Etsy has several possible paths forward. The company has raised many rounds of venture funding — including a $20 million installment in 2010 — and it is said to be mulling a potential public offering within the next couple of years. It could also be snapped up by a bigger company. Given Etsy's distaste of the mainstream marketplace, however, these options run the risk of alienating both customers and shopkeepers. Etsy's stated mission is to "empower people to change the way the global economy works." To Etsy's tight-knit community of shop owners and customers, a Wall Street IPO or a sale to a big shopping or media conglomerate would be anathema.