Non-Linear Paths to Profitability Prohibit Startups from Going Public
7m 44s
Ajay Chopra, General Partner at Trinity Ventures, joined Cheddar to discuss tech companies apprehension to go public, why Uber won’t IPO for at least two years, and the startups that will prevail in the tumultuous on-demand landscape. Despite 200 companies being valued at over a billion dollars, Chopra establishes that a non-linear path to profitability is holding them back from debuting on the public markets. With only two technology companies going public in 2016, Acacia Networks and Secure Works, amidst others struggling, private companies have little motivation to IPO. Chopra specifically highlighted the challenges Uber faces in this realm and the potential pressure a Didi IPO, the ride-sharing company’s Chinese competitor, would place on the team. Chopra also weighed in on the on-demand economy, asserting that a “day of reckoning is coming in the next 18 months.” The longtime VC posits that the food, medical, and transportation markets are most likely to persist. Despite laundry delivery and on-demand manicures adding value to consumers, the businesses lose money on every transaction making them unsustainable. Tune into this morning's episode to learn which companies he believes will survive the surge.