Using British Virgin Islands Companies for International Listings

The British Virgin Islands’ (BVI) corporate statute is ideally suited for international listings. BVI companies have been used widely for listings on international stock exchanges in New York, London, Singapore and Oslo. They have been especially popular for listings on the world’s most successful growth market, the LSE’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

As the World economy continues to strengthen, there has been notable growth in equity fundraising, with the first half of 2014 seeing more capital raised on AIM than in 2012 and 2013 combined. This bodes well for those looking to go to market with an IPO or to raise additional capital by means of a rights issue or placement.

BVI companies continue to be popular vehicles for IPOs, particularly in the mining and natural resources sectors, although the past year has seen an increase in IPOs from other sectors including retail, media and professional services.