IPO Stories

Saudi Arabia has evolved from having 4 IPOs per year 10 years ago, to 40 IPOs per year over the last few years. Nayef Al Athel has been in the middle of this evolution, as he headed the listings activity at the Saudi Exchange between 2018 and 2023. With Nayef, we discuss the policy decisions and incentives that have made Saudi Arabia one of the most active IPO markets globally, how going public has affected the strategy of the Tadawul group, the internationalization of the exchange, and the road ahead for the Saudi capital markets. 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.

Not all IPO processes end up with an IPO. The path is filled with twists and turns, in some cases cancellations, postponements, or even a strategic sale before reaching the stock market. In this episode, we sit down with Maria Hedengren, who led the IPO processes of both iZettle (bought out by Paypal in the final stages) and Readly (listed in Stockholm in 2020). Through Maria's lens, we explore the critical moments, strategic decisions, and leadership challenges encountered when steering a company towards an IPO. From the decision of listing location to the intricacies of board composition and investor relations, Maria sheds light on the essentials of IPO readiness, the importance of strategic exits, and the impact of these decisions on a company's trajectory 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stéphane Boujnah is the CEO of Euronext, the largest European stock exchange, managing the bourses of Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Oslo, Paris and Milan. Stephane has been the CEO for the last 8 years, leading an M&A drive that saw the company acquiring and integrating the Irish stock exchange in 2018, Oslo stock exchange in 2019 and Borsa Italiana in 2021. With Stéphane, we go back to the origins of stock markets to discuss why they are the natural home for ambitious growth companies, the reforms needed to spur more equity investment in Europe, and the importance of trust when you are building a track record as a listed company CEO. 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.

Paolo Dellachà is the CEO of Industrie De Nora, an Italian industrial company with global presence. It is the world’s leading supplier of electrodes for all major electrochemical processes – and have recently seen tremendous growth in applications for green hydrogen production. After almost 100 years as a private family-owned company, De Nora listed in June 2022, in a €500mn transaction. With the market volatility in 2022, it was one of only a handful of companies to list globally that year. Paolo has also been through another IPO in 2023, as Deputy Chairman of Nucera, the electrolyzer JV between Thyssenkrupp and De Nora. With Paolo, we discuss the changes De Nora has been going through as its energy transition business has expanded, the IPO rationale in 2022, his experience from interactions with public markets investors, and the challenges to scale up the energy transition. 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.

EDP is a Portuguese utility with a global footprint. In 2008, EDP listed its subsidiary EDP Renewables, one of the world's leading renewable energy developers and operators. EDPR is the world's 4th largest wind energy producersm with 15 GW of installed capacity, and a very ambitious growth plan. With Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, CEO of both EDP and EDP Renewables, we discuss the IPO process and timing of EDPR back in 2008, the revolution happening in the energy sector, how to build long-term relationships with investors, and the importance of equity markets to provide capital for renewable 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.

Emmanuel Thomassin is the CFO of Delivey Hero, one of the world's leading online food delivery platforms. He has been the CFO since 2014 and led the company through its successful €1bn IPO on the Frankfurt stock exchange in 2017. Since then, Delivery Hero have continued leading the charge in food delivery globally, using the listing as a catalyst to fund important acquisitions and continue growing the organization. With Emmanuel, we discuss important elements surrounding the IPO process from the company perspective: preparation and benefits of preparation for an IPO, the rationale for going public, considerations around listing location, and post-listing dangers and pitfalls. Disclaimer: this discussion is not financial advice, nor an investment recommendation, nor a sollicitation 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 purposes only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

Laurence Borde is the founder of Mediatree, an agency specializing in accompanying companies in the preparation and implementation of the IPO roadshow. With Laurence, we discuss the human element of the IPO process: how chief executives should prepare the company, and themselves, for an IPO: from the optimal organizational structure to your personal physical preparation to manage your energy throughout the process. 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 sollicitation 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 purposes only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

EQT, based in Sweden, is one of the world’s largest private equity firms, and an active IPO sponsor, particularly in Europe - where they have listed companies such as Autostore, Suse, Azelis over the last few years - as well as their own management company in 2019. Magnus Tornling is Global Head of Equity Capital Markets at EQT, and has been responsible for all their IPO processes. With Magnus, we discuss the timeline and considerations EQT applies when considering an IPO, management incentives and retention after the IPO and the importance of preparing a company’s sustainability strategy early ahead of the IPO. Magnus also shares his views on European listings versus US, and how to make an IPO a success for all parties involved. 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 sollicitation 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 purposes only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.

Française des Jeux, coming out of state ownership, was one of the largest and most successful IPOs over the last 5 years, raising $2bn for the French state and helping revive retail interest in IPOs. With Claire Vernet-Garnier, who was Head of the Finance Division at the French Government Shareholding Agency (APE) at the time, we go through the important choices around this successful IPO, and the characteristics of the government as a long-term shareholder in public markets. 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.

Why is there so little innovation in the IPO process? How has the investor landscape changed over the last decades, and how can companies get institutional investors engaged in their IPOs? Craig Coben was until recently Bank of America's Global Head of Equity Capital Markets, and for many years the bank's Head of EMEA Equity Capital Markets. We draw on his 30 years' experience advising companies on their IPOs, follow-on offerings and rights issues, to try to find some avenues to reform the IPO process. Having a well-functioning IPO market allowing companies to raise capital is important to support economic growth. With Craig, we take a step back to understand the real challenges facing European IPOs lately, and why there has been so little innovation to the IPO product over the last decades. Craig has written several interesting columns in the FT on the topic: Diagnosing London's listing miasma How should we regulate ESG research? Why Silicon Valley has failed (so far) to disrupt the IPO process 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 investing is becoming increasingly important, both in terms of fund flows and integration in investment decisions. The disclosure requirements for private and public companies are not the same, making the IPO a crucial milestone regarding ESG, in addition to the traditional financial aspects. Marie Freier is Global Co-Head of Sustainable Investment Banking at Barclays, where she provides advisory services for companies on their sustainability journey. She shares with us her views on the evolution of the ESG market and investors' expectations, ESG score providers, ESG-related regulations (SFDR, EU Taxonomy), and the importance of transparency. 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.

KKR is one of the world’s largest private equity firms, and also one of the most active private equity sponsors of IPOs, with 3-4 IPOs per year globally. In Europe, they have listed 6 companies over the last 5 years: Trainline, Calisen, Hensoldt, SoftwareOne, Darktrace, and OVHCloud. Eric Han is a Principal within KKR’s Capital Markets team in New York, and has managed all these IPOs from KKR’s side. He shares with us how KKR approaches their IPOs globally, including IPO readiness, listing location, structuring, and post-IPO liquidity events. 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 sollicitation 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 purposes only. Amundsen Investment Management and the participants on this podcast may have holdings in the companies being discussed.