Palantir reportedly lost $580 million in 2019 and plans lockup after direct listing
Alex Karp, co-founder of Palantir Technologies
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Data analytics software company Palantir Technologies lost $580 million in 2019, according to reports from The New York Times and TechCrunch, which had access to financial documents sent to investors earlier this week.
The New York Times said its 2019 loss was on a par with 2018, even though it earned 25% more for a total of $724.5 million in revenue for the year. It had more than $1 billion in expenses, according to the report. TechCrunch said its biggest expense was the $450 million it spent on sales and marketing.
Palantir, which in July confidentially filed to go public, is also reportedly planning a partial lockup for its direct listing, according to The New York Times. That means people who invest in Palantir would have to hold on to the stock for a certain amount of time before selling it. The report says investors would have to hold at least 80% of their shares in Palantir until after Dec. 31.
Founded in 2003, Palantir has been among the most highly valued venture-backed companies. It had about about $2.6 billion raised and a roughly $20 billion valuation five years ago. It was targeting a $26 billion valuation in a private fundraising round in Sept. 2019, according to Reuters. The company has yet to turn a profit.
A Palantir spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.