Etsy files for $100 million IPO

ETSY, the online marketplace renowned for quirky, handmade goods is doing the most mainstream thing a company could do.

Amy Ta quit her job to launch her own online soap store on Etsy.

ETSY, the online marketplace for handmade goods, has filed for a stock offering to raise at least $US100 million.

Amid a flood of investment in tech start-ups, Etsy filed the papers for its initial public offering Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Founded in 2005, Etsy reported revenue last year of $US195 million, and a loss of $US15 million. It had some 685 employees at the end of 2014.

The stock will trade under the symbol “ETSY,” according to the documents, which included no date or pricing.

Last year, Etsy bought French-based rival “A Little Market” as part of a global expansion effort.

Etsy has raised funds from venture firms including Union Square Ventures. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Etsy describes itself as an online market to “discover handmade items, vintage goods and craft supplies you can’t find anywhere else,” matching artisans and sellers with consumers.

Originally published as Etsy files for $100 million IPO