There are several very large requirements and milestones that have to be met before a company can do. The question of when does a company go public can be a difficult one to answer. It may be used by venture capitalists as a way to get out of an investment in a certain puhlic. The IPO process will start by making decisions with an investment bank, like the price and number of shares to be issued. The banks will then begin the task of underwriting. This just means that they become the owners of shares and take on the legal responsibilities of those shares. The entire goal of underwriting is to sell shares to the public at a profit.