Internet portal Google is reported to be considering plans for flotation.
Founders Mr Sergey Brin and Mr Larry Page are believed to be considering deal proposals from investment banks Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank.
Mr Brin and Mr Page launched Google three years ago when they were students at Stanford University.
The business, which is based in California, plans to break even before the end of the year. According to Sunday Business, analysts are forecasting annual revenues of about £35 million by next year.
Google has built its revenues from advertising and also from licensing its proprietary search technology to other websites and portals.
The search engine has become popular for its quick and relatively accurate searches. It has three large servers that handle an average of 100 million enquiries every day.
Google's searches are not based on how often a term appears on a website, but on how many other websites are linked to it, especially popular sites such as Amazon.
PA