Dropbox's journey to becoming a publicly traded company was a long time coming. The company was founded in 2007 by Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi.
Dropbox's early days were marked by rapid growth, with the company's user base expanding to over 100 million users by 2012. This growth was fueled by the company's innovative approach to cloud storage.
The company's first funding round in 2008 raised $7.2 million, which was a significant amount at the time. This funding helped Dropbox develop its product and expand its team.
Dropbox's valuation reached $10 billion in 2014, a testament to the company's success in the cloud storage market.
Dropbox IPO Details
Dropbox is expected to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker DBX and is valued at about $7.4 billion.
The company has received more than $600 million in venture capital funding and has over 500 million registered users.
Dropbox provides a service that lets users store, share, and collaborate on documents, photos, and other files online, with a range of subscription plans starting with a free service.
It offers a free service and 11 million paying customers, with revenue in 2017 of $1.1 billion, up 31% from the previous year.
The company reported a net loss of $111.7 million vs. a $210 million loss in the previous year.
Dropbox's IPO will be one of the largest since Snap, which held its IPO one year ago and raised $3.4 billion.
The lead underwriters for Dropbox's IPO are Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan.
Dropbox's IPO values the company below the $10 billion valuation placed on the company in a funding round in 2014.
The company aims to list within the first half of 2018, but a specific date has not been set.
Dropbox had about 500 million users and 200,000 paying business customers on its books a year ago.
The company announced in September 2017 that it was appointing Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman to its board of directors.
Dropbox was profitable on an EBITDA basis in April 2017, which would include its stock-based compensation.
Impact on Employees and Equity
The Dropbox IPO has a significant impact on current and former employees, particularly when it comes to equity. Early employees, who joined the company at its inception or shortly after, are likely to receive more equity through incentive plans.
Position level also plays a crucial role in determining the amount of equity an employee receives. As you move up the ranks from lead to director to head to C-suite, your salary, bonus, and equity increase by multiples.
The type of equity an employee receives can vary greatly, with four main types: Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), Nonqualified Stock Options (NQs), Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Shares. These types of equity offer different tax benefits and vesting requirements.
Here are the four main types of equity you could see from the Dropbox IPO:
- Incentive Stock Options (ISOs): offer a tax benefit, with no regular income taxes paid when exercising the option
- Nonqualified Stock Options (NQs): don't offer a special tax benefit, with ordinary income tax paid on the difference between the fair market value and exercise price
- Restricted Stock Units (RSUs): a grant valued in terms of company shares, with shares received only after satisfying the vesting requirement
- Shares: includes shares from the exercise of stock options or shares from RSUs with single vesting
Dropbox IPO Impact on Employees
Early employees will receive more equity through incentive plans, and if they've been with the company for an extended period, they may be set to receive a considerable amount of wealth.
Position level matters, too, as salary, bonus, and equity go up by multiples as you move from lead to director to head to C-suite.
The group you belong to typically depends on when you started, how early you were in the company, and the length of your employment, which influences the amount of equity and type of equity.
Dropbox's valuation at $10 billion will likely impact the amount of equity current and former employees receive, but the exact amount is still to be determined.
As a fast-track executive employee, you'll want to learn more about stock option strategies to make the most of the IPO.
The IPO will provide a considerable amount of wealth for early employees, especially those who have been with the company for an extended period.
Dropbox's IPO will be closely watched by tech "unicorns" valued at $1 billion or more, including Airbnb, WeWork, and Uber.
Types of Equity
Dropbox employees could receive a variety of equity combinations due to the company's roller coaster of valuations and the war for talent in the Bay Area.
Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) come with a tax benefit, allowing you to pay no regular income taxes when you exercise your option, and potentially avoid or recoup the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
Nonqualified Stock Options (NQs) don't offer a special tax benefit, so you pay ordinary income tax on the difference between the fair market value and exercise price at the time of exercise.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are grants valued in company shares, but you only receive the shares once you've satisfied the vesting requirement.
Shares include those from the exercise of stock options or RSUs with single vesting.
Here's a breakdown of the types of equity you could be looking at:
Sources
- https://www.gurufocus.com/stock/DBX/summary
- https://bsic.it/tech-offering-spree-goes-dropbox-goes-public-sensational-ipo/
- https://www.investors.com/news/technology/closely-watched-dropbox-ipo-sets-terms-looks-to-raise-612-million/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/01/11/dropbox-just-confidentially-filed-to-go-public-setting-up-a-bellwether-ipo/
- https://kbfinancialadvisors.com/the-definitive-guide-on-the-dropbox-ipo-for-tech-employees/
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