Online crafts marketplace Etsy looks to go public with $100 million IPO

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Etsy Inc., the popular online bazaar where people sell artsy goods and handmade crafts and clothing, has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) in which it hopes to raise at least $100 million.



The nearly 10-year company makes its revenue through commissions and listing fees that it chargers to sellers, as well as other services. Etsy reported $195.6 million in revenue in 2014, up about 55% percent from 2013, with nearly 20 million buyers making a purchase on its site. It reported losses of $15.2 million in 2014.



In the SEC filing, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson said going public would help the company continue to develop the “Etsy economy.”



“We believe in an economy that transcends price and convenience, one that emphasizes relationships over transactions and optimizes for authorship and provenance,” he wrote.



Etsy is seeking to list Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ETSY."



The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.