Niantic Labs, best known for developing the popular Pokémon Go app, stands out as a leading developer in the augmented reality gaming sector. Started as a startup within Google in 2010, Niantic began operating as an independent entity in 2015.
Since then, he has developed several other games, including Ingress Prime, Pikmin Bloom, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Monster Hunter Now, and Catan: World Explorers.
Despite this success, the company has shelved titles such as Harry Potter, Keaton, and Transformers: Heavy Metal due to layoffs or a lack of initial interest.
Currently, Niantic is developing new games such as Peridot, a virtual pet game, and NBA: All World, an officially licensed National Basketball Association game.
The company is also turning its attention to promoting its development platform, Lightship, an augmented reality developer kit that enables app developers to “build real-world metaverses.”
Niantic is based in San Francisco, where CEO John Hanke leads the company. Hanke previously founded Keyhole, a geographic data visualization company, in 2001, which was acquired by Google in 2004 and became Google Earth.
Here’s a promotional video showing how players engage with Pokemon Go:
Is Niantic publicly traded?
No, Niantic is a private company, so there is no stock available for Pokémon Go.
Who owns Niantic?
Niantic is a privately held company backed by venture capital. Its investors include founders, employees, media companies, and venture capital firms.
The Pokemon Company and Nintendo Media are among the company’s prominent investors.
Key venture capital firms involved in its funding rounds are Google Ventures, Cotio, IVP, Axiomatic Gaming, Battery Ventures, Causeway Media Partners, CRV, and Samsung Ventures.
Niantic Stock Funding Rounds
| Round | Date | Est. Valuation | Raise Amount | Price |
| Series D | 11/21/21 | $9.00B | $300.00M | NA |
| Series C | 01/01/19 | $4.00B | $245.00M | $30.09 |
| Series B | 11/23/17 | $2.90B | $200.00M | $23.69 |
| Series A | 02/24/16 | $105.00M | $35.00M | $1.00 |
Niantic Stock Valuation
Niantic’s latest confirmed valuation was $9 billion, based on its Series D funding round in November 2021.
Late 2021 was marked by a surge in IPOs and private market excitement, with many startups securing significant funding. However, many of these companies have since seen their prices drop.
While there is limited pre-IPO marketplace data available right now, I estimate Niantic’s current valuation to be at least half of the previously confirmed figure.
When is the Niantic IPO date?
Niantic’s IPO date has not yet been announced.
Niantic has yet to file for an IPO with the SEC. The overall IPO market has slowed significantly since 2021, creating challenges for startups looking to go public.
Niantic Stock Real-time Market Cap
In its latest Series D funding round, which closed in November 2021, the company raised $149.9 million, valuing it at $9 billion.
Niantic Stock Valuation History
| Year | Valuation | Market Cap | Premium |
| 2022 | $9B | $2.9B | -67% |
| 2023 | $9B | $2.5B | -72% |
| 2024 | $9B | $2.4B | -73% |
Public and private prices have come down significantly.
In early summer 2022, Niantic cut its workforce by 8% and canceled projects to deal with anticipated economic challenges.
Back in 2019, CEO John Hanke shared with Fortune that Niantic was preparing for an eventual IPO. However, the company missed the proper IPO period of 2020-2021.
In November 2021, Coatue completed a $300 million Series D funding round, ensuring sufficient capital to develop its platform and create new games. Still, Niantic is primarily known for its single hit Pokémon Go.
The author believes the IPO won’t go ahead until market conditions improve, Niantic makes another big hit in the game, and its development platform gains traction.
We won’t know when Niantic will go public until we know the dates for them to hire an underwriter, file an S-1 (whether public or private), or announce their IPO. Don’t hear about getting a limit.
What is the Niantic Stock Symbol?
Niantic remains privately held, meaning there is currently no Niantic stock symbol.
However, several potential ticker suggestions for Niantic appear to be available for use in the US:
- NIAN
- NTC
What is the Niantic stock price?
Currently, Niantic’s stock is not publicly traded because the company is privately held.
However, private market data on its stock is gradually becoming more accessible and reliable, derived from sources such as pre-IPO market analysis.
Nonetheless, specific pre-IPO marketplace data for Niantic as of Q2 2024 is still somewhat scarce.
How to Invest in Niantic Stock
Since Niantic is privately held, becoming a shareholder can be difficult right now.
However, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of owning equity early or buying shares when they go public.
One option is to invest in Niantic indirectly through companies like Nintendo (NTDOY), which already has a stake in Niantic.
Alternatively, you’ll have to wait until Niantic shares become available for trading after their IPO.
1. Buy Niantic on Pre-IPO investing platforms
The author has found limited evidence of Niantic shares being available on pre-IPO platforms. Keep an eye on platforms like Hiive to see if they are available.
Be prepared to invest at least $10,000 if shares become available. Signing up for access and alerts is free.
The pre-IPO investment platform allows users to express interest in companies they want to invest in.
When enough investors show interest in a company, these platforms can proactively approach equity holders to acquire shares from verified investors.
As companies mature and accumulate more shareholders, they may delay their IPO due to broader economic conditions, encouraging more equity holders to sell their shares before the IPO.
For up-to-date information on current share availability, see our list of top pre-IPO investment platforms.
2. Invest in the Niantic IPO using a broker.
Experienced IPO investors can take advantage of investment opportunities by buying shares at the IPO price just before trading begins.
In recent years, access to IPOs, once reserved for wealthy Wall Street clients, has become more accessible to retail investors.
Many online brokers now offer free IPO access, even to customers with modest account balances.
- Trade Station
- Robinhood
Brokers often negotiate special allocations of IPO shares to individual investors. Your ability to participate in required IPOs may be limited by how many brokerage accounts you maintain and which brokers receive exclusive rights.
Trade Station has a proven track record of accessing over 200 IPOs and secondary offerings through its partnership with Click IPO.
Robinhood benefits from strong connections in Silicon Valley and a track record of allocating to prominent IPOs.
Explore our guide to the top brokers for IPO investing to discover more about accessing IPOs as a retail investor.
3. Consider investing in Niantic shares after their initial public offering (IPO).
Waiting patiently for an IPO has benefits when the stock finally trades publicly:
- Investors can evaluate a company’s financial performance before it goes public, although detailed financial information is usually limited during this stage.
- After an IPO, many stocks initially rise in price (known as a “pop”) but may fall after quarterly earnings are released.
- This drop in stock price after the IPO can provide attractive opportunities for investors who did not initially acquire IPO shares.
Wait before buying overpriced shares right after the IPO, as prices may fall due to lock-up expirations or disappointing quarterly earnings reports.
Patience can pay off for post-IPO investors, even amid short-term volatility. This is especially true when you initially look at potential long-term gains.
Where can I find the Niantic IPO S-1 Filing?
Niantic has not yet filed an S-1 with the SEC. Once they do, we’ll update you here.
In the meantime, you can view the latest S-1 filings on our S-1 filing feed.
Conclusion
Investors are excited about finding companies that are capitalizing on big economic trends like gaming and augmented reality. Even so, it can be difficult for individual investors to get started by buying stocks. In particular, Niantic has only a limited number of shares available in the pre-IPO markets.
While pre-IPO investment platforms have increased access, private equity investment remains largely limited to the wealthy. It typically calls for hundreds of thousands of people to participate in seed and seed companies’ initial funding rounds.
Investing in Niantic Stock
What is Niantic’s IPO price?
You can find out once Niantic’s IPO price is revealed. Meanwhile, you can check Forge data for the “last price” and “implied EV” of similar companies that are already publicly traded.
Can you invest in Niantic?
Niantic is a privately held company and is not listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ stock exchanges in the United States. If you are interested in buying shares in a company before it goes public, you must qualify as an accredited investor. Find out more about investing in the private markets or sign up today to get started.
Can you sell Niantic shares pre-IPO?
If you own Niantic’s pre-IPO shares and are thinking of selling them, you can explore their potential value on Forge’s secondary marketplace. Our team of experts is ready to assist you with any queries and can facilitate contacts with potential buyers from our extensive network of 125,000 accredited investors and institutions. Get started today by learning about the process of selling your private equity.
Is Niantic a publicly traded company?
Niantic is a private company that is not publicly traded.
If you want to buy or sell shares in private companies, register for free with Forge today. By signing up, you’ll be connected to a private market specialist who can help you every step of the way. Discover how Forge can facilitate your transaction, whether you are interested in buying or selling pre-IPO shares.
What is Niantic’s funding to date?
Niantic has raised a total of $630.15 million in funding so far.
When was Niantic founded?
Niantic was established in 2010.
