IPO activity finally picking up again (study)

There are signs of hope for venture-backed companies ready to cash out through an initial public offering (IPO) or an acquisition, according to the latest report from Dow Jones VentureSource.
The overall liquidity numbers for the last three months are up from the same period last year — there were a total of 85 deals adding up to $4.7 billion. That’s not quite on-par with the end of 2008, but it’s up 27 percent from the $3.4 billion earned in the first quarter of 2009.
But perhaps the most impressive comparison is the fact that eight venture-funded companies had IPOs in in the last three months. That’s the same amount as in all of last year, so 2010 won’t just be a better year for IPOs, it will probably be a much better year.
The number of mergers and acquisitions on the other hand, basically stayed flat.



Companies: Dow jones