Stripe reaches $159B valuation in employee tender offer

• Lyla Velez
• February 24, 2026
• News
• 0 Comments

Key Points:

• Secondary tender values Stripe at $159B, sets new private-market reference price.
• Employees and shareholders gain liquidity without issuing new stock or fundraising.
• 2025 payment volume hit $1.9T, up 34%, boosting investor confidence.

Stripe was valued at $159 billion in a secondary tender offer for employees and existing shareholders, establishing a new private‑market reference price, as reported by Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/stripe-valuation-jumps-159-billion-latest-share-sale-2026-02-24/). The transaction facilitates share sales without issuing new stock. It is a secondary sale rather than primary fundraising.

As reported by Investing.com, Stripe processed about $1.9 trillion in payment volume in 2025, roughly 34% higher year over year, with rising stablecoin usage and traction among AI or ‘agentic commerce’ clients (https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/stripe-valuation-hits-159-billion-on-payment-growth–bloomberg-93CH-4521489). These operating trends help explain why private investors accepted the higher valuation. The figures indicate a business mix increasingly oriented toward infrastructure serving new payment rails and automated commerce.

Key facts: who sold, participating investors, and liquidity mechanics

According to CNBC, the tender offer invited sales from Stripe employees and early shareholders, with investors including Thrive Capital, Coatue Management, and Andreessen Horowitz participating (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/24/stripe-value-stock-sale-tender-offer.html). This structure broadens liquidity beyond a single buyer while keeping control with the company’s board.

Tender offers of this type are secondary transactions that provide periodic liquidity windows, typically subject to company transfer restrictions and eligibility rules. Analysts said such programs can reduce pressure to pursue an immediate IPO, as reported by PaymentsDive (https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/stripe-valued-at-159b-in-tender-offer-ipo-payments/812883/). The approach also helps manage cap table complexity while aligning employee incentives.

Management has signaled no urgency to list shares publicly. ‘A big capital markets transaction like [an IPO] is not in our top 10 or 20 list of priorities,’ said John Collison, co‑founder and president, in the Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/42639c42-2e95-42e7-aacf-3a39743657f5). That stance is consistent with using controlled secondary sales to handle liquidity.

Employee impact: liquidity without an IPO

For employees, the tender creates a path to monetize vested equity without a public listing. Liquidity windows can aid financial planning while preserving long‑term alignment with the company. Participation, pricing, and allocations are determined by the tender terms and applicable securities rules.

This private‑market model may be sustainable while operating performance remains strong and buyers continue to support secondary programs. According to GuruFocus, leadership has described Stripe as robustly profitable (https://www.gurufocus.com/news/8647224/stripe-reaches-159-billion-valuation-as-payment-volume-jumps-34). Profitability can underpin recurring tenders without diluting shareholders via primary capital raises.