SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Pinterest, the visual discovery firm with an estimated 250 million users, filed for a public share offering Friday (March 22), the latest of the big venture-backed startups to hit Wall Street.

The San Francisco-based online bulletin board that connects people with interests including food, fashion, travel and lifestyle said it would trade under the symbol PINS on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Pinterest is where more than 250 million people around the world go to get inspiration for their lives," said the company said in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission which is expected to seek a valuation of some US$12 billion (S$16.23 billion).

"They come to discover ideas for just about anything you can imagine: daily activities like cooking dinner or deciding what to wear, major commitments like remodeling a house or training for a marathon, ongoing passions like fly fishing or fashion and milestone events like planning a wedding or a dream vacation."