As the start of an original public offering, Skype has filed financial documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filings included some numbers that were surprising to industry watchers. The ownership structure behind Skype will be rather difficult, though the service itself will hopefully remain rather unchanged.
Financial health revealed in Skype IPO paperwork
The Skype IPO is proposed at a value of about $ 100 million. The Skype SEC filings revealed revenue and income that worries some analysts. Skype reports $ 406 million in revenue in just the last six months. The net income of Skype was reported at only $ 13 million. With a 3 percent net margin, the business isn’t exactly growing easily. The nine percent of users that pay for the service pay an average of $ 96 per year.
The structure of ownership for Skype
After the Skype IPO, the ownership structure will be complicated in comparison. American shares are being offered within the company, although it is based in Luxemborg. Stock holders, employees, and private investors will all be considered business owners. Skype S.A. will issue the stocks and be owned by these groups. This business will own reasonably equal parts Skype Global Holdco and Skype Global. Two corporations – Skype, Inc. and Springboard Finance, L.L.C. can be owned by these companies. Springboard Finance, L.L.C., will own and operate 13 operating businesses like Skype Software and Skype Sweden .
How the Skype IPO might change things
Skype claims that it is Initial Public Offering will be used mostly to raise funds. Offering stocks can, at times, fundamentally change a company. Skype is already making deals with wireless carriers and also the iPhone application is proving popular. The IPO date is not yet for certain, so the service’s users can have to just wait and see what happens.
