Who We Are
We've Spent 35 Years
Answering One Question:
What does the institutional investor need to make a better IPO decision?
1991
Founded
35+
Years of IPO expertise
92%
Client renewal rate
20+
Avg. years, client tenure
The Problem We Solve
The Research Is Biased.
The Window Is Closing.
Institutional investors have always faced the same problem with IPOs: the research is biased, the timelines are compressed, and Wall Street goes silent for 30 days after pricing.
We built Renaissance Capital in 1991 to fix that. For 35 years, our team has done one thing — give institutional investors independent, unbiased IPO research they can't get anywhere else. We've covered 11,000+ IPOs, built proprietary DCF models, and maintained a 92% client renewal rate because the work speaks for itself.
Everything we do starts with one question: what does the institutional investor need to make a better IPO decision?
Too many IPOs, not enough time to analyze each one
Sell-side research is conflicted — underwriters can't be objective
In-house analysts are expensive and hard to retain
Missing deals because research isn't ready in time
No consistent methodology across the IPO universe
Limited historical data to benchmark new deals
"We started Renaissance Capital because we believed institutional investors deserved better — independent, rigorous, conflict-free research on every IPO that mattered. That mission hasn't changed in 35 years."
— William 'Bill' Smith & Kathleen Smith, Co-Founders
Kathleen Smith and William 'Bill' Smith co-founded Renaissance Capital in 1991 with a simple conviction: that the IPO market was one of the most inefficient and underserved areas of institutional finance. Sell-side analysts had obvious conflicts. Independent research barely existed. And the institutional investors who needed to make allocation decisions were flying blind.
Over three decades later, that conviction has been validated by a 92% client renewal rate, a client list that reads like a who's who of global asset management, and a media presence that has made Renaissance Capital the authoritative voice on IPO markets — quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, and the New York Times.
Our Story
Built by investors,
for investors.
Our founders spent years on Wall Street watching institutional investors make IPO decisions with incomplete, conflicted research. Renaissance Capital was built to change that. Every product we've created — from our institutional research platform to our IPO-focused ETFs — exists because we saw a gap between what investors needed and what Wall Street provided. We've spent three decades closing it.
Quoted by WSJ, Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes & NYT
Manages IPO ETF (NYSE: IPO) & IPOS
SEC-registered investment adviser
Serving clients for 20+ years on average
What We Stand For
The principles behind 35 years of trust
Our values aren't marketing language. They're the operating principles that have kept our clients renewing for decades.
Your Research, Free From Conflicts
Every rating and model we produce is independent of underwriter relationships. Your team gets analysis built on fundamentals — never influenced by deal flow pressure.
A Framework You Can Rely On
Your IPO decisions are backed by a methodology tested across 11,000+ deals. Consistent, repeatable, and refined over 35 years of market cycles.
A Proven Track Record
Our ratings and research have been validated across three decades of IPO markets. 92% of institutional clients renew because the work delivers.
Built For How You Work
We don't serve everyone. Our platform, models, and coverage are designed specifically for institutional workflows, investment committees, and portfolio teams.
Every IPO Market That Matters
Your team gets coverage across US and global IPO markets — so you never miss a deal in your mandate because research wasn't available.
The Trusted Authority
When CNBC, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal need IPO insight, they call us. Your team works with the same source the financial media relies on.
As Seen In
Renaissance Capital's analysts are regularly quoted as the authoritative voice on IPO market conditions, performance, and trends.
Our History
Three decades of IPO leadership
Renaissance Capital co-founded by William 'Bill' Smith and Kathleen Smith in Greenwich, CT — one of the first firms dedicated exclusively to IPO research and investment.
Launched the first institutional IPO research service, providing independent ratings and analysis to hedge funds and asset managers.
Expanded coverage to international IPOs, giving clients a global lens on new issue markets.
Launched the IPO ETF (NYSE: IPO) — the first U.S.-listed ETF focused exclusively on newly public companies.
Launched the International IPO ETF (NYSE: IPOS), extending the IPO investment thesis globally.
Provided critical market intelligence during the SPAC boom and record IPO year — clients relied on our ratings to navigate unprecedented deal flow.
Under Bill Smith's leadership, Renaissance Capital continues to serve the world's top hedge funds, pension funds, and asset managers with the most trusted independent IPO research platform available.
The Renaissance Capital Family
Now That You Know Who We Are —
Here's How We Help
Not sure which is right for you? Contact our team and we'll point you in the right direction.
The Outcome
What your team looks like with IPO Intelligence™
Never miss a deal
Every IPO that matters is covered — rated, modeled, and delivered before the window closes.
Allocate with conviction
Make allocation decisions backed by 35 years of proprietary data and a proven rating methodology.
Eliminate conflicts
Replace sell-side research with truly independent analysis that has no underwriting agenda.
Scale without headcount
Get the output of a dedicated senior IPO analyst for a fraction of the cost — and the flexibility to scale up or down.
Stay ahead of the market
Real-time alerts, pre-IPO research, and post-IPO tracking keep your team ahead of the news cycle.
Speak with authority
Walk into investment committee meetings with research that has been trusted by the world's top institutions for decades.
Ready to work with the IPO experts?
Request a trial and meet with our team. We'll show you exactly how IPO Intelligence fits into your investment process.
Request Your TrialRenaissance Capital LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Past performance is not indicative of future results.