Stockholm has become an IPO hub in Europe after raising $6.8B in first-time offerings this year. The Swedish capital has now surpassed dominant markets like London, Frankfurt and Zurich and positioned itself as a major destination for IPOs.
Globally, Stockholm now ranks fifth behind only the United States, China, Hong Kong, and India. While Stockholm is experiencing a surge in IPO activity, London’s market is struggling. British exchanges have seen fundraising activity decline by nearly 70% and the UK has fallen out of the global top 20 IPO markets.
Stockholm has become a popular destination for IPOs in Europe
Stockholm has emerged as Europe’s hottest destination for initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2025, overtaking larger and traditionally more dominant markets like London, Frankfurt, and Zurich. The Swedish capital is on track to raise $6.8B in first-time offerings this year, surpassing other European exchanges, according to Bloomberg data.
Companies have begun to migrate to New York or stay private for longer, but Stockholm has positioned itself as the go-to venue for small and mid-sized firms backed by eager domestic investors.
The highlight of Sweden’s strong run is the upcoming €3.1B IPO of Verisure Plc, a security firm whose flotation will be Europe’s largest since Porsche AG in 2022. Prior to that, there was the success of Noba Bank Group AB, which raised 7.6B Swedish kronor ($808 million) earlier this year and saw shares surge 30% in its trading debut.
Sweden’s IPO boom
Several factors have converged in 2025 to make Stockholm an IPO hub. Observers say that macroeconomic stability, investor appetite, and a wave of IPO-ready companies contributed to its growth.
“The stars have aligned this year,” Henric Roth, a partner at law firm Baker McKenzie said, describing the shift as a “trend-shifter” for Swedish listings.
Unlike many parts of Europe, Sweden benefits from a cultural openness to equity investment. Swedish households invest over half of their savings in stocks, more than double the euro area average, according to the European Savings Institute.
Sweden’s market also boasts of active fund managers, family offices, and pension funds with a strong appetite for small and mid-cap equities. About 69% of Swedish fund assets are tied up in equity funds, the highest proportion in Europe. This local capital base creates fertile ground for growth-focused companies, particularly in the Nordic region, to raise money without needing to cross the Atlantic.
“When the company is so small, we prefer that they can show organic growth and that the business works in Sweden, but they can also take it abroad,” Christian Brunlid of Handelsbanken Fonder, an important investor in Noba Bank’s IPO, explained.
However, Stockholm still faces structural challenges despite its impressive IPO surge. With a total market capitalization of about $1T, Sweden cannot compete with the sheer scale of the $70T U.S. market. That limitation has already cost Stockholm several homegrown success stories. Giants such as Spotify, Klarna, and Oatly opted for U.S. listings, benefiting from the higher capital and increased global visibility.
Some companies have struggled after listing their IPOs in Stockholm, dampening enthusiasm. Game developer Hacksaw AB and private equity firm Roko AB have seen their shares decline, while high-end camera maker Qualisys Holding AB is down 25% since debut. There are other companies whose stories are not as underwhelming, such as Enity Holding AB, whose shares have soared 50% since its June listing.
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Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/stockholm-europe-top-ipo-destination/
