On-demand transportation company Lyft could be going public as soon as next month, according to The Wall Street Journal’s sources. Lyft and its biggest rival Uber both filed initial public offering documents on the same day in December. Lyft is gunning to be the first to the public markets though. It is believed that Lyft will be listing its shares on the Nasdaq.
Analyst pointed out that it would be in Lyft’s favor if it goes public first since it is the smaller of the two on-demand transportation companies. This way Lyft’s IPO does not get overshadowed by Uber.
As of December 2018, Uber is valued at $76 billion and the company is expected to see a market cap of $120 billion after going public. Uber raised more than $24 billion in venture capital funding since launching.
And Lyft’s valuation is about $15 billion and the company raised between $4.5 and $5 billion in funding. Lyft is expected to be valued at between $20 and $25 billion when it goes public.
Last year, Lyft saw 375 million rides through its platform compared to Uber’s 4 billion. However, Lyft’s financials losses were significantly less. Lyft reportedly saw a $254 million loss last quarter while Uber’s was more than $1 billion.
The two companies essentially offer the same services, but they are likely going to emphasize different strategies. For example, Uber will likely hype up its innovative portfolio ranging from food delivery and flying cars. And Lyft will likely heavily promote its stability as a brand. Uber has been dealing with a wide range of controversies including an ousted CEO, criticism of driver compensation, safety concerns, and harassment allegations.
