Criteo is getting ready for an IPO in 2013 in the US, not Europe.

Finance

ipo_2220873kThis afternoon Journaldunet has reported that Criteo is getting ready to do an IPO, during which it hopes to raise between 270 and 400 million euros. The French Adtech giant, which has seen explosive growth in the last few years, winning the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the past two years, raised a 40 Million euro Series D last September, and has been nearly unstoppable in its expansion. While their headquarters will remain in the US, their giant Paris office, which holds 500+ employees, has been growing since it opened last year, and there’s certainly much to cheer about for another French tech success story.

And yet, Criteo’s IPO in the US reminds France and the rest of Europe that Europe still isn’t a place where French tech companies can go from start to finish. Despite the fact that it was clear that Criteo would IPO in the US, news of its breaking reminds us that, despite Index Ventures’ effort to create a better public market for tech companies in London, Europe still can’t support the growth of European tech companies.

Criteo has a total of 15 offices on three different continents,including a 15,000 sq ft office in New York, it’s giant Paris research center, and its Mountain View headquarters.

Hat tip to Hugo Sedourmane.