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Fraud Prevention Software Firm Riskified Explores Sale

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Riskified, a New York-based company specializing in fraud prevention software for e-commerce, is exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, after attracting interest from multiple parties, according to sources familiar with the matter. The company, originally founded in Israel, is working with investment bank Qatalyst Partners to evaluate takeover approaches, with discussions remaining in the early stages.

Potential buyers for Riskified include digital payment processing firms, online shopping platforms, cybersecurity companies, and private equity firms. However, the sources cautioned that a deal is not assured. Following the news, Riskified’s stock price rebounded, surging nearly 9% on Wednesday.

Riskified, which went public nearly four years ago through an initial public offering, is currently valued at around $860 million. The company has faced significant challenges, with its stock plummeting more than 80% from its peak in September 2021 to its close on Tuesday. Despite its success in providing fraud prevention software for retailers, Riskified has not been profitable since its shares began trading.

For the quarter ending December 31, the company reported a widened net loss of $4.1 million, compared to a loss of $3.3 million in the previous year. This financial setback was partially attributed to the loss of several large customers in some of its key sectors.

Founded in 2013, Riskified provides fraud prevention services to e-commerce businesses, helping retailers protect digital transactions from fraudsters. Notable clients include luxury fashion brand Prada, online travel platform Booking.com, and jewelry brand Swarovski.

Nvidia-Backed Cloud Firm CoreWeave to Acquire AI Platform Weights & Biases

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CoreWeave, a cloud infrastructure provider backed by Nvidia, announced on Tuesday its acquisition of the AI developer platform Weights & Biases. The move is part of CoreWeave’s strategy to expand its cloud offerings ahead of its upcoming IPO.

The acquisition will integrate CoreWeave’s infrastructure and managed cloud services with Weights & Biases’ AI platform, which is widely used for training, evaluating, and monitoring AI models. Prominent technology companies such as OpenAI and Meta utilize Weights & Biases’ platform to build and deploy AI applications.

While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, sources familiar with the transaction told The Information that the acquisition could be valued at approximately $1.7 billion.

CoreWeave, based in Roseland, New Jersey, has seen significant growth, reporting an eight-fold increase in revenue for 2024. The company is also advancing with its plans to list publicly later this year, with expectations to achieve a valuation exceeding $35 billion in its New York flotation.

CoreWeave’s customer base includes major players like hedge fund Jane Street, as well as tech giants Meta, IBM, and Microsoft.

Cybersecurity Firm SailPoint Sets Sights on $12.6 Billion Valuation in US IPO

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Cybersecurity firm SailPoint has raised its target valuation to as much as $12.57 billion in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO), reflecting strong investor interest as it becomes the first major tech stock IPO of the year. This move signals a potential comeback for U.S. IPOs, which have been sluggish for nearly three years, as established companies with proven revenue are poised to lead the charge.

SailPoint, along with its parent company Thoma Bravo, is offering 50 million shares priced between $21 and $23 each, with the goal of raising up to $1.15 billion. This revised price range represents an increase from the previous proposed range of $19 to $21, aimed at raising up to $1.05 billion for a target valuation of around $11.5 billion.

Josef Schuster, CEO of IPO-focused investment indexes IPOX, commented that raising the price range indicates strong demand for high-quality deals. He views this as a promising sign for future IPOs in growth sectors like technology.

Founded in 2005, SailPoint specializes in identity and access management software, helping businesses mitigate the risk of data leaks. The surge in cyberattacks, partially fueled by artificial intelligence, has increased demand for such security solutions.

SailPoint’s IPO is expected to be a key moment in the tech IPO pipeline, which includes several high-profile startups like Chime, Genesys, and Cerebras Systems. These companies are expected to play a pivotal role in the anticipated market rebound, which follows a difficult period for high-growth technology companies.

For Thoma Bravo, SailPoint’s IPO represents a significant success. After acquiring SailPoint in 2014 and taking it public in 2017, Thoma Bravo took the company private again in 2022 in a $6.9 billion deal. Following the IPO, the firm will retain an 88% stake in SailPoint.

The IPO will be led by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, with SailPoint set to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “SAIL.”