AppNexus CEO Brian O'Kelley Robert Libetti/ Business Insider AppNexus' long-awaited IPO is about to happen.

The ad tech company has filed paperwork confidentially for an initial public offering, The Wall Street Journal's Maureen Farrell and Telis Demos reported on Wednesday. The IPO is expected to come around the second quarter next year and the company may seek a valuation of up to $2 billion, according to The Journal. Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase will serve as the lead underwriters.

The 9-year-old New York-based startup was most recently valued around $1.6 billion, according to Pitchbook.

In September, AppNexus raised a $31 million funding round, including a $10 million investment from News Corp and involvement from Yahoo Japan. The deal included a partnership with News Corp — which owns The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires — where the corporation's properties would begin using AppNexus products.

Shortly thereafter, the startup cut 150 jobs in a restructuring that saw 13% of its staff laid off and created two separate divisions: A division that provides technology to help advertisers buy ads and a division to help publishers sell ads. The move further fueled rumors that an IPO was imminent.

Only one other ad tech company has gone public in 2016. Trade Desk debuted on the Nasdaq in September at $28.75 per share, a pop on its $18 price target.

AppNexus declined to comment on the report.