Aug 24, 2020
Software developer tools company JFrog adds to tech IPO rush
, Bloomberg News
JFrog Inc., a technology company that makes tools for software developers, filed for an initial public offering, adding to a U.S. listings rush by the industry.
The company, which people familiar with the matter previously said could seek a valuation of US$2 billion in an IPO, listed the size of the offering as US$100 million in its filing Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. That placeholder will likely change when the size and price range of the share sale are set later.
U.S. IPOs, especially software listings, have surged after coming to a near standstill when the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March. That includes ZoomInfo Technologies Inc., which raised US$1.07 billion including the so-called greenshoe shares in June, and Duck Creek Technologies Inc., which raised US$466 million in August.Software IPOs have raised $5.5 billion this year, accounting for 14 per cent of the total on U.S. exchanges, not including so-called blank-check companies, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Those companies have gained 91 per cent from their offer prices based on a weighted average, compared with 52 per cent for all listings, the data show.
Unity Software Inc. and Sumo Logic Inc. also filed Monday to go public. Filings are expected as soon as this week by Palantir Technologies Inc., Snowflake Inc. and Asana Inc.
JFrog, based in Sunnyvale, California, said in its filing that its technology allows developers to continuously update software. It envisions version-less software, which it calls “liquid software.”
The company was co-founded in 2008 by former Israeli Air Force Major Shlomi Ben Haim, who remains its chief executive officer. JFrog raised US$165 million in a 2018 funding round that included investors Insight Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Battery Ventures and Dell Technologies Capital, according to a statement.
In the first half of the year, JFrog lost US$426,000 on revenue of US$69 million, according to the filing.
The offering is being led by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. The company plans to list its shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol FROG.
