Workplace app Asana files to go public, may opt for direct listing

Workplace app Asana Inc said on Monday it had confidentially filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to go public, indicating it would opt for a direct listing instead of a traditional initial public offering. Asana would be the latest to pursue a direct listing, made popular by music streaming business Spotify Technology SA and workplace messaging firm Slack Technologies Inc . A person familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that Asana is pursuing a direct listing. Founded in 2008 by Facebook Inc co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-Google-and-Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein, Asana was most recently valued at around US$1.5 billion (1.2 billion pounds), according to data provider PitchBook.