One Pandemic Later, Direct Listings See Some Blue Sky

Hot technology startups have traditionally raised the cash they needed to break into the big time through initial public offerings. IPOs became synonymous with instant wealth for company founders and those lucky enough to buy those shiny new shares. Then music-streaming service Spotify Technology SA went a different route, going public through a method called direct listing. Why a direct listing? While Spotify didn’t need new cash, its investors wanted to cash out. Workplace messaging platform S