Big year for DC-area IPOs in 2021

Last year was a banner year for initial public offerings in the U.S., with the highest number of companies becoming publicly traded in 20 years.

According to EY’s quarterly Global IPO report, there were 416 IPOs for U.S.-based companies in 2021, up 86% from 2020. Those public offerings raised $155.7 billion in proceeds, an 81% increase.



In the East Region, 10 of the 96 IPOs last year were in the D.C. region, and local IPOs raised $2.46 billion in proceeds for those companies.

Mirroring the national trend, 64% of last year’s initial public offerings in the D.C. region came from the healthcare and biosciences industry, and 18% came from the technology industry.

EY’s report notes the IPO landscape may face headwinds after a strong 2021 showing, citing inflation, new waves of COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages as the biggest risks.

It expects technology and healthcare IPOs to continue their dominance in the new year.

Here are the 10 D.C. area companies that went public in 2021, excluding public offerings through Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), and proceeds raised, according to EY:

  • District-based Public Policy Holding Co., $41.8 million
  • Bethesda-based Gain Therapeutics, $40 million
  • Gaithersburg-based Xometry, $348 million
  • Gaithersburg-based MaxCyte, $176 million
  • Gaithersburg-based Sensei Biotherapeutics, $153 million
  • Gaithersburg-based NexImmune, $127 million
  • Rockville-based NoeImmune Tech, $49 million
  • Arlington-based Fluence Energy, $998 million
  • Arlington-based Priva Health Group, $516 million
  • Reston-based Bowman Consulting Group, $53 million

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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