Question 1

What is pre-IPO readiness for Indian companies?

Accepted Answer

Pre-IPO readiness is a 12–24 month process where a company prepares itself for a public listing on NSE Emerge, BSE SME, or the NSE/BSE Mainboard. It involves cleaning up the cap table, resolving FEMA and related-party compliance gaps, aligning financial reporting to SEBI standards, building an equity story, and getting introduced to the right merchant bankers and institutional investors. Companies that undertake this process are significantly more likely to achieve better valuations and faster DRHP approval.

Question 2

What is the difference between an SME IPO and a Mainboard IPO in India?

Accepted Answer

An SME IPO (on NSE Emerge or BSE SME) is designed for smaller companies with post-issue paid-up capital up to INR 25 crore. The regulatory requirements are lighter compared to a Mainboard IPO, but the liquidity is lower. A Mainboard IPO (on NSE or BSE) has a minimum post-issue paid-up capital of INR 10 crore (with no upper limit) and is regulated directly by SEBI under the SEBI (ICDR) Regulations, 2018.

Question 3

What is a Family Office investor?

Accepted Answer

A Family Office is a private wealth management entity that manages the investments of ultra-high-net-worth families. In the context of Indian startup and growth-stage investing, family offices are increasingly active as early-stage (Seed, Series A) and pre-IPO investors, often deploying INR 5–100 crore tickets. Unlike institutional VCs, family offices have more flexible mandates, longer investment horizons and fewer reporting requirements.

Question 4

What is a Pre-IPO / PIPE transaction?

Accepted Answer

A PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) or Pre-IPO placement is a transaction where a company raises capital from select institutional or accredited investors at a fixed price before its public listing. These placements typically happen 6–18 months before the IPO at a discount to the expected IPO price, providing anchor investors with early access and companies with growth capital to improve their financials before listing.

Question 5

How does AB Advisory help companies prepare for an IPO?

Accepted Answer

AB Advisory Group provides an honest pre-IPO readiness diagnostic covering: (1) Related-party transaction and transfer pricing compliance, (2) FEMA structuring gaps for cross-border businesses, (3) Tax and corporate governance gap resolution, (4) Building the equity story and investor narrative, and (5) Introductions to SEBI-registered merchant bankers and institutional investors suited to the company's stage and sector. All regulated activities are conducted by AB Advisory's empanelled SEBI-registered Merchant Banking partners.

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before the bankers arrive.

How We Help

Readiness

Structure

Right-Fit Introductions

Capital Sources We Prepare You For

Seed & Angel Networks

A/B Venture Capital

Growth Equity

Private Equity

Family Offices

Pre-IPO / PIPE

Who We Work With

Founders & Startups

Promoters of Growth-Stage Companies

Pre-IPO Companies

Why Work With Us

We Tell You the Truth First

Tax-Led Structuring Insight

Warm Introductions, Not Cold Outreach

Let's have a confidential conversation

Get IPO-ready and investor-readybefore the bankers arrive.