Nine Tech IPO Contenders to Watch This Year

Initial public offering listings rebounded last year, though their performance—and a government shutdown—held back some startups’ plans. Now investors are gearing up for a blockbuster IPO year, thanks to an expected listing of SpaceX as well as a smattering of older startups, such as Discord and Strava, that are finally making concrete steps to go public.

At least eight U.S. venture-backed startups have filed prospectuses, begun talking to bankers about a listing or told their staff they are planning for an IPO as early as this year. In addition, private equity firms are looking to offload some of the companies they have held for at least five years, such as Permira, Hellman & Friedman–backed Genesys, and Thoma Bravo–backed Proofpoint.