IPO Stories

The history of direct listings - Dakin Campbell (IPO Stories, Ep. 21)

In 2018, Spotify was the first company to do a direct listing instead of a regular IPO process – foregoing the usual bookbuilding process in favor of opening the shares directly on the market in an auction. Dakin Campbell is the author of the book Going Public, where he recounts the history and the inside stories of some of the major IPOs in recent memory, starting with the 1956 IPO of Ford, and focusing on the innovations that have occurred through time.

With Dakin, we discuss what led Spotify and others to prefer a direct listing transaction, and some of the pros and cons of a direct listing vs. a traditional IPO.

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

The US IPO of Criteo - Edouard Lassalle (IPO Stories, Ep. 20)

Criteo, a French adtech company, listed on Nasdaq in 2013. Edouard Lassalle joined in 2012 to prepare the company for the IPO, and later served as head of Investor Relations for the company until 2022. 

One of the topics that comes up at an early stage during IPO preparation is the choice of listing location. In earlier episodes, we have heard from tech executives at Wise, DeliveryHero, OVHCloud and Exclusive Networks why they decided to list in Europe.

Today, we look back at the 2013 US IPO of Criteo. Criteo was founded in 2005 and backed by leading VC investors such as Elaia, Index Ventures and Bessemer, with a global customer base. In 2013, the company was listed on Nasdaq, raising $280mn to fund its growth.

Edouard Lassalle joined the company in 2012 to prepare the company for the IPO, and later served as head of Investor Relations for the company until 2022. Edouard shares with us his list of pros and cons of a US vs European listing for a European tech company, as well as considerations around the different characteristics of US and European markets, and the impact is has on the company.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

Middle Eastern IPOs - Wassim Al Khatib (IPO Stories, Ep. 19)

Middle Eastern equity capital markets have captured investors' attention the last 2 years, as the only truly active IPO market in the world throughout 2022 and 2023 - with close to 50 IPOs listing each of those years.

To learn more about GCC equity markets, we are joined by Wassim Al Khatib, the CEO of Lazard in MENA. Lazard is an independent financial adviser, advising companies and their owners on all aspects of corporate finance, including organizing the IPO process. Before Lazard, Wassim was the CEO of Citigroup in Saudi Arabia, and before that the Head of Investment Banking at NCB Capital.

With Wassim, we explore the reforms and opening of GCC capital markets to foreign investors, the IPO activity and diversification of the stock exchange beyond oil & gas, and the question of listing location for local, innovative companies.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

Equity indices and IPOs - Mark Makepeace (IPO Stories, Ep. 18)

When a company becomes listed, index inclusion is a big deal. Beyond the stamp of approval, it brings in new passive investors, more liquidity, and ultimately more stability as a listed company. Yet, index inclusion rules are very technical, and not always easy to understand.

To open up the topic of equity indices, we have invited Mark Makepeace, the CEO of Wilshire Indexes. Mark built up and managed FTSE Russell from a small group that produced the UK equity benchmark FTSE 100, to one of the top 3 global equity index providers.

With Mark, we discuss what criteria index providers use to include companies, how this relates to the offer size and market capitalization of an IPO, how index rules have evolved to adapt to the market, and the evolution of index providers to also become ESG data providers.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

The direct listing of Wise - Matt Briers (IPO Stories, Ep. 17)

Matt Briers has been the CFO of Wise since 2015. In 2021, Matt led the company to a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange, the first major direct listing in Europe.

Wise, founded in the UK in 2011 by Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus, has revolutionized cross-border payments for individuals and businesses by making them easier, faster and cheaper. After 10 years as a private company, Wise followed in the footsteps of Spotify and Slack by doing a direct listing instead of a regular IPO, at a valuation of 11 billion dollars.

With Matt, we discuss the rationale and timing to go public for a profitable tech company which doesn’t need to raise money, his experience of the direct listing process, and the considerations around a UK listing rather than US.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

The role of equity research in an IPO - Erik Salz (IPO Stories, Ep. 16)

Erik Salz has more than 15 years experience in equity research, most recently as an equity analyst at JP Morgan, where he particularly focused on IPO research and multi-industry coverage. During that time, he has been involved in more than 60 IPO projects. 

With Erik, we wanted to get a better understanding of how sell-side analysts perform their work in relation to an IPO, how it relates to the coverage post-listing, and the lessons he has learned about how to engage with analysts and investors for a successful transaction.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

Investor Relations during and after the IPO - Julia Stoetzel (IPO Stories, Ep. 15)

Julia Stoetzel is the founder of Junicorn, an Investor Relations consultancy based in Germany, and host of the podcast Street Tweets. We first met Julia when she was Investor Relations director at DeliveryHero, and then 3 years later when she headed Investor Relations at About You, a Germany ecommerce company, during its IPO in 2021.

With Julia, we discuss her experience in Investor Relations, the importance of having an IR strategy during the IPO process, how to understand which investors you want to have on your shareholder registry from day one, and what makes a good Investor Relations hire.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

ESG, from Private to Public - Giovanni Aquaro (IPO Stories, Ep. 14)

ERM is the largest pure-play sustainability consultancy globally, with 8,000 consultants assisting companies with defining and implementing their sustainability strategies. ERM works with both the largest listed companies, as well as private companies and investors. Giovanni Aquaro is a Partner at ERM, and works with private companies seeking to bridge the gap in ESG disclosure between private and public.

With Giovanni, we discuss how companies should deal with the difference between ESG ratings, how private markets investors are adopting ESG strategies for their portfolio companies, and how companies considering an IPO should go about formulating their sustainability strategy.

If you have feedback, or there are any topics you would like us to cover on the show, please reach out at contact@ipostories.com

Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments, or an offer for financial services or any other transaction. The information contained in the recording have no contractual value and are destined for an informational purpose only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.