- University of Connecticut School of Business to host half-day conference on special purpose acquisition companies
- Event will take place on Dec. 9 in Stamford
- SPACs have grown substantially in popularity as an alternative way for private companies to go public
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The University of Connecticut School of Business will host a half-day conference next week on special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), which have surged in popularity among investors over the past year.
The conference will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Gen Re Auditorium at the UConn Stamford campus, with an hour of networking taking place after the conclusion of the event. The conference is free to attend and can also be viewed via livestream.
Professor Yiming Qian says SPACs accounted for less than 10 IPOs a year before 2020, but skyrocketed to 248 in 2020 – exceeding the 165 IPOs done in the traditional manner. More than 500 IPOs have been made through SPACs so far this year.
- SPACs are publicly traded companies that pool the proceeds raised in the SPAC IPO to acquire or merge with a private firm, after which the private firm becomes publicly traded
- Advocates say SPACs offer an alternative way for private companies to go public and an opportunity for investors to get an early stake in a startup, while skeptics say SPACs have inadequate disclosure requirements and that post-SPAC performance varies widely
- The event will include discussions from financial industry professionals, regulators, and scholars; topics addressed will include changes to SPAC market, sponsor expertise and SPAC outcomes, laws and myths, and opportunities and risks
- The conference is part of the mission of the Center for Private and Entrepreneurial Capital, which the UConn School of Business is developing to promote thought leadership in private equity and venture capital
