Zscaler’s IPO Ends First Day Up 106% From Its IPO Price

There’s demand for new tech shares if your name is Zscaler, a company that sported a billion-dollar-plus valuation before it went public today.

Demand for Zscaler’s IPO was evident before it started to trade. The firm initially intended to sell 10 million shares in its debut for $10 to $12 apiece, according to MarketWatch. That target price was raised to $13 to $15, with a larger 12 million share allocation. The company finally priced at $16 per share.

And, today, it opened at $27.50. According to Yahoo Finance, Zscaler wrapped the day valued at $33 per share, precisely, up 106.25 percent from its IPO price.

At $16 per share, the firm was worth around $1.9 billion at the time of its IPO. That alone was significantly north of the firm’s last private-market valuation of $1.11 billion. At $33 per share, Zsscaler is worth around around $3.9 billion. Not a bad up round, really.

Why Did Zscaler’s IPO Go So Well?

If you want our full dive into the firm’s finances, head here. We’re only going to look at a few data points this afternoon, as it’s nearly quitting time on Friday.

There are a few things at play, mostly that firm’s top and bottom line progression looked super positive. As we wrote, the company’s revenue rose (in quarterly terms) well, while its net losses were pared.

So, score one for path to profitability. Powering the above was the firm’s 122 percent “dollar-based net retention rate,” implying that its recurring revenue has a quick compound rate. Investors like that, as it improves a firm’s customer acquisition costs when compared to the value of those customers; or, in simpler terms, Zscaler’s future revenue growth will compound from its current foundation hinting that it can keep paring its net losses while expanding.

Regardless, that’s a US-based unicorn IPO out the door. Dropbox and Spotify are coming soon.