groupon

Groupon sues former employees at Google, report says

Groupon has sued two former sales managers it says took trade secrets to Google's competing venture when they quit the daily deals site, according to a Bloomberg report.

Michael Nolan and Brian Hanna left the Chicago-based company in January last month to join Google Offers, taking customer lists and marketing strategies with them, according to a civil complaint filed today in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The suit, which doesn't name Google as a defendant, seeks to prevent them from sharing the information with Google, according to the report.

"In their … Read more

How Groupon is growing--and growing up

Groupon's initial public offering is coming closer to reality, but the real stunner is how the company managed to cut losses dramatically in the September quarter relative to the three months ended June 30. Better systems and controls likely played a big role.

Last week, Groupon's disclosure that it will price 30 million shares between $16 and $18 got a lot of play. The attention isn't that surprising. Here's a company that filed to go public, ran into issues with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and fended off critics about its crazy growth and spending. The … Read more

Groupon's new IPO target: $540 million (or more, maybe)

Daily-deals provider Groupon could raise as much as $540 million when it goes public, the company revealed today in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to the filing, Groupon plans to offer 30 million shares of Class A common stock for between $16 and $18 apiece. If it goes public at $18, it could raise the $540 million. Also, if the company sells through its 30 million shares, it can opt to sell another 4.5 million shares to increase the amount it raises to a maximum of $621 million.

Groupon's new filing stands in stark contrastRead more

Groupon scaling back IPO, reports say

Groupon is scaling back the size of its initial public offering as a result of market volatility and company miscues, according to published reports.

The daily deals provider is expected to offer less than 10 percent of the company at a valuation of $12.5 billion, people familiar with the deal told the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Both papers reported that the deal itself, which is expected close in the next couple of weeks, is expected to be $500 million to $700 million.

A more limited offering may have some upside for Groupon. By offering a … Read more

Android tab, media player half-off on Groupon

The floor for tablet pricing has fallen out again. Today, Groupon is offering an Android-based tablet for only $129 through its Groupon Goods program.

Granted, it's not the most drool-worthy tab out there. Groupon is selling a limited number of Skytex Primer Pocket media players and Skypad Alpha tablets at a 50 percent discount. The Primer Pocket is a 4.3-inch Android-based iPod Touch knock-off running FroYo (Android 2.2), while the Skypad Alpha is a 7-inch slate that comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. … Read more

Groupon set to start IPO roadshow next week?

The pioneering daily deal site Groupon is set to begin its IPO road show next week, according to a report by AllThingsD, citing multiple sources close to the situation.

Chicago-based Groupon filed to go public in June, but the process has been delayed because of several issues, including controversial accounting, which has led the company to amend its S-1 filing several times.

Groupon has been a deal powerhouse whose success has led to the creation of hundreds of similar startups. But its costs are high compared to the revenue it brings in. In the last quarter, Groupon lost $102.7 … Read more

Did big banks turn blind eye to Groupon's odd accounting?

Daily-deals provider Groupon was supposed to be the star of this year's IPOs. But over the last several months, the chances of Groupon becoming a disappointment to investors have skyrocketed.

When Groupon filed its IPO papers in June, the excitement surrounding its decision was palpable. According to its filing, Groupon was planning to raise $750 million on its IPO, making it one of the largest public offerings this year. And although Groupon didn't comment on valuation, reports surfaced following its IPO filing, saying it could be valued at between $20 billion and $25 billion when it went public.… Read more

Groupon IPO valuation to be much lower than expected

Daily deals provider Groupon might not go public on the inflated valuation that has been floated around over the last few months.

According to The Wall Street Journal, citing IPO analysts, Groupon might be valued at between $5 billion and $10 billion when the company finally offers its shares on the open market. Two major mutual funds that have invested in Groupon, Growth Fund of America and T. Rowe Price, have most recently valued the service provider at $9.5 billion and $8.7 billion, respectively, according to the Journal.

Those valuations stand in stark contrast to what many believed … Read more

Groupon gets into direct e-commerce with Groupon Goods

One size daily deals don't fit everyone--not even Groupon.

In an effort to diversify revenue and maintain its rapid growth, Groupon, which has temporarily shelved its $750 million public offering, is fast evolving its business model. Recently Groupon deals have gone mobile, real-time, and location aware.

Today's launch of "Groupon Goods," however, marks the company's most aggressive departure away from its core daily deal offers. With Groupon Goods, the Chicago based company seems to be moving into full-blown e-commerce. If fully realized, that would put the company, valued at $20 billion, head-to-head with online retail … Read more

Missteps, market chaos weigh on Groupon IPO plans

Daily-deals provider Groupon is still unsure about when it will be able to go public, a new report claims.

Citing an anonymous source, The Wall Street Journal says that Groupon's management doesn't know when it should finally offer its shares on the open market, citing concerns with increased government scrutiny and trouble on Wall Street.

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission forced Groupon to revise its filing papers after finding that the company mistakenly reported higher revenue than it should have. The daily-deals provider previously reported that it generated $713.4 million in revenue in 2010, but … Read more