Access IPOs is maintained by Craig Stephens, a former IT consultant turned full-time writer. He’s also the founder of Retire Before Dad (RBD) and a former contributor to US News & World Report.
Spun off from RBD in 2016, Access IPOs is about helping investors access pre-IPO startups and traditional IPOs.
RBD covers broader topics, including personal finance, retirement, financial independence, travel, and investing in stocks, real estate, and alternative assets.
You’re probably not a super-wealthy Wall Street investor. Neither am I.
That’s OK.
IPOs have become easier for individuals to invest in over the past decade.
Allocations for the most anticipated deals remain elusive for most retail investors. But a handful of modern online brokers have built platforms to allow investors to participate in IPOs regardless of account balances.
In the early 2010s, a company called LOYAL3 was offering commission-free ownership and free access to high-demand IPOs.
LOYAL3 was a trailblazing company. Though it ceased operations in 2017, the entire online brokerage industry followed its lead with commission-free investing, and multiple brokers now offer similar IPO access.
LOYAL3 IPO investors participated in at least 19 IPOs and follow-on offerings, including Square (now Block), Hubspot, Globant, and First Data Corp — all up more than 600% since their IPOs.
When LOYAL3 shut down, retail investors moved to Motif Investing, which offered IPO access to ordinary investors for very low minimum investments.
Motif Investing offered its IPO customers shares of more than 150 IPO and secondary offering opportunities.
Motif closed its doors in 2020, selling its customers to Folio Investing and the technology platform to Schwab.
Access IPOs recommends multiple IPO brokers that work with underwriters and late-stage startups to give retail investors a shot at participating in IPOs.
Deals are often exclusive to brokers. For example, SoFi gave exclusive access to Rivian IPO shares, and Robinhood gave its customers exclusive access to Robinhood and Sweetgreen IPOs, among others.
Since the 2020-2021 IPO bonanza, deal volume has slowed. So we’ve shifted focus to pre-IPO investing.
In recent years, access to pre-IPO shares has improved.
A few platforms empower accredited investors to buy direct equity in pre-IPO unicorns (valuation above $1 billion).
As of late 2022, two platforms have emerged to give pre-IPO access to non-accredited investors through venture capital funds.
Retail investors can now invest in pre-IPO companies for just $10 to $50o.
Check out our list of best pre-IPO platforms.
Underwriter relationships and client wealth still determine who gets preferred access IPO to allocations in most high-demand deals. But retail investors are catching up.
SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) shined in 2021. SPACs are blank-check public companies that look to acquire private startups to bring the companies public.
Also known as a reverse merger, SPAC acquisitions make it easier for companies to go public with less scrutiny by regulators. That may change in the future.
But many SPAC stocks of 2021 fell dramatically in 2022.
Startups will always need to become publicly traded. Whatever route they choose, Access IPOs will be watching.
This site aims to follow high-demand private companies investors are excited to own.
When the companies begin the IPO process to become public, long-term investors can either own pre-IPO shares or be informed on how to access the IPOs if the deal meets their investment objectives.
The best way to learn more is to become a subscriber to Access IPOs. Subscribe in the form below.
By doing so, you’ll get a free copy of my eBook, How to Invest in IPOs – A Fundamental Guide for Ordinary Investors.
You’ll learn how to position yourself for the best chance to participate in IPOs while keeping an eye on long-term disruptive trends and the companies positioned to profit.