In Addition To Palantir, Two More Peter Thiel-Backed Companies Are Going Public

Although Thiel would have his work cut out for himself to catch Elon Musk's $100 billion net worth he's making moves that could force an update to 2014's "The PayPal Mafia: Who are they and where are Silicon Valley's richest group of men now?" (EBAY; TSLA; LNKD; FB).

Two from Reuters
August 24
Peter Thiel-Backed Workplace App Asana Files For Direct Listing On NYSE

Workplace app Asana Inc on Monday unveiled plans to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange through a direct listing, adding to a growing number of tech companies debuting this year.

Asana, which was last valued at about $1.5 billion and counts Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel among its largest backers, had confidentially filed here to go public earlier this year.

Asana’s move would mark yet another high-profile direct tech listing, after music-streaming business Spotify Technology SA (SPOT.N) pioneered the method in 2018 and communications platform Slack Technologies Inc (WORK.N) followed in 2019....

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And:
August 24
Automotive sensor maker Luminar to go public via special-purpose company with $2.9 billion valuation

Automotive sensor startup Luminar Technologies Inc said on Monday it would go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Gores Metropoulos Inc (GMHI.O) (GMHIU.O) with an enterprise value of about $2.9 billion.

The deal includes $400 million of cash from Gores Metropoulos and $170 million financing by investors including tech billionaire Peter Thiel, GoPro Inc (GPRO.O) founder Nick Woodman, Volvo Cars Tech Fund and VectoIQ, the firm that helped Nikola Corp NKLA.O go public through a SPAC, also known as a blank-check firm. That gives the Luminar deal a total equity value of $3.4 billion.

Luminar makes lidar sensors and software for vehicles. Lidar sensors, which use laser light pulses to render precise images of the environment around the car, are seen as essential by many automakers to allow higher levels of driver assistance right up to making them capable of self-driving.

“The level of certainty that it can provide as part of an IPO process is definitely very valuable,” Luminar Chief Executive Austin Russell said in an interview of the SPAC deal. He cited the Gores Group’s track record, having done three SPAC deals before and its background in technology and auto....MORE 

I wouldn't touch either of them but the information embedded in the fact there appears to be a rush to the exits may contain some value for our readers.
If interested here are some of our posts on Palantir.