Roku Inc Working On Confidential IPO

Dow Jones has reported that Roku Inc. is working on filing a confidential IPO.

“The company has been working with investment banks including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup Inc. on preparing for a potential offering that could raise as much as $150 million, the people said. The timing of any deal isn't yet set, and it also isn't yet clear what valuation Roku might seek,” according to Dow Jones sources.

Companies that meet certain requirements can take advantage of a confidential filing provision contained in the 2012 JOBS Act which “lets companies get their IPO paperwork in order without showing their hand to competitors or signaling potential weakness if they ultimately delay the offering,” according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Roku is known for giving customers a solution to stream video to televisions from online services such as Netflix and Hulu, by-passing traditional cable.  Roku claimed to sell 10 million streaming devices in the U.S. during September.

According to the company’s website, “Roku, Inc., is a privately held company located in Saratoga, Calif., and founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood, the inventor of the digital video recorder (DVR). The market leader in streaming entertainment devices for the TV with millions of units sold, Roku has always believed that anything you want to watch, listen to, and enjoy should simply be there on your TV, whenever you want it. Roku streaming players are renowned for their simplicity, variety of entertainment choices, and exceptional value.”