Shaires Holdings invests $15M in ByteDance Series B Preferred at a $585B entry valuation
- Raised
- $15M
- Valuation
- $585B
- Place in VP50
- #17
- Sources
- 2
What happened
Shaires Holdings Ltd, an AIM-listed London investment company, announced on August 13, 2026 that it invested $15 million for an indirect interest of about 0.003% in ByteDance Ltd. The stake is held through a newly established share class within a regulated Luxembourg SICAV-RAIF structure, which holds Series B Preferred Shares of ByteDance. Shaires said the shares were bought in a company-approved secondary sale from an existing shareholder.
The announcement gave an entry valuation of $585 billion, equal to $355.50 per share. Including a 6% upfront fee, Shaires put the all-in valuation at approximately $620 billion and the total cash outlay at about $15.9 million. It said there is no management fee and no carried interest. Shaires said completion was expected within two weeks, subject to customary closing conditions, and that funding came from existing cash and proceeds of a recently concluded institutional placing. It disclosed that ByteDance is private with no announced IPO timeline, does not publish audited financial statements, and that the figures referenced are unaudited third-party estimates.
Key points
- $15 million for an indirect interest of about 0.003% in ByteDance2
- Entry valuation of $585 billion, equal to $355.50 per share12
- All-in valuation of about $620 billion with a 6% upfront fee; cash outlay of about $15.9 million12
- Series B Preferred bought through a Luxembourg SICAV-RAIF share class in a company-approved secondary sale2
- Shaires said completion was expected within two weeks2
Why it matters
The deal sets out a price of $355.50 per share and a $585 billion entry valuation for Series B Preferred in a company-approved secondary. That is a stated price point at which an existing holder sold.
The buyer holds through a fund share class rather than the shares themselves, and a 6% upfront fee lifts its all-in valuation to about $620 billion. It shows an outside buyer was willing to take a small stake in this form.
Shaires stated that ByteDance has no announced IPO timeline. For holders, company-approved secondary sales are the route to liquidity that this record shows.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series D | Apr 2017 | $11B | $1.0B | CCB International and Sequoia Capital |
| Funding round | Aug 11, 2017 | $20B | $2.0B | General Atlantic |
| Funding round | Oct 25, 2018 | $78B | $3.0B | Unknown |
| Funding round | Dec 11, 2020 | $180B | $2.0B | KKR and Sequoia Capital |
Updated
Fact-check
- On August 13, 2026, Shaires announced it invested $15 million for an indirect interest of about 0.003% in ByteDance.Confirmed by [2] Investing.com (published 13/08/2026): Shaires invested $15 million for an indirect interest of approximately 0.003% in ByteDance. The RNS page [1] was blocked for the checker.Verified
- Entry valuation was $585 billion, equal to $355.50 per share.Confirmed by [2] Investing.com: the entry valuation is $585 billion, equivalent to $355.50 per share.Verified
- With a 6% upfront fee the all-in valuation was about $620 billion and total cash outlay about $15.9 million, with no management fee or carried interest.Confirmed by [2] Investing.com: including a 6% upfront fee the all-in valuation reaches approximately $620 billion, total cash outlay about $15.9 million, no management fee and no carried interest.Verified
- The shares are Series B Preferred held via a Luxembourg SICAV-RAIF share class, bought in a company-approved secondary sale from an existing shareholder.Confirmed by [2] Investing.com: a newly established share class within a regulated Luxembourg SICAV-RAIF structure holding Series B Preferred Shares, from a company-approved secondary sale from an existing shareholder.Verified
- Shaires said completion was expected within two weeks, funded from existing cash and a recent placing, and that ByteDance has no announced IPO timeline and its figures are unaudited estimates.Confirmed by [2] Investing.com: completion within two weeks subject to customary closing conditions; funding from existing cash and a recently concluded institutional placing; no announced IPO timeline; unaudited third-party estimates.Verified
Sources
- [1]Shaires Holdings Ltd (RNS via FT.com) (opens in a new tab)Investment in ByteDance Ltd - Company AnnouncementEntry valuation of US$585 billion (an equivalent price of US$355.5 per share)
- [2]Investing.com (opens in a new tab)Shaires Holdings invests $15m in ByteDance at $585bn valuationThe entry valuation is $585 billion, equivalent to $355.50 per share
