AI-linked IPOs stall as private valuations outpace public-market demand
A Chinese-language analysis republished by Huxiu AI says that in the space of less than a month, from mid-September to mid-October, at least four companies tied to the AI supply chain or AI investment narrative postponed or withdrew listings, spanning smart hardware, AI compute, data centers and nuclear power. On Oct 9, Australian AI data center firm Firmus — 7.2% owned by Nvidia — formally withdrew its IPO, after having planned to raise about A$7 billion at a roughly A$44 billion valuation and still failing to win enough support even when considering cutting the issue price from A$11 to A$8.25; smart-ring maker Oura postponed its IPO on Sept 29, the day it was due to price, Blackstone-owned data center operator AirTrunk was reported on Oct 13 to have paused a Singapore REIT listing, and US nuclear firm Holtec formally withdrew its application on Sept 25. The article compares the pattern to the IPO withdrawal wave around the 2000 dot-com bust and attributes it to private markets capturing valuation gains early, rising volatility in AI assets, and higher interest rates.
It suggests the growth premium public investors will pay up front for AI assets may be shrinking, widening the gap between private-market valuations and public-market pricing.