These Major IPOs are Still Slated to Debut in 2019

on July 15, 2019

2019 is well on its way to being the year of the high-profile IPO.

Still, the year that gave investors the likes of Uber, Slack and Beyond Meat is just getting started, according to Wall Street insiders.

“This has been the year when cloud-based companies and on-demand services came of age,” Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, told Fortune.

Rao suggests 2019 in particular has been a “perfect set up for an IPO” due to a hunt for high-growth stocks, scarcity of large companies coming to market and the fact that investors “don’t want to miss out” on the next big IPO, Rao says. And to boot, he believes companies are equally aware of the rush to market—”You don’t know when the party’s going to end.”

Still, while it’s clear investors are hungry for IPOs, Rao says the market has some criteria. “[IPOs this year] need to show two things. One, their top-line is growing, and second, there is definitely a path to profitability,” he says.

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WeWork Must Do These 3 Things Before Its IPO to Avoid Uber’s Mistakes

on July 10, 2019

This preview of how the market received Lyft and Uber is a major benefit for the workspace company, Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, believes. “I think they’ve seen the writing on the wall, so to speak,” Rao says.

WeWork’s model largely focuses on short-term leases, but the company is beginning to diversify by looking to buy buildings and expand globally, Rao says. And as the company takes on more debt (WeWork already has some $702 million raised last year with a hefty 7.9% interest rate), moving into enterprise renting and long-term leases would provide WeWork with the recurring revenue that is attractive to bond holders, Rao says.

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Large IPOs Set Record Pace in First Half

on July 8, 2019

Enterprise-technology startups are better received than consumer-facing companies, said Andrea Lamari Walne, a partner at Manhattan Venture Partners. That is because most of these companies, with mostly corporate clients, have healthier finances than consumer-facing companies, she said.

“There’s certainly no less than absolute insane excitement around enterprise tech IPOs,” Ms. Walne said.

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Laz Alonso, Reginald Hudlin, Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Kel Mitchell, Kellita Smith, and More Deliver Enlightening Insights for July on the Hit Show “Money Making Conversations,” Hosted by Rushion McDonald

on July 1, 2019

“The guest* lineup expected on “Money Making Conversations” for July includes:”…”Rashaun Williams, Venture Capitalist, Tech Coach to athlete and entertainers, General Partner of Manhattan Venture Partners’ All-Star Fund.”

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Manhattan Venture Partners taps Andrea Walne as partner

on July 1, 2019

New York-based Manhattan Venture Partners, a merchant bank focused on the secondary market for late-stage, pre-IPO companies has tapped Andrea Lamari Walne as partner. She will lead the firm’s San Francisco regional office and help build its West Coast presence. Previously, she was at Carta and before that was West Coast director for Nasdaq Private Market.

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Secondary Market Investment Firm Manhattan Venture Partners Appoints Andrea Walne as Partner, Opens San Francisco Regional Office

on June 26, 2019

“Andrea is a valuable and respected addition to our team. Her success in facilitating more than $10 billion in secondary market transactions is unprecedented. This, combined with her experience as a startup operator and her knowledge of the investment side, makes her exceptionally qualified to lead our West Coast operations,” said Jared Carmel, Managing Partner of MVP.

“Coming into this position I feel fortunate to carry the perspective of someone who’s seen all sides of the triangle – from being a founder of one of the secondary liquidity online platforms, a shareholder of a late-stage startup, and now in the role as a VC,” said Walne. “MVP was an easy choice – they’re the firm that carries the best reputation in the space and service is at the heart of all they do for clients. We are of likemind in taking all players in this process into consideration, and institutionalizing versus democratizing a very personal and important life event for those that have worked so hard.”

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Secondary Market Investment Firm Manhattan Venture Partners Appoints Andrea Walne as Partner, Opens San Francisco Regional Office

on June 26, 2019

Manhattan Venture Partners (“MVP”), a research-driven merchant bank focused on the secondary market for late-stage, pre-IPO companies, has appointed Andrea Lamari Walne as partner. She will lead the San Francisco regional office and grow the firm’s West Coast presence. Working directly with more than 100 late-stage private companies, Walne has facilitated over $10 billion worth of transactions for mid and late-stage private companies.

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Peloton’s IPO Is Clouded by Its Legal Fights

on June 10, 2019

“There is a market for this amongst fitness-minded people and people with limited to no access to physical locations,’’ said Santosh Rao, head of research and partner at Manhattan Venture Partners. “But the upfront investment in hardware, the monthly fee, albeit reasonable, could be a limiting factor for gaining mass penetration.’’

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Uber slump after IPO points to concern about business model, profitability

on May 18, 2019

In 2018, the company’s revenue was up by 43 percent from the year before – but that growth in revenue is slowing down.

“That’s a huge problem for a company valued at $80 billion, which is what they wanted to do at the time. So when you’re priced for perfection at that level you can’t show revenues – ok, with profits, we can wait. We’ll believe you, we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt about profits. But, revenue? That’s your thing, you’ve got to grow that,” said Rao.

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Everything is a function of what happens in the US essentially: Santosh Rao, Manhattan Venture Partners

on May 16, 2019

The narrative in the US is that Mr Modi’s government will get elected again, said Santosh Rao, Head of Research, Partner, Manhattan Venture Partners, in an interview with ETNOW.

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