Startups Back on the Menu?
In theory, the recent rebound in equity markets—especially in technology-related shares, which were major laggards as the year unfolded—should be great news for young companies. As discussed previously (see here and here), valuations, activity and interest in private...
Pre-IPO Market Souring Fast
An earlier article at Sophisticated Investor argued that the outlook for growth stage private companies, especially the $1 billion-plus technology "unicorns," was looking shaky. Developments since then suggest the situation has gotten worse. For one thing, the equity...
No Sign of a Turnaround in Pre-IPO Market Fortunes
It's been less than a month since "Pre-IPOs: Square Slips Through a Growing Hole" was published, but there is already plenty more evidence that the best days for the privately-held start-up market are behind it. As CNBC noted, "the unicorn club is filling up, and it's...
Déjà Vu All Over Again in the IPO Market?
It's long been said that IPO market is a leading indicator for the stock market. When demand for initial public offerings is weak, it suggests that investors are not all that interested in equities, and vice versa. Paradoxically, when interest and activity in the new...
Pre-IPOs: Square Slips Through a Growing Hole
Sighs of relief could be heard across Wall Street late last week following Square's initial public offering, which was priced on Wednesday. After a stream of reports that called into question the valuations assigned to the digital-payments start-up and other pre-IPO...
Pre-IPO; What to look out for
Pre-IPO or Late stage VC investing Pre-IPO stock investments are fundamentally a very late stage VC funding investment. These types of investments offer all of the difficulties of evaluating a private security but are also potentially a gold mine. Being able to invest...
