• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
TechUnicorns

Why European Tech IPOs Have Bigger First-Month Pops

By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 30, 2015, 11:07 AM ET

There are nearly three times as many technology startups valued over $1 billion in the United States as in Europe. But European companies may be a better bet for investors in the public markets: Newly listed tech stocks in Europe rally 20% on average in the first month after their initial public offering, handily beating the 6.7% gain for newly public technology companies in the United States, according to Bloomberg.

That statistic takes into account 11 European tech companies and 13 American companies that priced their IPOs this year.

One reason why European tech stocks get a bigger pop in their first month? The same reason there are so many so-called unicorns in the United States: Late-stage venture capital valuations are nearly twice as large in the United States as in Europe.

American tech companies are simply valued at a higher revenue multiple — nine American tech companies went public at an average valuation of 3.9 times revenue, compared with a multiple of 2.6 for companies across the Atlantic. Eleven European tech IPOs this year raised a total of $1.8 billion, a significantly lower average than the 13 American IPOs that sold $4.3 billion of shares.

At a lower revenue multiple, there is more value for early investors in an IPO, whereas in the United States, more value is captured by late-stage investors, which increasingly includes mutual funds like Fidelity Investments in addition to the well-established network of California-based Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Some also point to Europe’s investing culture as a reason for its larger first-month rallies. In Europe, “investors want to get out in two, three years, so they’re less greedy when it comes to pricing a company,” Fernando Chueca, a director for Carlyle Group, told Bloomberg.

Of course, the two biggest American tech IPOs from the past month, Square (SQ) and Match Group(MTCH), are both up more than 20 percent from their debut price. Neither were included in Bloomberg’s data.

Although a few European tech companies, such as the music streaming giant Deezer, have put their IPO plans on hold due to unfavorable market conditions, there are still a few big debuts on the horizon. Oberthur, a French security company, is expected to list shares this month in what could be 2015’s largest European tech IPO. Sigfox, another French company that makes networks for connected devices, is also considering going public.

And venture capitalists on both sides of the Atlantic continue to push private European valuations ever higher, with 10 European software companies attaining valuations over $1 billion in 2015. HelloFresh, a British food subscription company, raised $84.7 million in September to make it worth $3 billion on paper. BlaBlaCar, a French carpooling startup, was valued at $1.5 billion after New-York based Insight Venture Partners led a $200 million round in July.

At those valuations, European technology IPOs might resemble Silicon Valley public offerings before too long.

Is it too late for unicorns to IPO? Watch this Fortune video:

Subscribe to Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the business of technology.

 

About the Author
By Kif Leswing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

SpaceX headquarters outside
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
SpaceX’s first employee, Tom Mueller, thinks the historic IPO is just the beginning
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Elon Musk
InvestingMarkets
When SpaceX starts trading, some ‘shareholders’ will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Mo Jomaa of CapitalG, Nizar Tarhuni of PitchBook, and Hans Tung of Notable Capital at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
The SpaceX IPO is not the market savior it seems
By Andrew NuscaJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Notion takes a quiet approach to designing AI features: ‘You can’t have every new tool screaming at you’
AsiaAI agents
Notion takes a quiet approach to designing AI features: ‘You can’t have every new tool screaming at you’
By Angelica AngJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Your AI is already setting prices. The real question is who sets the rules
AIAutomation
Your AI is already setting prices. The real question is who sets the rules
By François Candelon, Paul-Louis Andres and Augustin ManchonJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago
A person holds an iPhone as someone next to them points at the screen.
EconomyApple iPhone
You can blame America’s plummeting fertility rate on the iPhone, study finds: ‘People are all depressed and alone and doomscrolling’
By Sasha RogelbergJune 12, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.