Buy-now-pay-later giant Klarna is considering selling shares ahead of a potential blockbuster New York listing.
The Swedish lender has asked investment bank Goldman Sachs to advise on a secondary share sale, where investors sell their stock to another party.
This would boost Klarna’s valuation as it eyes a stock market float in the US next year. It could be valued at around £15.7billion ($20billion).
Share sale: Klarna, which was set up in 2005 by three founders, including chief exec Sebastian Siemiatkowski (pictured) is backed by investors such as Japan’s SoftBank
Before soaring interest rates spooked investors, Klarna had been worth £35.9billion ($45.6billion) in a 2021 fundraising.
Then in 2022, its valuation tumbled to £5.3billion ($6.7billion).
Klarna, which was set up in 2005 by three founders, including chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski is backed by investors such as Japan’s SoftBank.
A buy-now-pay-later model lets borrowers buy goods or services and pay back in instalments.
But the system has come under severe scrutiny amid fears over a lack of regulation and the impact on customers falling into debt or racking up huge charges for missing payments.
News of a possible secondary share sale for Klarna comes just days after Revolut expects to reach a £35billion valuation.
The rival fin-tech business will sell up to nearly £400million worth of shares.
Revolut, which last month received a British banking licence from regulators after three years, was valued at £26billion in 2021 following a first share sale.
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