IPO readiness assessment

A successful initial public offering (IPO) involves intensive planning and effort, both before and after the IPO date. With our decades of experience helping companies go public, we can help you get ready for the big day — and beyond.

Related topics IPO Entrepreneurship Private equity

The team

Paul Go

Paul Go

Asia-Pacific EY Private Assurance Leader

Rachel Gerring

Rachel Gerring

EY Americas IPO Leader

Martin Steinbach

Martin Steinbach

EY EMEIA IPO Leader

What EY can do for you

All our work on IPOs and secondary listings shows us that the most critical success factors are:

  • Approaching the IPO as a transformational process rather than just the transaction
  • Behaving and operating as a public company at least one year before the IPO
  • Outperforming competitors on key performance measures before, during and after the IPO

You can save time and costs, and reduce uncertainties, by adopting a structured approach to your preparation and life after listing. This starts 12 to 24 months prior to going public with strategic considerations and IPO planning: 

EY IPO value journey

  • Strategic considerations and IPO planning phase

    12-24 months prior to IPO
    • IPO readiness health check and IPO destination assessments to identify gaps and establish an initial IPO base case
    • IPO and strategic options road map and resource planning service
    • IPO project management
    • Business modeling to fine-tune equity story and KPI reporting
    • Valuation to prepare for analyst discussions
    • Services to improve forecasting systems for analyst guidance
    • IPO vehicle and transparent group structure establishment
    • Tax optimization and planning at personal, shareholder and company level
    • IPO fact book

  • IPO preparation phase

    6-12 months prior to IPO
    • External IPO advisors selection support
    • Internal controls, internal audit, risk and compliance management
    • GAAP conversion into international accounting standards, e.g., IFRS or US GAAP
    • Segment reporting and CSR reporting establishment
    • Improvement of fast closing ability and attractive IT systems to meet financial disclosure periods
    • Preparation of the financial disclosure and internal investor relations organization
    • Services implementing corporate governance structures

Readiness for IPO inevitably will mean you have to make changes, such as:

  • Organization change
  • Leadership and management responsibilities
  • Transparency
  • Ownership structure and control
  • Leading financial organization
  • Delivering on promises to investors

We carry out IPO readiness assessments to help you identify the most critical changes you will have to make.

First, we look at the capital agenda and IPO as a strategic option. We compare the relative merits of a multitrack approach, the pros and cons of an IPO, and help you evaluate what life will be like as a public company.

An understanding of the IPO markets is important; so we introduce you to the data that will help you act at the best possible time, and we provide detailed analysis of the markets that helps you make that decision.

We evaluate the relative merits of the home market or of a cross-border listing.

Finally, we help you determine what you are going to prioritize to prepare for life as a public company.

Contact us

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