Are Irish SMEs ‘missing a trick’ by not floating on the public market?

An IPO is increasingly accessible to smaller companies with a clear growth path, yet there have been no new listings on Euronext Dublin since 2023. Danielle Barron reports

The benefits of an IPO are significant. They include access to substantial capital for expansion, R&D, or acquisitions, as well as enhanced credibility and visibility, which can attract new customers, partners and talent.

Stock market flotations are not restricted to megacap tech firms. For ambitious and innovative growth-oriented companies at all stages of the life cycle, an initial public offering (IPO) can be a very useful tool for gaining much-needed capital.

Many Irish companies have successfully “gone public”, with notable examples including Flutter (formerly Paddy Power), Kingspan and the Kerry Group, gaining access to significant capital as a result.