The pandemic impacted the IPO market. Nevertheless, Airbnb’s IPO at the close of 2020 displayed company’s value soaring from $35 billion to $100 billion. It suggests that even a global pandemic will not prevent new floats from investments. Not surprisingly, the number of listings in London is accelerating this year. IPOs value rose 85% in the first quarter of 2021, according to EY’s global IPO monitor.
Since the start of 2020, 23 companies launched an initial public offering (IPO) in London. Ten firms preferred AIM and 13 — the UK Main Market. The number of 2021 listings is not short either, some UK IPOs are fascinating to watch:
Trustpilot
(estimated market cap: £1.08 bn)
Trustpilot is a leader in the online review space, pushing technology that will clamp down on fake reviews on the web. The Danish company received $240m commitments from investors like BlackRock, Fidelity, Adelphi, and Janus Henderson. On its first trading day in London after its initial public offering, Trustpilot raised 473 million pounds ($655 million). It clearly positioned London as an attractive venue for continental companies after Brexit.
Darktrace
(estimated market cap: £4 bn)
The business supplies software to corporates pro-actively defending their networks from cyber-threats. Founded in 2013, the company serves clients such as Rolls-Royce and the NHS. The company launched IPO on April 12. The company retains high level links to the intelligence community: with the CIA’s former chief information officer, Alan Wade and the former MI5 director-general Lord Evans within its advisory board.
EG Group
(estimated market cap: £12.44 bn)
The UK petrol station operator EG Group announced that it would be taking over iconic British chain ASDA. It attracted a lot of attention from investors. A share sale of EG Group may take place in the second half of 2020.
Wise, formerly TransferWise
(estimated market cap: $6 bn)
Wise, formerly known as Transferwise became one of the most valuable fintech start-ups in Europe since 2011. The British company of Estonian origin grew rapidly at a global scale in recent years and is expected to be valued at well above $5 billion. The IPO will be led by banking giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, with Wise’s shares to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Wise on course to launch IPO in May.
BrewDog
(estimated market cap: £2 bn)
The famously crowdfunded craft beer business was valued at about $2 billion at the start of 2020 following 2019 revenues of $300 million. The company is waiting for the best time for public offering and it may come in the second half of this year.
McLaren Group
(estimated market cap: £560 million)
According to a report in the Financial Times, McLaren has discussed a SPAC merger with at least one blank-check company. The company restructures the whole business, and IPO is just one of its possible options. Global Net Lease (NYSE:GNL) recently acquired McLaren Headquarters office and industrial campus for £170 million.
PensionBee
(estimated market cap: £300 million)
PensionBee is an award-winning online pension provider. The firm confirmed around 130,000 active customers and £1.5 billion of assets under administration, it said in a statement in March. Pensionbee said it planned an institutional offering and an offer for existing customers, with shares to be admitted to the high growth segment of the London Stock Exchange’s main market.
Oracle Capital Advisors offers portfolio management, brokerage and private equity services through its Bahamas office. Our service is backed with a broad range of licenses that enable us to provide clients with flexible, customisable solutions, that allow the client to gain from diverse IPO and PreIPO offers on American and European markets. For our clients, we offer portfolio investments through structures designed for complex cases. They also benefit from a host of our service offering: estate planning, corporate services and wealth management. We pride ourselves on being nimble and evolving as opposed to our bloated competitors who are too often rigid and encumbered with bureaucracy and expenses.
