Working Paper INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS AND PRE-IPO SHAREHOLDERS: ANGELS VERSUS VENTURE CAPITALISTS

At the time of an initial public offering, shares in a firm are typically held by venture capitalists, insiders, corporate investors, and angel investors. We examine the role of angel investors in the IPO process. We find that angel investors provide equity capital in industries that venture capitalists are less likely to serve and that shareholders in angel backed IPO firms are more likely to sell their shares at the time of the offering. Where venture capital backed IPO firms have higher underpricing, angel backed IPO firms do not, implying that angels may be the preferred investors for early-stage firms.