Yazılar

SailPoint Targets $11.5 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

/in /tarafından

SailPoint, a cybersecurity firm backed by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, is targeting a valuation of up to $11.5 billion in its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. The firm, based in Austin, Texas, is offering 47.5 million shares at a price range of $19 to $21 per share, with an additional 2.5 million shares from its parent, Thoma Bravo, raising a total of up to $1.05 billion. The IPO, expected to be the first major U.S. tech listing of 2025, will gauge investor sentiment following mixed results from previous high-profile IPOs.

SailPoint specializes in identity and access management software, which helps businesses mitigate unwanted user access and protect sensitive data from cyberattacks. The growing demand for cybersecurity, fueled in part by the increasing use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors, has bolstered the firm’s offerings. Its competitors include major tech giants like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, CyberArk, and Okta. The firm counts clients like truckmaker PACCAR, student loan servicer Nelnet, and British supermarket chain ASDA among its customers.

Thoma Bravo, which manages about $166 billion in assets, first acquired SailPoint in 2014 and took it public in 2017. After selling its stake in 2018, Thoma Bravo reacquired SailPoint in 2022 for $6.9 billion. Since going private, the company has completed its transition to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The IPO will mark SailPoint’s return to the stock market.

Notable investors such as AllianceBernstein and Dragoneer Investment Group have expressed interest in buying up to 20% of the shares sold in the offering. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are the lead underwriters for the IPO, which will be listed under the symbol “SAIL” on the Nasdaq. Following the offering, Thoma Bravo will retain an 88.5% stake in SailPoint. The company plans to use the proceeds to repay debt and settle outstanding equity awards.

 

SoftBank in Talks to Lead OpenAI Funding Round at $300 Billion Valuation

/in /tarafından

SoftBank Group is in negotiations to lead a funding round for OpenAI, which could raise up to $40 billion, placing the artificial intelligence developer’s valuation at $300 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. This potential round, which could set a record for a private company’s single funding round, is in the wake of growing competition from Chinese startup DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s new, affordable AI model has disrupted expectations about the costs of developing and deploying AI.

As part of the funding, SoftBank has valued OpenAI at $260 billion, a significant increase from its valuation of $150 billion just a few months ago. This funding is expected to be in the form of convertible notes, and similar to OpenAI’s previous round, it is contingent upon restructuring the company to remove control from its non-profit arm.

Leading the round would be a bold move for SoftBank, which has roughly $30 billion in cash to invest. While neither SoftBank nor OpenAI has commented on the discussions, it is believed that SoftBank could contribute between $15 billion and $25 billion directly into OpenAI. This money may also go towards OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate, a joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank aimed at helping the U.S. maintain a competitive edge in the global AI race, with plans for up to $500 billion in investments.

Despite the funding talks, DeepSeek’s low-cost AI model has raised concerns within the AI sector. The startup, using Nvidia H800 chips, developed its DeepSeek-V3 model for less than $6 million, spurring questions about whether OpenAI and other labs can retain their dominance as competition intensifies from more affordable alternatives.

 

Hippocratic AI Secures $141 Million in Series B, Valued at $1.64 Billion

/in /tarafından

Hippocratic AI has reached a valuation of $1.64 billion after completing a Series B funding round, raising $141 million. This new round, which brings the company’s total funding to $278 million, was led by Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm known for backing tech giants such as Google, Amazon, and Genentech.

Existing investors in the company, including Andreessen Horowitz (A16z), General Catalyst, Premji, NVIDIA, SV Angel, Universal Health Services (UHS), and WellSpan Health, also participated in the round.

The success of Hippocratic AI highlights the thriving sector of AI-driven healthcare solutions, especially following the surge in artificial intelligence innovation, sparked by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. The company, co-founded by CEO Munjal Shah, includes a team of physicians, healthcare professionals, and AI researchers from prestigious institutions like Johns Hopkins, Stanford, and Microsoft.

Hippocratic AI’s strong funding reflects the growing interest in AI applications for healthcare, signaling continued investment in the industry’s potential to transform medical practices and patient care.