Stripe’s internal valuation is cut to $63 billion • TechCrunch
Stripe, a richly valued payments startup, has cut its internal valuation once again, according to sources familiar with the matter. It is now valued internally at $63 billion.
The cut, first reported by The Information, puts Stripe’s internal price per share at $24.71, down 40% since its peak. The 11% cut follows an earlier internal value cut six months ago, which valued the company at $74 billion.
The valuation change was not triggered by a new round of financing, but instead by a new 409A rate change. 409A ratings are set by third parties, meaning they are not tied to what a venture backer or other investor thinks. It is an IRS-regulated process that measures the value of common stock against public market values to help set a fair market value.
Companies are supposed to do a 409A at least every 12 months or when a material event could lower the valuation. In Stripe’s case, along with other late-stage companies, 409A assessments are now being conducted on what appears to be a quarterly basis. Material events in the background range from the evergreen and ever-tense macroeconomic climate; and let’s not forget that Stripe’s public market comps are certainly showing signs of trouble, with Shopify, Block and Paypal all down from their 52-week highs.
Internal value cuts give a different signal than an investor-led write-down. In fact, many founders and industry experts see a company receiving a 409A value lower than its private, investor-led valuation as a good thing. Per analysts, that’s because a low 409A valuation allows companies to give their employees stock options at a lower price. Companies can also use the new, lower 409A value as a recruiting tool, luring potential employees with cheap options and the promise of cashing out at a higher price when the company eventually folds.
Still, in Stripe’s case, an additional internal value cut may not necessarily be used to attract new talent. In November 2022, the fintech laid off 14% of its workforce, affecting around 1,120 of the fintech giant’s 8,000 employees. Back in August, TechCrunch learned that Stripe was laying off employees behind TaxJar, a tax compliance startup they acquired last year.
In a note about Stripe’s layoffs, CEO Patrick Collison shared some of his reasoning for the staff withdrawal: “We were overly optimistic about the near-term growth of the Internet economy in 2022 and 2023 and underestimated both the likelihood and impact of a broader slowdown. ” Instead, the valuation cut could help retain existing employees, or even adjust expectations ahead of a desired IPO.
