From hidden to champion – Why companies should not be scared of going public

From tech to traditional family businesses – an IPO supports the global growth strategy, secures long-term existence and counteracts the shortage of highly skilled workers. No financing instrument brings more capital, visibility and order than an IPO. Only equity can meet the high investment requirements needed to finance risk and innovation. In the Future Forum, the advantages of a stock exchange listing but also its challenges were discussed. FACC and Palfinger provided best practice examples. 

Panelists: Regina Prehofer, Member of the Supervisory Board (AT&S, Wienerberger), Robert Machtlinger, CEO FACC AG, Felix Strohbichler, CFO Palfinger AG, Christoph Boschan, CEO Wiener Börse AG
Moderation: Jakob Zirm, Deputy Head of Economic Department at Die Presse

Video of the panel talk (in German)

Regina Prehofer, Member of the Supervisory Board (AT&S, Wienerberger)

"We have many hidden champions in Austria, however going public is a great opportunity to become a real champion that is recognized as such by the general public."

Robert Machtlinger, CEO FACC AG

"We considered several listing venues, from Hong Kong to Frankfurt to New York. In the end, it became the Vienna Stock Exchange because visibility is what matters to us. We don't get that anywhere better than here."

Felix Strohbichler, CFO Palfinger

"The IPO enabled us to realize our global growth strategy. Access to equity and debt capital is significantly facilitated due to the given transparency."

More on going public

Going public (IPO) – your path to the Vienna Stock Exchange
Easy access to the capital market in direct market plus

More on the anniversary

Overview
Future Forum
History
Press kit