2013 was a great year for IPOs and this year may be even better, with tech companies likely taking the spotlight.
BDO USA assurance managing partner Mark Ellenbogen says the number of IPOs will likely increase about 9% based on a healthy public market, hungry investors, and companies that are just ready. There were 222 IPOs nationwide last year, making it one of the best years since 2000 when there were 406. (Sure, if you survived Y2K you'd splurge as well.) Overall returns were at 38%, which is better than 2000 at 30% and much better than 2008 when returns were -28%. BDO is now tracking at least 242 IPOs for 2014.
Cvent, with founder Reggie Aggarwal at the helm, was the DC region’s big tech IPO last year. Mark says private equity and venture capital firms are seeing an opportunity to get returns on investments that have weathered the downturn. Plus there are more investors wanting to get in on offerings since the public markets are performing better. He also says companies are taking advantage of the new rule in the JOBS Act that allows companies to file their registration statement confidentially until they're ready to go out into the market. Any predictions on which DC tech companies will have an IPO this year? Tell Bisnow's Tania Anderson. (It's a chance to redeem yourself for picking the Browns to win the Super Bowl this year.)
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