Exclusive-Collaboration software maker Smartsheet fields buyout interest, sources say

FILE PHOTO: Smartsheet Inc. President and CEO Mark Mader attends his company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 27, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

(Reuters) -Smartsheet, a U.S. maker of workplace collaboration software with a market value of $6.6 billion, has tapped investment bankers after attracting acquisition interest from buyout firms, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Bellevue, Washington-based company is working with Qatalyst Partners to review approaches from private equity firms, the sources said. Smartsheet has not decided whether it should launch a sale process and it is possible that it opts to stay independent, the sources added.