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April 3, 2025

AI language startup DeepL could IPO in 2026, sources say

Sources say the company is aiming to go public by early 2026

German AI translation startup DeepL, last valued at $2bn, is looking closely at a public listing, which could come in 2026, three sources close to the company tell Sifted. 

Founded in 2017, DeepL last year raised $300m in a round led by Index Ventures. Other investors include ICONIQ Growth, Teachers’ Venture Growth, IVP, Atomico and WiL.

“They are looking very closely at current IPO market dynamics to determine when the timing might be right,” a source with knowledge of the matter tells Sifted.

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Two other sources close to DeepL tell Sifted they understand the company is mulling a listing. Both sources said the company was targeting a 2026 float, though one suggested it could come by the end of this year.

All three sources said the plans were early in stage and could change. 

DeepL sells translation technology to businesses and other organisations and says it has “a customer network of 100k+ businesses, governments and other organisations worldwide” including Zendesk, Nikkei, Coursera and Deutsche Bahn.

The startup has also recently been involved in initiatives like EU Inc, among a host of other startups and investors including Personio and investor Index Ventures in calling for a new legal framework for startups to be able to operate more smoothly across different EU countries and their business rules.

DeepL did not respond to a request for comment.

Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is a senior reporter at Sifted. She covers climate tech, writes our weekly Climate Tech newsletter and works on investigations. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the venture capital industry and deeptech startups, including robotics, spacetech and defence tech. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

Tom Matsuda

Tom Matsuda is a fintech reporter at Sifted and writes our weekly fintech newsletter. Find him on X and LinkedIn