Quiz time: The last venture-backed IPO in 2008 was when? How many in 2008 YTD?

I was reading the daily Venture Wire blurb last Friday. Usually these are "quick reads" and sort of a mix between a story in the LA Times and Food and Wine, but the content in this one was particularly fascinating and alarming at the same time.


The last IPO this year was on March 19th. It was CardioNet , which is a great company Jim Sweeney started/runs down in San Diego (and participated in OCTANe's CA Medical Device Forum in 2006) at the intersection of health care and wireless data. (Congrats, Jim). However, that was MARCH 19th and it's June now!! There have been hundreds of venture-backed investments since March 19th, but none of the existing investments have gone IPO?

Sure many have been bought or "monetized" by VCs, but what is going on? The total number of IPOs is six for 2008 per the article and no "tech ones" since Valentine's Day? How much love is that? The trend is alarmingly getting worse as detailed below. Some points to ponder....

1. Is this tied to the subprime mess? Does a "spooked" capital market in one asset class bring down the whole capital chain as far as investment capital realization and availability?

2. Is an IPO not a real relevant option for VCs anymore and companies are being "built to be sold; not built to prosper?"

3. Will global, non-US markets with less regulations, be the choice going forward for IPOs?

4. Are we producing just "incremental innovation companies" instead of TRUE disruptive innovative companies? (Everyone these days talks innovation and brands it, but where is it?)

5. Or is it just one heck of a St. Patty's Day hangover....

Well 12 companies are filed and ready to go and let's wish them well as risk taking venture capital needs liquidity options to prosper; staying private usually does not pay the bills.

Interesting factoid ... last time there was this IPO lull was 2003, oil was about $25-$30 a barrel. Here in 2008 it is around $130. So while we lament our VC-backed IPO drought, we also get to regret not buying the oil futures index 5 years ago.


Thoughts?