How Banks Make Money on IPOs

Federico explains firm-commitment underwriting, gross spreads, and how fees are disclosed and split across syndicates.

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In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Federico Acabbi, investment banker at RBC, to break down what’s happening across cybersecurity, infrastructure, and the broader software market. They cover why horizontal software is under pressure while security spend holds up, what it really takes to go public today, and how the IPO process actually works behind the scenes—from diligence to pricing.

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LINKS:

Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsN

Federico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/federicoacabbi/

rbccm.com

CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Preview and intro

2:36 Software investability right now

6:46 Cyber — CFO's #2 investment priority