(Yicai Global) March 11 -- Ant Financial Services probably won't be among the first companies to go public on Shanghai's new science and technology innovation board though China's largest fintech unicorn is preparing to list on it.

That's according to an unidentified shareholder in Ant Financial who spoke on the sidelines of China's top annual political gatherings in Beijing today, Shanghai Television's Knews reported. In response, Ant Financial said the new trading venue is a key market innovation and the company has been following developments closely, but has no specific timetable for listing on it at present.

Ant Financial, the parent company of the ubiquitous third-party payment platform Alipay, is worth about USD150 billion after raising a further USD14 billion last June. Speculation about when and where the Hangzhou-based company could IPO has come to nothing in recent few years.

President Xi Jinping unveiled plans for the new trading venue in November along with the intention to use a registration-based listing system for the first time in the Chinese mainland. The securities regulator issued regulations for the board earlier this month, and it is likely to open mid-year.

Top-flight companies need to drive the first batch of stocks to list, an industry insider said, adding that fintech sector leader Ant Financial has the potential. The board will also provide a new financing channel for these firms, he added.