Skype S.A., which operates a software-based platform that enables real-time communications over the Internet, filed on Monday with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering. The Luxembourg-based company was founded in 2003 and was acquired from eBay by an investor group led by Silver Lake, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and venture capital specialist Andreessen Horowitz in November 2009. The company's global platform allows for voice and video calling over Internet-connected devices for free, or with mobile and landlines at a low price. Skype had 560 million registered users as of June 30 (up 41% from the year-ago period) and booked $719 million in pro forma sales last year. The company plans to list on the NASDAQ with Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley acting as the lead underwriters on the deal. No pricing terms were disclosed.
