Liftoff's first try at an IPO stalled. In February 2026 it postponed an offering marketed at $26 to $30 a share, as software stocks sold off. Four months later it came back with a lower range and priced above it. The Redwood City company sold AI software that helped mobile apps find users and earn money from ads. Its June 2026 listing was the first ad tech IPO since 2025.

Growth Engine for Apps

Liftoff began as a company that bought ads to win new users for mobile apps. Over time it added software that lets app makers sell ad space inside their own apps. It calls itself a growth and monetization engine for the app economy. Machine learning decides which ad a user sees and how much to bid. Its customers include game studios and consumer apps around the world.

Above the Range

Liftoff priced 19 million shares at $23 on June 3, 2026, above its range of $20 to $22. Trading began on Nasdaq under LFTO the next day. The stock closed its first session up about 24 percent. The offering valued the company at close to $4 billion. It was the second time in four months that Liftoff had tried to price a deal. Liftoff still trades on Nasdaq under LFTO.

Cover: Woman Lighting a Rocket, also called Peace Gets Me Going, from Communia Gaudia (The Wide-Spread Rejoicing at the Siege of Namur), Cornelis Dusart. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a woman lighting a rocket (liftoff).