Discord, the widely used chat and community platform, is reportedly gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO) as early as March. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the company has confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). To facilitate its market debut, Discord has enlisted prominent tech IPO underwriters Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. If market conditions remain favorable, the public could soon gain insight into Discord's financial standing.
However, the path to an IPO remains subject to broader market conditions. While investor interest may be high, it is not yet clear if 2026 will present a more favorable environment for IPOs. Discord had previously been in early-stage IPO discussions as recently as March of last year, but those plans were reportedly put on hold. This delay was attributed to volatility in the U.S. federal government, including budget cuts and an end-of-year federal shutdown, which deterred many prospective companies from going public, as highlighted by past reports on TechCrunch.
Should the current stock market rally persist and encourage more late-stage startups to enter the public market, Discord's IPO could emerge as one of the year's most significant. The company's last valuation stood at an impressive $14.7 billion during a 2021 funding round, where it successfully raised $500 million, according to TechCrunch.
Initially gaining traction among gamers, the chat application has since expanded its reach, boasting over 200 million monthly active users. Notably, Discord reportedly declined a $10 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2021, choosing instead to maintain its independence, a decision also reported by TechCrunch.
