Games chat platform Discord is apparently aiming for a valuation of $15 billion.

That's according to Eric Newcomer's tech newsletter, which reports that Dragoneer Investment Group is leading a funding round for the company that could bring in "at least $500 million." Meanwhile, speaking to the Financial Times, Discord CEO Jason Citron (pictured) said that the firm is hoping to attract internet users who are moving away from public social media platforms.

Back in December 2020, Discord was valued at $7 billion in a funding round that saw it trying to bring in $100 million. That was double the $3.5 billion valuation that the company commanded in June of that same year.

As for why there was this massive spike in valuation, that's down to – what else? – the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. During 2020, Discord's revenue almost tripled and the platform saw an increase in users, hitting 140 million monthly active users by the end of 2020.

Discord was also reportedly up for sale recently, with companies including Microsoft vying to bring the chat platform under their wings. These talks fell apart amid rumours that Discord was eying up an initial public offering instead.