A123, LogMeIn reveal IPO costs

CFOs from two of the year's biggest venture-backed IPOs put the pricetag at $1.3-$5 million

The IPO drought continues to fuel anti-regulation, particularly anti-Sarbaines-Oxley, sentiment in the VC world. Many VCs including the vocal Tim Draper say SOX has stopped up the exit markets and sent companies to exchanges overseas. Speaking at the AlwaysOn VentureSummit, the CFOs from the two hottest IPOs of the year partly confirmed the misgivings, revealing some pretty big price tags.

Jim Kelliher, CFO of LogMeIn, estimated IPO-related costs during the 18 months LogMeIn was on file between $1.3 and $1.8 million. A123 had a tougher time—CFO Mike Rubino put the number between $3 and $5 million.

With a barrier the size of an A-Round, one might wonder whether an IPO is worth it, given that acquisitions can bring in just as much or more. Morgan Stanley’s Paul Kwan says the answer is yes, and that dollar-for-dollar comparisons are misleading. “Sixty-five cents in M&A equates to a dollar in IPO in terms of value,” he said.

Both CEOs said the cost didn’t factor into their deliberations over an IPO much, though it did give LogMeIn’s team pause when they were considering updates, since an update alone costs $150,000 to $200,000.

image credit:https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com