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Potential IPOs to watch

Published on: 24/02/2022 | Modified on: 04/07/2024

Initial public offerings (IPOs) are a way for private companies to raise money, by offering their shares to the public on the stock market. This is an important time for private companies to become more widely available and allow investment access to the public.

Upcoming IPOs can benefit private investors in particular. This is because many IPO companies will include share premiums for their existing investors, so this can result in potential profits. Existing shareholders of a private company could include family, friends, and professional investors such as venture capitalists. These private equity investors help to finance companies with high growth potential in exchange for a stake in their equity.

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Reviewed by
Michael Hewson
Chief Market Analyst
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What is the process?

An initial public offering (IPO) happens when shares of a previously private company are offered to the public on a stock exchange. This is part of a new stock issuance. A company that is planning an IPO will select underwriters to manage their financial risk, and chooses a stock exchange in which to feature their newly public shares. When the company goes public, the private shareholders’ shares will value at the same price as the public share. These are usually a higher value and therefore, they will profit from the relative returns that were expected.

In general, companies can register for an upcoming IPO after reaching a market capitalisation of $1bn, which is the same for a ‘unicorn company’. However, as long as the business can meet the listing requirements for a specific market and prove their potential for future profit, they can also qualify for an IPO.

Alternatively, an increasing number of businesses are choosing to use a special-purpose acquisition company​ (SPAC)​ as it may offer a slightly cheaper and quicker process.

Upcoming IPOs to watch

  • BrewDog IPO: Craft-beer brewer BrewDog is a British company that has repeated its plans for an IPO on the London Stock Exchange at some point in 2024. The company previously announced its plans in 2018 but has been waiting for the right time to debut its shares to the public, which could be complicated by the recent departure of CEO James Watt.

  • Databricks IPO: Software start-up Databricks is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered data company. It reached a valuation of $43bn after multiple rounds of financing in 2023.

  • Discord IPO: Discord, valued at around $15bn in 2023, runs an instant messaging platform and app where users can interact over voice, video and text, boasting an audience of over 150 million monthly active users.

  • Houzz IPO: American home design website and community Houzz's IPO is eagerly awaited by investors, and there is speculation that the company could choose either an IPO or SPAC route at some point in 2024.

  • Klarna IPO: Klarna belongs to the buy now, pay later (BNPL) industry that's taking the financial world by storm, with services allowing users to spread the cost of purchases over multiple transactions. Valued at $6.7bn in 2022, the company has over 150 million active consumers and recently set up a new UK-registered holding company to facilitate a potential IPO, which could take place at some point in early 2025.

  • Kraken IPO: American cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is expected to debut its shares on the stock market in 2024, with the company currently seeking to raise more than $100m in a pre-IPO funding round.

  • Monzo IPO: British online bank Monzo may join the fleet of UK tech companies to debut on the stock market in 2024. The unicorn start-up was valued at $5bn after a fundraising round in March 2024.

  • Revolut IPO: Revolut is touted as the UK’s biggest fintech company with a valuation of over £24bn, and could debut on the stock market at some point in 2024.

  • Shein: Fast fashion retailer Shein​, valued at $66bn in a fundraising round in 2023, filed papers with the Financial Conduct Authority in June 2024, opening the door for a potential London listing this year.

  • Skims: Founded in 2019, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand secured a $270m funding round that valued it at $4bn, and is reportedly exploring an IPO for some time in 2024.

  • Starling Bank IPO: British digital challenger bank Starling has grown its customer base to more than 3.6m. It even became profitable during the Covid-19 pandemic and the company shows no signs of slowing down as digital banking continues to grow. It's expected to debut on the LSE in 2024.

  • Starlink IPO: Elon Musk's satellite constellation is due to IPO as a spin-off from parent company SpaceX, although it is unknown when the company plans to do this, as Musk is looking for "more predictable cash flows" first. The company is reportedly preparing a tender offer that would value it at $210bn, which would make Starlink the most valuable privately-held US company.

  • Stripe IPO: Digital payments provider Stripe is backed by Elon Musk and serves clients such as Google, Amazon and Zoom, and it has been hailed as one of the world's most valuable start-ups. It was last valued at $65bn in a fundraising round in February 2024.

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Recent IPOs

  • Porsche IPO​: German luxury sports car manufacturer Porsche debuted on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in September 2022, parting ways with majority shareholders and parent companies Porsche SE and Volkswagen Group, who listed around 25% of the stock in total. It was Europe's largest ever IPO with a valuation of €78bn and share price of €82.50. More on our Porsche share price​​.

  • Polestar IPO: Swedish EV manufacturer Polestar, which is a part of the Volvo and Geely group, merged with SPAC Gores Guggenheim at the end of June 2022. The SPAC raised $800m in a fundraising round in May 2021 and upon debut on the Nasdaq exchange, Polestar was valued at over $20bn, given the rising trend in clean energy and sustainability. More on our Polestar share price.

