Axios : Stripe in talks to buy back stock from investors

Stripe in talks to buy back stock from investors

Stripe is in talks to repurchase shares from venture capital backers at a $106.7 billion valuation, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The payments infrastructure giant caught grief, including from yours truly, for not going public when its valuation hit $95 billion before the pandemic — after which it was slashed to only $50 billion.

  • Now it's worth more and is offering liquidity without public-market glare.

Behind the scenes: Stripe hasn't yet determined how much stock it will repurchase, nor if the offer will be extended to employees. A source called the talks "flexible."

  • The $106.7 billion figure is Stripe's latest 409A valuation.
  • A company spokesperson declined comment.

Flashback: One year ago, longtime Stripe investor Sequoia Capital bought $861 million worth of Stripe shares from its own limited partners at a $70 billion valuation.

The bottom line: Stripe's founding brothers have never seemed interested in an IPO, and this is further indication that there won't be one anytime soon.