• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechConnected Logistics

Cloud Communications Startup Twilio Files to Go Public

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 26, 2016, 1:32 PM ET

Cloud communications startup Twilio officially filed for its initial public offering, bucking the trend of hot startups staying private amid a tough environment for new technology companies.

The San Francisco-based business said in a filing on Thursday that it will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TWLO.” Twilio said it plans to raise $100 million for its IPO, although that’s likely a placeholder. It did not say how much it plans to price its shares, according to the filing.

Twilio is one of the first so-called unicorns, a startup with a valuation of over $1 billion, that have filed to go public this year. The company raised $130 million in July, which brought its total funding to roughly $240 million.

Twilio sells so-called application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers can use to build communications services, such as text messaging or phone calls, into their own software. For example, the popular ride-hailing startup Uber uses Twilio’s APIs in its own apps so that users can ping Uber drivers and even speak to them.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Some of its high-profile customers include Coca-Cola (KO), Home Depot (HD), and Nordstrom (JWN).

One of Twilio’s most significant customers is WhatsApp, which makes a popular messaging app for smartphones. Twilio said in its filing that WhatsApp represented 17% of its revenue in 2015.

The startup brought in $59.3 million in revenue in a three-month period that ended on March 31, 2016, according to its filing. That’s a 78% jump from the $33.4 million it landed the previous year during the same time period.

It brought in $166.9 million in total sales for 2015, which is an 88% increase from the $88.8 million it took in 2014. Twillio generated a net loss of $35.4 million in 2015, which is a 32% increase from 2014 when its net losses were $26.7 million.

This week, Twilio signed a major deal with telecommunications giant T-Mobile (TMUS). The deal allows coders to use Twilio’s technology to set up wireless voice, text, or data services into Internet-connected devices like water meters or drones while T-Mobile provides the wireless network connections.

Twilio listed in its filing Avaya and Cisco (CSCO) as some of its big-name competitors.

The startup is now one of a handful of technology companies that have filed to go public this year. In April, Dell’s cybersecurity business unit SecureWorks officially went public. Optical networking startup Acacia Communication also filed to go public in early May.

For more about enterprise software, watch:

Fortune contacted Twilio for more information and will update this story if it gets back to us.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Elon Musk
Big TechSpaceX
SpaceX to offer insider shares at record-setting $800 billion valuation
By Edward Ludlow, Loren Grush, Lizette Chapman, Eric Johnson and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
8 hours ago
Big TechApple
Apple rocked by executive departures, with chip chief at risk of leaving next
By Mark Gurman and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
10 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said China is better equipped for an AI data center buildout than the U.S.
AITech
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China ‘they can build a hospital in a weekend’
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
12 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
Former Amazon Studios boss warns the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal will make Hollywood ‘a system that circles a single sun’
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
13 hours ago
Jay Clayton
LawCrime
25-year DEA veteran charged with helping Mexican drug cartel launder millions of dollars, secure guns and bombs
By Dave Collins, Michael R. Sisak and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
14 hours ago
Elon Musk
LawSocial Media
Elon Musk’s X fined $140 million by EU for breaching digital regulations
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
14 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
8 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.