Stripe slashes valuation to $50 billion in new $6.5 billion funding round

Payment processor Stripe raised $6.5 billion at a $50 billion valuation, the corporate stated Wednesday, a pointy low cost from its document valuation of $95 billion in 2021.

“Stripe does not need this capital to run its business,” the corporate stated in a press launch. The money elevate — with contributions from Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Goldman Sachs, and Temasek — will as a substitute go in the direction of offering liquidity to “current and former employees” and tax obligations related to fairness awards.

Stripe, which ranked eighth on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 checklist final yr, has now slashed its valuation by virtually half from its peak two years in the past. The firm builds fee processing software program for e-commerce companies like Amazon, Google, and Shopify.

Goldman Sachs served as the only placement agent, whereas J.P. Morgan served as Stripe’s monetary advisor.

Stripe has remained privately owned for over a decade, regardless of frequent hypothesis about an IPO. CNBC reported in January that the corporate would decide on a public providing inside the subsequent yr.

Stripe’s latest Series I spherical will likely be non-dilutive, the corporate stated. By offering “liquidity” to present and former staff, the corporate will offset the issuance of the spherical’s new shares. But the corporate has lengthy maintained that personal possession is perfect.

“We’re very happy as a private company,” Stripe co-founder John Collison informed CNBC in 2021. At the time, Collison dismissed rumors of a possible IPO.

In July, Stripe lower its inside valuation by 28%, from $95 billion to $74 billion. Then in January, The Information reported that Stripe once more lowered its valuation to $63 billion. The discount displays the dramatic the pullback in tech shares final yr, which was the worst yr for the Nasdaq since 2008.

Stripe laid off 14% of its workforce in November as management acknowledged misjudging how a lot the web financial system would proceed to develop.

WATCH: Stripe co-founder says, ‘We’re very glad as a non-public firm’