An IPO is a major milestone in the life of a tech company. It creates value for its founders, employees, and customers. It also imposes new rules, regulations and standard that may not have been placed on the company as private company. To be successful, you must be prepared. This begins with a thorough ipo checklist.

The first step is a fully functional system that enables the company to keep an unblemished record of financial performance that is able to withstand the scrutiny of see this page regulators and shareholders. This is a key concern for the CFO team and should be taken care of long before the IPO timetable. This includes implementing an automated reconciliation process to eliminate errors in the data, ensuring the company is in compliance with IFRS and US GAAP, and setting up committees for board members such as the audit and compensation committees, as well as special finance.

A strong management team is also essential. They will be able to execute the growth plans for the company when it goes public. This is typically the most important non-financial element to consider in preparing for an IPO. Investors want to see an experienced and competent leadership team that has demonstrated their expertise.

An experienced advisor or auditor is required to conduct an IPO readiness assessment to determine the present state of internal control accounting procedures, internal control along with other issues that must be addressed before the IPO. This assessment should be performed at the beginning of the IPO to allow any issues to be addressed prior to being disclosed to investors or the SEC.