Embarking on an initial public offering will be the single most important and visible transaction in the life of your company. We'll guide you every step of the way to help ensure success.

IPO readiness involves preparing your business across a wide range of areas, including framing the market opportunity and equity story; modelling your financial track record trends, business risks and expected growth drivers; assessing historic financial information, building your internal control environment and risk frameworks, corporate/tax structuring, reviewing your cyber security environment and potential corporate governance framework – and more.

We’ll give you the full picture – and the support of our dedicated IPO readiness team – to get you into prime position.

  • Market timing
  • Optimising valuation
  • Delivering performance
  • Market timing
    Market timing
    We help you prepare so that you can execute your IPO in the most favourable market conditions, while minimising transaction risk
  • Optimising valuation
    Optimising valuation
    We support you to achieve a successful fundraise at an optimal valuation.
  • Delivering performance
    Delivering performance
    We enable your management team to focus on growing your business, providing you with valuable input while we lead on your IPO preparation
Philip Secrett
Get in touch
Philip Secrett
Partner, Head of Public Company Advisory
Contact Philip Secrett Learn more about Philip Secrett
Philip Secrett
Contact Philip Secrett Learn more about Philip Secrett
Philip Secrett
Partner, Head of Public Company Advisory
Philip Secrett
+44 (0)20 7728 2578

Why Grant Thornton

Our IPO-readiness service optimises your company’s value by having in place the expected public company characteristics, controls and governance that investors and regulators demand.

Effective planning saves time and cost, maximises chances of success, and lets you focus on growing the business.

Crucially, you’ll be well positioned to act quickly and efficiently when market conditions are favourable, rather than navigating a private-to-public transformation plan ‘in flight’.

We’re part of a global network of independent firms that bring together a highly co-ordinated team of subject matter experts, with extensive experience on IPOs and equity capital markets.

Read more: IPO readiness - ten key considerations

What to consider before going public

Have a clear reason for going public:

  • What impact do you want to have from going public?
  • Will it help the business achieve its objectives in the short, medium and long term?
  • What are the objectives of existing shareholders?
  • Will an IPO maximise business value compared with a trade sale or private equity investment?

Know what the transaction involves

  • How is the business performing and how would performance be enhanced should the company go public?
  • Are the board, management, and shareholders ready for the time commitment and investment involved in the IPO process?
  • Do you understand the listing requirements of the various markets available?

Preparation, preparation, preparation

  • Understand and articulate the equity story and market positioning
  • Establish a strong, balanced board with the necessary commercial, corporate and public company expertise
  • Plan resource for IPO process management
  • Consider strategic and practical aspects of timing for the IPO
  • Realign staff incentives to deliver IPO objectives
  • Invest in housekeeping and getting the basics right

IPO readiness assessment, diagnostic and roadmap 

We’ll produce a granular assessment of your IPO readiness across all considerations. You’ll also get a detailed RAG-rated IPO-readiness report, with a comprehensive analysis of current readiness, together with a tailored steps plan and timeline for you to follow right up until it goes live.

IPO-readiness implementation partner

We’ll provide support throughout your IPO-readiness journey, to implement all the steps required to get you to your IPO. We act as an extension of the management team to ensure that you have everything in place that you need to hit the ground running.

IPO transaction

Help to coordinate and project manage the process, ensuring a smooth transition from the readiness exercise to the IPO transaction

We’ll work with you to select the most experienced and suitable advisory team for the transaction, avoiding duplication of work already conducted from the IPO-readiness exercise

We can also act as nominated adviser, financial adviser, and corporate adviser for listings on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, AIM, and AQUIS

  • Equity story and market positioning
  • Technical accounting and reporting
  • Financial due diligence readiness
  • Modelling and working capital adequacy
  • Corporate governance
  • Enterprise risk management
  • Internal audit
  • Finance function effectiveness, process, and controls
  • Technology and cybersecurity
  • Tax structuring, compliance, and planning
  • Employee incentives, compensation, and human resources
  • ESG strategy and reporting
  • IPO resourcing and PMO
Our credentials

Grant Thornton advises AleAnna Energy LLC

Capital markets readiness adviser to AleAnna Energy on its merger with Swiftmerge Acquisition Corp

    Related Contacts

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