The old saw in Silicon Valley is that Sarbanes-Oxley has made the public offering less attractive as an exit option. But that seems to be changing. The New York Times notes data from the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Financial showing 27 offerings of venture-backed companies in the last three months. That rekindles memories of the heady days of the late 1990s. So what's up? The industry seems to have adjusted to Sarbox. The costs are not trivial but must be weighed against the liquidity gains, which once again are starting to look really good. Deep down, many prefer an IPO to a corporate sale.
For more:
- here's the New York Times article