ways to own SeatGeek stock during the IPO. Participate in upcoming IPOs at TradeStation.

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Recent SeatGeek News

06/05/2024: SeatGeek Adds Citigroup, Wells Fargo to IPO Lineup
04/19/2023: SeatGeek Files Confidentially for IPO
08/31/2022: SeatGeek Raises $238 Million in New Funding
06/01/2022: RedBall Acquisition and SeatGeek Terminate SPAC
Older news…

About SeatGeek

SeatGeek is a ticketing marketplace for sports, concerts, and other live events. 

The company partners with sports teams and venues as the official ticket marketplace provider. It also provides a marketplace for individuals to sell unused tickets for live events across the U.S. 

It was co-founded by Jack Groetzinger, Russ D’Souza, and Eric Waller in 2009, emerging from the DreamIT Ventures startup accelerator. 

In October 2021, SeatGeek announced it would go public in a SPAC deal with RedBall Acquisition Corp. However, the announcement coincided with the peak IPO euphoria of 2021, and the partners agreed to terminate the SPAC deal due to unfavorable market conditions. 

SeatGeek filed confidentially for an IPO in April 2023, making it a likely 2024 IPO contender if market conditions continue to improve.

Here’s a recent promotional video promoting its trustworthiness and reliability in acquiring tickets. 

Ownership

SeatGeek owners include the founders, employees, venture capital firms, and celebrity investors. 

Prominent venture capital investors include Accel Partners, Arctos Sports Partners, Wellington Management, Technology Crossover Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Stage One Capital, Founders Collective, Melo7 Tech Partners, Causeway Media Partners, Haystack Partners, Mousse Partners, Glynn Capital, NYC Seed, and Stanford University Athletics. 

Celebrity and athlete investors include Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Shane Battier, Nasir Jones (Nas), and Ashton Kutcher. 

SeatGeek’s last funding round raised $238 million in August 2022. The startup has raised about $400 million since its founding.

Valuation

The press release announcing the August 2022 funding round disclosed the SeatGeek valuation at $1 billion.

IPO Potential

The specific SeatGeek IPO date is unknown. In April 2023, The Information reported the company had filed confidentially for an IPO with the SEC. 

We hadn’t heard much else until a June 2024 Bloomberg report indicating SeatGeek has hired Wells Fargo and Citigroup to its underwriting team (led by Morgan Stanley). The article said the IPO could come by the end of 2024. 

Pending market conditions and if and when the SEC qualifies the filing, it will be released to the public and the IPO process.

Several IPOs are lining up to debut in 2024, and SeatGeek may be among them. 

How to Invest in SeatGeek Stock

Buying private shares will likely become more challenging as SeatGeek approaches its IPO date. Current shareholders are less likely to liquidate in private transactions when a public transaction is near. 

Aspiring shareholders can increase their chances of early equity ownership or obtain shares in the IPO by taking the actions outlined below.

1. Access SeatGeek IPO shares through a broker

Now that SeatGeek has filed  an S-1 with the SEC, nimble investors may find investment opportunities during the IPO via participating online brokers.

At an estimated $1 billion valuation, there will be limited shares for distribution, potentially leaving investors out of luck. 

The following online brokers give their users access to IPOs:

• TradeStation  
• Robinhood
  

IPO underwriters control where IPO shares get distributed.

Many shares will go to the underwriters’ wealthy clients. We learn about this access in the S-1 filing, which comes out a month or two before the IPO, and then get updated with more details as the IPO approaches.

We have not yet found evidence of declared underwriters for the deal. We eagerly await a press leak or public filing. 

The brokers in the list above are the most likely to offer shares to retail investors because they have processes built into their platforms. 

TradeStation has a long track record of accessing more than 360 IPOs and secondary offerings.

Robinhood has the advantage of Silicon Valley networks, which could be helpful with SeatGeek.

There may be enough retail shares for multiple brokers to get an allocation. 

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

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

2. Monitor SeatGeek stock availability on pre-IPO investing platforms

Non-accredited retail investors can bypass the accreditation requirement to own pre-IPO companies by owning the Fundrise Innovation Fund.

But pre-IPO investors cannot select individual companies, and SeatGeek stock is currently not present in the portfolio.

***This option is less likely now that SeatGeek has filed confidentially for an IPO***

I have not seen evidence of SeatGeek stock being available on pre-IPO platforms. 

Accredited investors can still monitor pre-IPO investing platforms such as EquityZen, Hiive, Forge Global, and Linqto for share availability. 

Expect to pay at least a $10,000 investment minimum. In some cases, the minimum investment is much higher. 

Signing up for online access to pre-IPO data and deal alerts 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.

