Website-building company Squarespace confidentially files to go public

• Squarespace announced Wednesday it had confidentially filed for a stock-market listing.
• It didn't say whether it would go public through an IPO or a direct listing.
• The website-building company was last valued at $1.7 billion in December 2017.

New York-based Squarespace announced Wednesday it had confidentially submitted paperwork for a stock-market listing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The website building and hosting company didn't specify whether it would go public through a direct listing or an initial public offering (IPO).

Squarespace declined Insider's request for comment and pointed to the press release.

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Squarespace was last valued at $1.7 billion in December 2017, when growth-equity firm General Atlantic invested $200 million in the platform, adding to the $40 million it invested in 2014, according to Crunchbase.

Squarespace makes software for people to build and host websites using pre-made templates and other features. It costs $16 per month, or $12 per month if you buy an annual subscription.

The company, which has a total of 1,143 employees, was founded in 2003 by CEO Anthony Casalena in his dorm room at the University of Maryland, according to the website.

It says that millions of websites have been created on the platform.