Monday, December 23, 2024

UK neobank Revolut valued at $45B after secondary market sale | TechCrunch

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Revolut has confirmed a new valuation of $45 billion via a secondary market share sale, shortly after the U.K.-based neobank secured its own banking license in the U.K. and in Mexico.

The news positions Revolut as one of Europe’s most valuable private tech companies.

Founded out of London in 2015, Revolut is one of numerous fintechs that have arrived out of Europe over the past decade to challenge the big bank incumbents. Revolut offers a range of services spanning multi-currency accounts, payment and transfer services, crypto products, insurance, and more. The company has also expanded beyond the U.K. into international markets including Europe and the U.S.

Revolut has raised around $1.7 billion since its inception, its most recent tranche coming via a $800 million Series E in 2021, where it claimed a $33 billion valuation. In the intervening years against a backdrop of a global economic downturn, Revolut’s valuation reportedly dipped at various junctures, with speculation emerging last year that it may have fallen to around $20 billion.

However, as a private company, nothing was ever confirmed. But off the back of record profits this year and strong user growth with customers hitting the 45 million mark, rumors emerged that the company was seeking a valuation of around $40 billion — and that has now been confirmed.

Revolut announced a secondary share sale today designed to spur “employee liquidity,” which the company says helps them to “realise their contribution to Revolut’s growth.”

“It’s their hard work, innovation, and dedication that has driven us to become the most valuable private technology company in Europe,” Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky said in a statement.

The secondary sale included a mix of new and existing investors, with Coatue, Tiger Global, and D1 Capital Partners leading the chase.

A $45 billion valuation, alongside its recent strong financials, user metrics, and newly-acquired banking licenses, positions Revolut well as it enters the next phase in its evolution. Indeed, all eyes will be on the company’s IPO plans, with reports suggesting that it favors a U.S.-listing, though the U.K. government is looking to steer them toward domestic shores.

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