Radford Pre-IPO Services
Meeting the unique compensation challenges of private companies
in the technology and life sciences sectors
Pre-IPO Compensation Solutions from Radford
All private companies face a unique set of compensation challenges. First and foremost, they must establish pay programs that attract and retain top talent, often while competing against more well-known and established public firms. Next, private companies need to be mindful of the future while remaining grounded in the realities of the present. This requires careful planning and coordination between investors and corporate leaders as they balance issues ranging from ownership levels
to cash flow to internal pay equity.
Radford's suite of survey solutions, consulting services and research resources offer a holistic approach to pay planning for
pre-initial public offering (pre-IPO) and venture-backed organizations. Together, these tools ensure private companies at all stages of development have the market intelligence needed to implement successful employee and executive compensation programs aligned with business goals.
Survey Solutions
Radford's Pre-IPO/Venture-Backed Report provides in-depth benchmarking solutions for private companies at all stages of development. Survey participants have access to job-specific cash and equity compensation data for entry-level roles up to the C-Suite, along with detailed information on Board of Director compensation and overall equity award practices. This is a critical data source for internal leaders, VC investors and Board members looking to establish competitive approaches to compensation.
Consulting Services
Beyond market data, Radford's
pre-IPO consulting services offer industry-specific expertise to private firms looking to design effective broad-based, sales and executive compensation systems. With experience covering compensation philosophy development, setting market competitive pay rates, employment contract review, equity allocation and corporate governance and risk assessments, Radford consultants are
well-equipped to guide the transition from private to public environments.
Research Portal
The months and weeks just before an IPO are a particularly hectic time, and present their own special set of transitional compensation challenges. With this in mind, Radford now maintains a database to track key equity and executive compensation practices at technology and life sciences companies that recently crossed the IPO finish line. Using public data resources, this complimentary portal provides market intelligence on new equity and ESPP plan design and pre-IPO executive officer salary adjustments.
Pre-IPO Planning Timeline
The following timeline provides a general outline of key broad-based and executive compensation program milestones for private companies as they approach an initial public offering. Radford works with private firms to guide them through each phase of the growth process shown below. This includes the development of initial equity grant guidelines, salary grade systems, annual incentive programs, corporate compensation philosophy, peer groups, and Board of Director compensation programs, among many other items. For additional details on many of these issues, also see our pre-IPO focused white papers.
Radford Client Testimonials
Read what current clients have to say about Radford's complete suite of pre-IPO survey, compensation consulting and research services. For more testimonials, click here.
"As a provider of growth capital to private companies, we oftentimes consider an IPO as a viable option for our partner companies. Over the past year, we have leveraged Radford's expertise in compensation consulting for three of our life sciences partner companies - Tengion (Nasdaq: TNGN), NuPathe (Nasdaq: PATH) and Advanced BioHealing, ..." [Read on]
Gary J. Kurtzman, MD, Managing Director, Life Sciences Group
Safeguard Scientifics
"Radford partnered with our management team to develop an equity strategy that balanced the needs of our venture capital partners, outside investors, management and employees. We used the Radford Pre-IPO/Venture-Backed database to examine our competitive position against companies of a similar stage and investment profile to develop a fact-based analysis and go-forward program that gained full Board approval..." [Read on]
Lauretta Cesario, VP, Human Resources
Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc.
"Radford recently provided one of our portfolio companies executive cash and equity compensation consulting support that was industry focused, consensus driven and showed a deep understanding of the issues associated with private venture-backed companies. Our Compensation Committee and management team were impressed with the caliber of Radford's work."
Justin Silver
Radius Ventures
Getting Your Startup's Compensation House in Order Roadmap to an Initial Public Offering
Executive Compensation Fundamentals for Venture-Backed and Pre-IPO Companies in Technology and Life Sciences Key Considerations for the Valuation of Stock Options at Pre-IPO and Newly Public Companies
