ICO is just a new way of starting up, instead of calling for funds online using real money, ICO use cryptocurrencies to ask for fund, they giving their project to the world, asking for funds from investors such as bitcoin, ethereum or Neo,.. in exchange they give the investors their tokens to use if the ICO success and appear on exchanges. so with this when the tokens can get to exchanges, the price will high so the investors can sell for profit or hold for long term rising.