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Comment by braum | Hacker News Reader

Fidelity is handling the IPO and if you have been a customer of BackBlaze for a while apparently you will get to buy before public, up to 1,000 shares between $15-17 per share. That is my understanding.

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I was contacted about the directed share program. My last IPO participation was RHAT in 2000.

Apparently, Fidelity got my birthday wrong in their system from that last IPO and is now refusing to allow me access to their system until I fill out 5 pages of forms (which I can mail or fax in) or drive into a local office to sort things out.

Good times!

Not sure where you're getting those numbers. I've been a Backblaze customer for 10+ years, and I was contacted about the directed share program. Have not heard about price or volume yet.

The S-1 does not detail any maximum number of shares for the directed share program, but it does have the expected price near the top.

> We expect the public offering price to be between $15.00 and $17.00 per share.

How were you contacted? Been a customer for some time. Looking at my billing history looks like 2013. Must not be long enough :(

Not who you replied to but I got an email October 22nd "Pre-Registration for Potential IPO Directed Share Program " telling me to express interest, did, then October 28th got an email from Fidelity "Backblaze Directed Share Program - Account Opening Invitation" giving me until the 9th to open a Fidelity brokerage account.

yep. that is how it worked for me as well

Customer since 2010. No email :(

A family member and I are both Backblaze customers, they received a surveymonkey link to indicate interest in an IPO share allocation through Fidelity. If there’s a way to get on that list, I’m interested if anyone knows.

I just found it in my spam. It was sent on Oct 22nd, you had to reply by Oct 27th. Damn.

Well I'm a BackBlaze customer and have been for a year or more. Not sure what else would qualify me to be part of the IPO before it goes public. Also AFAIK there is nothing preventing them from allowing customers to be part of it, but there may be a limiting factor. Some way to narrow the list. I have more than one computer subscribed, that could be part of the filter.

I also see their IPO showing up in Robinhood's IPO Access list (i.e. available for purchase at the IPO price)

Yes RH appears willing to take my money now for shares that I may or may not receive when the symbol goes live ~20.64

Not sure what Robinhood's selection criteria are, but participation isn't guaranteed.

150 shares were offered in the "Backblaze Directed Share Program", and I've been a customer since 2011.

Here did you hear about this?

That seems pretty huge, if true.

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