Most startups see getting acquired as their end game, not going public like Snap

Snap is about to have what should be the biggest tech IPO of the year. But while CEO Evan Spiegel and company are generating the expected level of buzz for their efforts, their move to the public market is an outlier among startups.

At least, that’s according to a recent survey of 941 startups — 69% of which were from tech — by Silicon Valley Bank. As this chart from Statista shows, just 16% of those companies see going public as their most realistic long-term goal.

Instead, the majority see an acquisition as their end-game. That shouldn’t be a huge shock: While getting bought out isn’t the most idealistic route for tech entrepreneurs, it’s usually the most straightforward, especially for companies which just don’t have Snap’s potential for growth.

Statista