An IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the process by which a private company goes public for the first time by selling shares of their company to investors on a stock exchange.
For most retail traders, the first opportunity they have to buy the stock is when it starts trading on the open market. However, at Questrade we offer an IPO Centre that can help you get earlier access to certain securities before they launch to the public.
Note: As a Canadian brokerage, Questrade will generally only be able to list Canadian IPOs, or those in the U.S. that are seeking wider subscription. In most cases, U.S. IPOs will have enough demand domestically, so unfortunately Canadian residents are not able to participate.