Big data software provider Cloudera has gone public, but the gap between its market cap and the valuation at which Intel invested three years ago may be an ill omen for backers of other unicorns.

US-based Cloudera has gone public in a $225m initial public offering that gave semiconductor maker Intel and exit, but at a steep discount from its investment valuation, signalling that while the IPO market is improving, some corporates may have to accept paper losses in return for exits.

Cloudera issued 15 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange priced at $15.00 each, above the $12 to $14 range it had set. The IPO underwriters have a 30-day option to…