Publications
Publications
- March 2017 (Revised February 2020)
- HBS Case Collection
Corey Thomas and the IPO
By: Steven Rogers and Derrick Collins
Abstract
Corey Thomas, the African American CEO of the company Rapid7, must decide if it is the right time to take the 15-year-old company public, as it stood poised to capitalize on what appeared to be the next frontier for digital technology markets—cybersecurity. In spite of positive industry trends, there were some nagging concerns that this might be a risky time in the public capital markets. The company had just completed an acquisition, and he had additional concerns that the public markets may not tolerate the inevitable early losses involved with the new acquisition. Moreover, the company’s principal financiers were venture capital investors, and an IPO or sale would represent an investment exit for them, and their goal is return maximization.
Keywords
Business Finance; Capital Markets; Private Equity; Internet and the Web; Initial Public Offering; Decision Making; Financial Services Industry; Technology Industry; Web Services Industry; United States
Citation
Rogers, Steven, and Derrick Collins. "Corey Thomas and the IPO." Harvard Business School Case 317-082, March 2017. (Revised February 2020.)