Best of the Blog, START-UP, September 2009
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Some of our favorite blog posts about topics not covered elsewhere in this issue of Start-Up. (See the original postings for free at http://invivoblog.blogspot.com/).
You may also be interested in...
For a Look at IPO Future, Follow the Follow-On?
Three recent IPOs have stoked hopes that a broader IPO market may emerge. The market for follow-on public offerings though says more about a potential IPO resurgence than these recent debuts.
Call the Plumber: PIPE Logic is Leaky
Extraordinary times for capital markets have made cheap public biotechs attractive to venture investors. These private investments in public equity (PIPEs) are seen by some as a lifeline to a troubled and undervalued sector, and many VCs are considering significant public investments. But few deals are likely to get done as venture funds set a high bar for investment, regardless of fire-sale prices. Recipients of large PIPE deals may indeed provide venture-like returns for private investors, but an analysis of these financings shows why they are the exceptions that prove the rule.
The Price is Wrong: Finding Alternatives to Traditional IPOs
Biotech IPO pricing is fraught with more uncertainty than ever before, say some private investors and executives. It's worth seriously considering the alternatives. Start-Up takes a look at what is wrong with IPO pricing and how alternatives such as reverse mergers, M&A, or Dutch auction IPOs can improve biotech valuations.