SpaceX has begun the process of selecting Wall Street banks to advise on a potential initial public offering, taking its most concrete steps yet toward a possible blockbuster listing.
Investment banks are scheduled to make initial pitches to SpaceX executives this week in a so-called bake-off to win advisory roles on the IPO, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
The rocket and satellite company told employees Friday that it is preparing for a possible public offering next year, according to the report.
Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen said in a message to staff that if the company executes well and market conditions cooperate, an IPO could raise a significant amount of capital, while cautioning that the timing and certainty of any listing remain uncertain.
SpaceX, founded more than 20 years ago, has grown into a critical contractor for the U.S. government and has seen its valuation rise sharply, driven in part by growth in its Starlink satellite-internet business.
The Journal previously reported that SpaceX is also pursuing a secondary share sale that could value the company at roughly $800 billion.
The move comes as the U.S. IPO market shows signs of renewed momentum heading into 2026, with bankers optimistic about increased deal activity regardless of whether SpaceX ultimately goes public.
The California-based company ranks as the world's second most-valuable private startup after ChatGPT maker OpenAI, according to data from Crunchbase.
SpaceX going public at the reported valuation would represent the second-richest completed IPO in history after Saudi Aramco's blockbuster $1.7 trillion listing in 2019.
Reuters earlier reported that SpaceX has started discussions with banks about launching the offering around June or July.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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