Signing a deal can seal your fate. An exit for your investors may mean the end of your dream. What if you decided to forego the exit route, leapfrog to an IPO, and use commercial partnerships to fuel your scale-up into a fully integrated biopharma company? For an example in progress, look at Sucampo — a still-small company with two FDAapproved products, many more in the pipeline, a healthy balance sheet, and a commitment to maintain its long-term independence.