3. Invest via a Directed Share Program (speculation)

Will SeatGeek buyers and sellers get a chance to invest in the SeatGeek IPO?

Maybe. But it’s not likely because there will not be enough shares in a $1 billion IPO and too many SeatGeek users to distribute available shares fairly. 

When companies file their S-1 SEC filing (to kick off the IPO process), they sometimes include a directed share program for executives, affiliates, and loyal customers.

SeatGeek can attribute its success to its ticket sellers and buyers. Companies can use the IPO as an opportunity to reward them.

This has happened before.

• Uber offered shares to drivers who completed a certain number of trips.
• GoPro offered shares to its email list. 
• Airbnb offered IPO shares to hosts. 
• Robinhood offered IPO shares to its customers. 

A directed share program is possible but not likely in the SeatGeek IPO. Existing customers can still monitor emails leading up to the IPO, just in case. 

Retail access through online brokers such as Robinhood and TradeStation is a more likely scenario — though allocations will be limited if available. 

Bookmark this page for more information as the IPO approaches. 

4. Buy the stock after the SeatGeek IPO

A pending SeatGeek IPO may limit retail investors’ chances to secure pre-IPO shares.

Investing post-IPO offers advantages with comprehensive financial data available after a few quarters. Pre-IPO investing lacks such transparency.

IPO stock prices may rise in the short term, especially for high-demand companies. Early entry and strategic selling could empower nimble investors to capitalize.

Post-IPO, beware of inflated share prices. Avoid rushed purchases, as post-lockup expirations and earnings disappointments often lead to declines within the first year of trading. 

Selective and patient investing, particularly in disruptive companies like SeatGeek, can lead to higher valuations in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is SeatGeek stock publicly traded?

No. SeatGeek is not publicly traded. It is a private company.

What is the SeatGeek Stock Symbol? 

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

However, the company likely reserved a ticker symbol before filing confidentially for an IPO. 

We can speculate about the SeatGeek ticker before it pursues an IPO. The following SeatGeek ticker suggestions are available in the U.S.: 

• STGK
• GEEK
• SGEK
• TIX

“SEAT” is already occupied by Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT). “SG” is the stock symbol for Sweetgreen.

Nasdaq symbols are usually four characters long but can be up to five. NYSE symbols are usually one, two, or three characters long but can be as long as four. 

What is the SeatGeek Stock Price?

A public SeatGeek stock price does not exist because the company remains private. 

Private prices do not necessarily indicate a future IPO price due to limited transaction volume and various share classes. We will get an accurate SeatGeek stock price once it is publicly listed.

Where is the SeatGeek S-1 Filing?

SeatGeek submitted a confidential S-1 filing to the SEC in April 2023. However, that version has not yet been released to the public. SeatGeek management is either waiting for market conditions to improve or soliciting strategic alternatives (e.g., private equity deal, merger, or acquisition).

Most companies start with a confidential filing and then release the filing to the public when ready to start the IPO process. 

When the company releases its 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 filings feed. 

SeatGeek News Archive

10/13/2021: SeatGeek to go public via $1.35 bln SPAC deal
04/19/2017: SeatGeek Raises $57 Million, Acquires TopTix
04/02/2015: SeatGeek Raises $62 Million In A Series C
08/28/2014: SeatGeek Raises $35 Million From Accel

Conclusion

SeatGeek ticket buyers and sellers may seek an investment before the company becomes public. 

The confidential filing means it is out of the public eye until the SEC blesses the filing, allowing the company to move forward with its IPO. 

Pre-IPO SeatGeek shares will likely remain elusive now that the filing is active and we’re awaiting its public release. 

Retail investors should be cautious. The current IPO sentiment is fragile after multiple lackluster 2023 IPOs. 

With interest rate increases slowing or complete, the IPO environment may improve in 2024.

SeatGeek could be an early high-profile deal, having excellent name recognition. Competitor StubHub may also be in line to IPO in early 2024. 

The SeatGeek financials will be critical for retail investors to review in pursuit of IPO access. Evaluate the company as if it were public already to determine if the IPO valuation is palatable. 

Pre-IPO investing platforms have opened more opportunities for retail investors. However, opportunities to invest in SeatGeek stock before the IPO will likely be limited going forward as it approaches its offering date.   

Temper your expectations if you’re interested in pursuing pre-IPO equity in SeatGeek. You’ll likely need to wait for the IPO. Monitor the IPO brokers mentioned above and this website for the latest, but since the latest valuation was only $1 billion, there may not be enough shares for retail investors.

Existing customers can also monitor emails during the week before the IPO to see if they’ll be offered shares. We may get clues in the S-1 filing if this will happen. 

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