Dozens of Japanese startups are preparing to list on the Nasdaq composite in the next few years as an unprecedented number of entrepreneurs turn away from an aging, risk-averse home market.
Around seven Japanese companies are due to list on the exchange in the next several months, following five such listings since the start of the year, according to regulatory filings. Around 10 to 20 more plan to list next year, said bankers and entrepreneurs recently interviewed by Bloomberg. Only a handful of Japanese firms were traded on the Nasdaq before a flurry of listings began this year.
The companies, ranging from software outsourcing companies to translation gadget makers, are attempting to go public at a time when U.S. investors and bankers are seeking alternatives to Chinese IPOs, which have recently dwindled due to geopolitical tensions.