At over 500 million yearly in revenue, with projections topping one billion for 2011, Skype is a company on the move. Of course Ebay recently made it clear that Skype was headed for an IPO in the near future, it might not make it. TechCrunch is reporting that a group of venture capitalists and private equity groups are coming together to put in a bid for Skype. Given that Ebay said to be hoping for a two billion dollar valuation, this investor pool will need a few serious players.
Skype has become a veritable backbone for the technology business community. It has even spread to mass adoption in the consumer market, especially with college age students using it to keep in touch with people in different states. With its high revenues, fast growth rate, and gigantic user base, it is simple to see why Skype is going to generate some interest in the investor community. Of course, Ebay might block a sale and pursue and IPO but a promised one time payment might do much for their stock price.
Skype of course also has nearly unlimited competition, with new startups such as Oovoo and TinyChat adding in newer and more powerful multi-user video chatting capabilities. Skype still has the most powerful total product, with its SMS and Skype to landline functions, but its competition will only grow. More as it comes.
