Airbnb Mulls Trendy, Non-Traditional Way to Take Itself Public
Photo Credit: A cottage on Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada that was listed on Airbnb. CEO Brian Chesky said unique inventory will be key in the future. Airbnb
Skift Take
Special purpose acquisition company, direct listing or an initial public offering — Airbnb's choice mostly matters to big-name investors and employees, past and present. But nothing is ever certain about a stock market listing — especially during a pandemic.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company has been approached with a "couple" of opportunities to take itself public through a special purpose acquisition company, a choice that's been trendy in Silicon Valley circles in recent months.
Speaking on a Reuters Newsmaker webinar on Wednesday, Chesky said "we are looking at everything" in terms of going public through a direct listing, an initial public offering, or a special purpose acquisition company.
The latter choice, which is also called a blank check fund or blank check deal, essentially involves companies — not a target company like Airbnb — raising money from investors and listing without any corporate operations. A company like Airbnb could then sell itself to one of these special purpose companies, assume its listing, and go public faster without having to do investor road shows, or subjecting itse
