IPO for Deep Tech: Pros & Cons
Could an IPO be the game-changer your deep tech startup needs to reach new heights? An Initial Public Offering (IPO) represents a pivotal moment for any company, especially for deep tech startups.
Over the last 5 to 7 years, we have seen more and more startups that have defined their ambition based on an earlier exit point as compared to most Deep-Tech startups.
Rather than setting their ambition goals on a certain market share and a revenue target, they set their ambition on being high-volume (HV) ready and, at that point, find a suitable “mothership”. There are several reasons why this strategy is seeing more adopters. Most important is the lengthy path for a Deep-Tech startup to reach that “market share” objective. That path might take 8-10 and sometimes 12 years with a high number of venture rounds which dilutes their original ownership to a thin percentage. Markets might change, the venture capital scene might change, etc. Therefore, planning for a 3-5 year path to bring a product to the high-volume marker and at the same time looking for a suitable acquirer where the product would fit with the acquirer’s marketing and sales organization not only secures a much faster exit but also a more secure one. Despite the obvious lower valuation, founders hold a much larger percentage of the company’s outstanding share capital.
Could an IPO be the game-changer your deep tech startup needs to reach new heights? An Initial Public Offering (IPO) represents a pivotal moment for any company, especially for deep tech startups.
An article recently published online with the title “Europe needs more scientists in VC to become a deeptech powerhouse – Tech.eu” highlights the fact that the problem deep-tech startups are facing is still not widely understood.
How can you identify and evaluate the deep tech sectors with the highest potential for transformation? Performing an analysis of promising deep tech sectors involves several key steps. Begin by identifying the deep tech sectors with the most potential for transformation.