Hiroki Takeuchi, GoCardless’ CEO and co-founder, recently shared his views on the current state of fintech IPOs. This comes after Klarna, a Swedish digital payment platform, confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, sparking conversations about a potential resurgence in significant fintech IPOs.

However, Takeuchi maintains that now is not the ideal time for GoCardless, an online payments startup valued at over $2 billion, to go public. Speaking at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, he emphasized that listing is not the end goal but merely a milestone in a company’s journey. He also stressed the importance of building a better business, with the belief that other aspects will follow suit. GoCardless specializes in routine transactions, such as monthly charity contributions, which are directly debited from consumers’ bank accounts.

Lucy Liu, co-founder of Airwallex, a firm dealing with cross-border payments, shared Takeuchi’s sentiments. She stated that Airwallex is not ready to go public yet and referenced co-founder and CEO Jack Zhang’s previous statement that the company aims to be prepared for an IPO by 2026. Liu emphasized that the company’s primary focus is on resolving issues related to global cross-border payments.

Despite the cautious approach of these fintech leaders, analysts are increasingly optimistic about the potential of fintech IPOs. Navina Rajan, a senior research analyst at PitchBook, believes that the conditions for opening the IPO window are aligning favorably. She mentioned factors such as political stability, interest rates, and reduced volatility as contributing to this positive outlook.

However, Jaidev Janardana, CEO and co-founder of Zopa, a British digital bank, mentioned that an IPO is not a pressing concern for his company. Instead, he believes the private markets remain the most suitable for building a technology business concentrated on growth investment. Yet, he also noted that signs suggest a more favorable IPO market in the future, with the U.S. possibly opening up in 2025, followed by Europe in 2026.

This article is of interest to potential investors and those intrigued by the fintech industry, offering valuable insights into the current state of fintech IPOs and the future prospects of this sector.