Founded in April 1994, Netscape Communications Corporation is often credited as the creators of the JavaScript in the era when the Internet was evolving as a revolutionizing phenomenon.

Netscape offered a broad portfolio of digital products, like Netscape Navigator, that had great utility and were user friendly. Netscape brought the Internet to the masses and popularized the concept of “surfing” the Internet. It followed the “give away today and make money tomorrow” strategy and became a leader in the area of web browsers. However, it had yet to make any money when it decided to go for an initial public offering (IPO). Why might a company like Netscape choose the IPO route to raise funds? What are some of the other options that Netscape might have considered before deciding on the IPO, and why might they have been less attractive to Netscape?