For Venture-Backed Firms, I.P.O. Chill Deepens

Things are not getting easier for venture-backed companies aspiring to go public. Just eight of these kinds of companies staged initial public offerings in the third quarter, raising $934.2 million. It was the slowest quarter for such I.P.O.’s since 2003, according to the Exit Poll report by Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association.

The numbers mark “a significant decrease” from the previous quarter, when 17 companies went public and raised more than $2 billion, according to the report. In last year’s third quarter, 19 companies went public, raising $1.5 billion.