Nasdaq’s first half of 2026 was the strongest in U.S. exchange history.
The company oversaw a record-breaking $129.3 billion raised from new listings, including seven of the 10 largest IPOs of the year. That cohort was led by SpaceX (SPCX), which held the largest IPO in history at Nasdaq in June, raising a historic $85.7 billion in the process.
“The first half of 2026 demonstrates the strength of Nasdaq’s position at the center of the innovation economy. By connecting capital to opportunity, we’re helping the world’s most ambitious companies access the resources they need to innovate, scale, and lead.” said Jeff Thomas, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Listings at Nasdaq.
In the first six months of 2026, Nasdaq hosted the largest IPO of all time, the largest biotech IPO of all time, the largest semiconductor IPO of all time, the largest pure-play quantum computing IPO of all time, and several other major offerings all listed on Nasdaq.
In addition to SpaceX, the first half of the year featured industry-largest IPOs from biotech innovator Parabilis (PBLS), semiconductor pioneer Cerebras (CBRS), and quantum computing leader Quantinuum (QNT). Other marquee listings so far in 2026 include gas engine manufacturer Innio (INIO), geothermal energy developer Fervo Energy (FRVO), and aerospace and defense supplier Arxis (ARXS).
Each of those companies not only represented a top-10 IPO of the year, but also the vanguard of an industry charting a course for the future.
“Across the innovation economy – whether it’s space, AI, chips, or the future of computing – Nasdaq is leading the way as the market of choice for the most innovative companies in the world and driving us all into the future,” Thomas said.
SpaceX Smashes Records, Dual Lists with Nasdaq Texas
The biggest headline of the first half was undeniably SpaceX, the spaceflight, telecom, and AI company that shattered records and drew an unprecedented global audience on its listing day.
The market debut demonstrated the structural depth of the exchange infrastructure, processing unprecedented share volume without operational interruptions – with the day’s trading volume ultimately surpassing 500 million shares.
“SpaceX chose Nasdaq because we’ve always invested in supporting our clients, both on their IPO day and then throughout their life as a public company,” Thomas said. “We have put together an amazing platform here at Nasdaq that is able to execute the largest IPO of all time flawlessly.”
The Texas-headquartered company’s IPO was also notable for leveraging a coordinated dual-listing structure, utilizing the combined ecosystem of Nasdaq and Nasdaq Texas.
Launched in March, Nasdaq Texas extends the full Nasdaq platform to companies seeking to align with Texas’s growth economy and innovation-friendly regulatory environment. By pairing its primary Nasdaq listing with Nasdaq Texas at the time of its IPO, SpaceX was able to efficiently incorporate a dual listing that signaled its connection to one of the country’s most dynamic business ecosystems.
SpaceX is an early mover, joining the initial cohort of dual-listing companies on Nasdaq Texas, and Nasdaq expects many more to come.
“We’re excited to have a platform for all companies that are tapping into the economic miracle that is Texas, providing them the opportunity to build locally while they access global liquidity,” Thomas said. “With Nasdaq Texas, we are offering companies in Texas the best of both worlds in terms of having not just a great exchange within Texas but access to the global investor pool of Nasdaq.”
Standout Sectors
While Nasdaq has seen a record-breaking first half of 2026 overall, several sectoral trends have clearly emerged.
Chief among those is the rise of businesses tied to artificial intelligence. That includes not only companies with their own AI tech, but also energy providers, hardware manufacturers, and other key suppliers to data centers, Thomas explained.
“The investments that are going into AI are truly phenomenal,” he said. “We are incredibly excited, as we look to the future, to see more AI companies coming to market.”
Other standout sectors include aerospace and defense, which has seen important companies come to the public markets from both the space and the defense industries; as well as biotech, which “has come roaring back after being dormant for quite some time,” Thomas said.
Telling Listed Companies’ Stories
Throughout the first half of 2026, Nasdaq has continued to invest in its facilities and capabilities at the MarketSite in New York.
That has included expanding its partnership with CNBC to bring a third show from the network – “Closing Bell Overtime” – to join flagship programs “Squawk Box” and “Fast Money” at Nasdaq’s headquarters.
“We have continued to up our game when it comes to celebrating our listed companies and helping them to tell their story,” Thomas said.
Looking Ahead
With an unrivaled first half already in the record books, Nasdaq continues to see major interest from a diverse pipeline of companies looking to enter the U.S. public markets.
Much of that interest will likely be driven by the emerging future of artificial intelligence, Thomas said, pointing to not only software, but also hardware such as semiconductors, and other industries benefiting from the rise of AI tech.
“We are in the midst of a major technological revolution, and investors are excited about what’s going to be possible in the future,” Thomas said. “They’re already seeing growth on many fronts, and they anticipate an increase in productivity through AI that will bleed into the advances in fields such as life sciences – not to mention the overall economic growth that it’s going to generate.”
As these developments continue to reshape businesses and economies around the world, U.S. public markets will be an important engine of that growth.
“U.S. markets have the depth and liquidity to support the future of the innovation economy,” Thomas said. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunity that may come with some of the largest companies in the world planning to tap into the public markets.”
Learn more about the record breaking first half of the year for listings.
