Initial public offering intention: Evidence from start-up firms in Japan

Abstract

This paper explores the initial public offering (IPO) strategy of start-up firms. Using an original survey of start-up firms in the Japanese manufacturing and information service industries, we investigate what factors are associated with the intention to go public. It is found that among start-up firms, those investing more heavily in research and development (R&D) are more likely to wish to go public. Furthermore, we provide evidence that spin-offs and family businesses are less likely to have IPO intentions, and that entrepreneur-specific characteristics affect IPO intentions, with younger and highly educated entrepreneurs tending to desire to go public.