Direct Public Offering - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org  ## Metadata - Author: **en.wikipedia.org** - Full Title: Direct Public Offering - Wikipedia - Category: #articles - Tags: #business - URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_public_offering ## Highlights - A DPO is similar to an initial public offering (IPO) in that securities, such as stock or debt, are sold to investors. But unlike an IPO, a company uses a DPO to raise capital directly and without a "firm underwriting" from an investment banking firm or broker-dealer. A DPO may have a sponsoring FINRA broker, but the broker does not guarantee full subscription of the offering. In a DPO, the broker merely assures compliance with all applicable securities laws and assists with organizing the offering. Following compliance with federal and state securities laws, a company can sell its shares directly to anyone, even non-accredited investors, including customers, employees, suppliers, distributors, family, friends, and others.