  • Nubank IPO: Brazilian neo-bank Nubank listed on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021. The company's shares began trading at over $11 apiece, giving it a valuation of almost $50bn. This is an even larger valuation than its main rival in Brazil, financial services company Itaú Unibanco. More on our Nu Holdings share price.

  • Rivian IPO: US company Rivian focuses on the manufacturing of electric vehicles and automotive technology. The Amazon-backed business debuted on the Nasdaq exchange on 10 November in the world's largest IPO of 2021, giving it a valuation of over $100bn. The stock jumped more than 30% on its first day of trading. It's now the second most valuable automaker in the US after Tesla, above Ford and General Motors. More on our Rivian share price.

  • Volvo IPO: Swedish luxury car manufacturer Volvo Cars is owned by parent company Geely, who raised over $2.3bn in one of the biggest listings in Europe of 2021. It has listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange and shares jumped as much as 22% on its opening day. The automotive company plans to shift its entire car range to fully-electric models by 2030. More on on our Volvo share price.

  • Robinhood IPO: US stock and options trading app Robinhood has grown its user base by a third this year and it is valued at around $35bn. Robinhood debuted on the NASDAQ exchange, a popular choice for technology companies, at the lower end of its share offering of $38 apiece. More on on our Robinhood share price.

  • Didi IPO: Chinese ride-hailing company had its IPO on 30 June 2021, raising $4.4bn in the process. It was the largest US listing of a Chinese company since Alibaba in 2014. The company sold over 316m shares at $14 apiece, giving it an overall valuation of approximately $70bn. More on our Didi share price.

  • Wise IPO: One of the most eagerly awaited fintech IPOs, the online payments service Wise (formerly known as TransferWise) offered its shares to the public on 7 July 2021 on the London Stock Exchange. The British company has experienced rapid international growth over the past couple of years. Wise shares opened at 800p and were up 10% by the end of its debut trading day, giving it a valuation of over £8bn. More on our Wise share price.

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How to trade IPO stock

  1. Research the market. Some currently private businesses have potential to become rivals within the technology, energy, finance, e-commerce, and healthcare industries.
  2. Buy pre-IPO stock through a participating broker. A number of trading platforms allow you to invest in the company before its future IPO is carried out.
  3. If this is not an option, you can trade on the company once it is public. This is often through financial derivatives, such as spread bets or CFDs​ with the option to trade with leverage.
  4. Pick a strategy. Choose whether you want to go long (buy) or go short (sell). Please note that some trading restrictions may apply on initial trading.
  5. Keep up to date with news and analysis​​. This can include daily reports and predictions from professional market analysts and external news providers, such as Reuters and Morningstar.

Is it possible to trade for a living?

It is possible to make money trading, but it comes with many risks and extra costs that must be taken into consideration. Consult our section on ‘what else do you need to know’ before opening a potentially risky trade. After all, not all positions will end in profit.

To see whether you could make money from spread betting or trading CFDs, you could try out our risk-free demo account, which allows you to practise first using £10,000 of virtual funds. Once you feel confident enough to enter the live markets using real funds, you can then switch to a live account.

What else do you need to know?

Trading on the financial markets can be a daunting process, especially for a beginner, so it may be a good idea to brush up your knowledge on the following things beforehand:

  • Costs​ (including spreads, margin rates, overnight fees, commissions)

  • The risk that your chosen market or instrument presents

  • How trading with leverage works (also known as trading on margin)

  • How to prevent margin calls and account close-outs

  • Risk-management tools​, indicators and market data that can help with every trade

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FAQs

What’s the difference between a traditional IPO and a SPAC IPO?

The main differences between traditional initial public offerings (IPOs) and special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) lie in their pricing and the length of the process. SPACs usually work on a shorter timeline and have smaller underwriting fees. Read more about SPACs.

Can I short IPO stock on the first day?

Some trading restrictions usually apply after an IPO has gone live, so you may not be able to short the stock on its first day of trading. This will usually last for a few days. Learn how to short a stock.

Can you lose money trading on IPO stock?

You can lose money when trading on newly-listed IPO stock if the company underperforms and either opens or closes at a lower price than expected. You should therefore consider using risk-management controls, such as stop-loss orders, to manage your risk.

Are IPOs a good investment?

IPOs offer a good way to get involved in newly-listed shares of a company that has been private, especially if the company fundamentals are promising. However, there is no guarantee of future success. Learn more about conducting company analysis.

Who sets the price of an IPO?

Investment banks and underwriters usually set the IPO price. Usually, the company will decide how many shares it wants to make available to the public, and then the nominated bookrunner will conduct a valuation of the company.


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​ CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.

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