ALL THE MAIN EXIT RAMPS FOR STARTUPS ARE CLOSED: Startups that become successful usually follow one of two paths to monetize their success. One is the IPO route, but the IPO market has been virtually shut down for over a year. The other is a sale but, according to PitchBook, acquisitions of venture-backed startups last quarter were at the lowest quarterly level in a decade. The startups having the toughest times finding a buyer are the biggest and most successful: the unicorns. PitchBook says there are 704 active unicorns with a combined post-money valuation of $2.4 trillion. Since the beginning of 2022, unicorn sales have totaled $39.6 billion, which make it the lowest year since 2015.
Exits closed for successful startups
By Thomas K. Brown,
ALL THE MAIN EXIT RAMPS FOR STARTUPS ARE CLOSED: Startups that become successful usually follow one of two paths to monetize their success. One is the IPO route, but the IPO market has been virtually shut down for over a year. The other is a sale but, according to PitchBook, acquisitions of venture-backed startups last quarter were at the lowest quarterly level in a decade. The startups having the toughest times finding a buyer are the biggest and most successful: the unicorns. PitchBook says there are 704 active unicorns with a combined post-money valuation of $2.4 trillion. Since the beginning of 2022, unicorn sales have totaled $39.6 billion, which make it the lowest year since 2015.