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German digital banking powerhouse N26 will be structurally ready for an IPO by the end of the year and could list as early as 2024.
CEO Maximilian Tayenthal told CNBC that the company will soon be ready to go public but added that it is “not stressed” to do so “anytime soon” because the private markets have “proven to be incredibly liquid”.
In October, N26 raised more than $900 million in a Series E funding round at a valuation topping $9 billion.
Launched in Germany and Austria in January 2015, N26 began as a current account with a Mastercard. It has since moved into areas such as crypto and stock trading, attracting more than seven million customers in two dozen countries.
However, the company is yet to turn a profit and has faced some stiff headwinds over the last couple of years; withdrawing from the US market, facing scrutiny from German regulatory authorities, and dealing with a revolt from hard-pressed staff.
Tayenthal tells CNBC that one likely upcoming issue is not a concern: rate hikes. N26 has EUR4.3 billion on its balance sheet and has “a hedge on rising interest rates”.
Financial Services
