Jakarta, CNN Indonesia - An audio chat startup, Discord Inc, has reportedly stopped talking about being bought by a number of companies, one of which is Microsoft Corp. Discord prefers to remain independent and intends to IPO.

Microsoft is known to have made a bid to Discord of up to US $ 10 billion or Rp.145.3 trillion (exchange rate Rp.14,531). However, the offer did not reach an agreement although there is a possibility that it could be discussed again in the future.

Microsoft, with a market value of nearly US $ 2 trillion or Rp.29,060 trillion, is trying to acquire several companies that can help it reach more consumers.

Last summer, for example, the company owned by Bill Gates explored an offer to buy the video sharing app TikTok.

According to The Verge, Discord is reportedly in talks with at least three other companies besides Microsoft. Other potential applicants include Amazon and Epic Games.

Microsoft's interest in Discord has a lot to do with the online community. This app is a destination for content creators who develop their own forums as well as local groups centered on videos and games.

San Francisco-based Discord operates a free online platform for chatting via text, audio and video. Apart from being used by gamers, Discord's popularity has skyrocketed since the pandemic raged as people used it as a safe way to connect with friends and family.

Launching the WSJ, Discord claims the number of monthly users has reached 140 million. The company also generated revenues of US $ 130 million or Rp1.8 trillion in 2020, up from nearly US $ 45 million or Rp654 billion in 2019, although it is still not profitable.

Launched in 2015, Discord doubled its valuation to US $ 7 billion or Rp101.6 trillion in its December 2020 funding round. Overall, the company has raised around US $ 480 million or Rp6.9 trillion, according to Crunchbase data. Investors include Greenoaks Capital, Greylock Partners and Index Ventures.