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GeezerVison is showing en.wikipedia.org — EquityZen - Wikipedia

EquityZen
TypePrivate
IndustryFinancial technology, Investment
Founded2013 (2013)
FounderAtish Davda
Shriram Bhashyam
Phil Haslett
Headquarters
New York City
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key peopleAtish Davda (CEO)
ProductsSecondary Market
ServicesElectronic trading platform
Online marketplace
OwnerMorgan Stanley
Websiteequityzen.com

EquityZen is an online marketplace for trading pre-IPO employee shares from privately held companies.[1][2] The platform often links employees from private companies with investors who would not otherwise be able to invest in the company prior to an IPO.[3][4] It is based in Manhattan's Flatiron District.[5]

On January 27, 2026, Morgan Stanley announced that it had completed its purchase of the company.[6]

History

EquityZen was founded in 2013 by Atish Davda, Shriram Bhashyam and Phil Haslett in New York City.[1][7][8] From its outset, the firm was designed to allow employees of private companies to sell their equity to accredited investors.[4][9]

It started out as part of the 500 Startups accelerator program in the fall of 2013.[10][11] EquityZen received seed funding in January 2014[12] and as of September 2015 had raised Series A funding from undisclosed investors.[13][14]

It has raised $6.5 million in outside financing, including a $3M injection in 2017 led by Tim Draper's Draper Associates.[15] The financial technology firm was mentioned in the 2015 Forbes' Fintech 50 list.[16]

In January 2026, three months after agreeing to buy EquityZen,[17] it was reported that Morgan Stanley had completed the transaction.

Service

EquityZen operates a marketplace in which employee shareholders in private companies can make their equity available to outside investors. In addition to traditional share transfers, EquityZen introduced a new offering in the private shares market by working with the issuer to register a transfer of shares so employees and early investors can sell a portion of shares for cash without having to wait until an IPO or acquisition.[1][18][19] The firm works exclusively with companies that have already raised capital from large, institutional investors.[3] Companies need to have at least $50 million in enterprise value to be listed on the marketplace.[20] The minimum investment amount for investors is $20,000.[3]

Financial advisors, who manage capital on behalf of others, invest their clients' capital through the platform.[21] Investors outside of the US have invested in private companies.[22][23] EquityZen has transacted in over half of the largest 25 private venture capital-backed companies, including Lyft, Evernote, and AppNexus.[1][24][25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Messina, Judith (22 January 2014). "A new way to buy shares in startups". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Picker, Leslie (4 November 2015). "Risking Your Neck to Run With the Unicorns". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Kenwell, Bret (1 April 2015). "EquityZen Shows the Way for Investing in Privately Held Companies". TheStreet.com. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Mott, Nathaniel (4 November 2013). "Meet EquityZen, the company borne from its co-founder's need for an engagement ring". PandoDaily. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  5. ↑ McEnery, Thornton (9 January 2015). "Investment deal may ease IPO pressure on MongoDB". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Morgan Stanley Closes Acquisition of EquityZen". Business Wire. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
  7. ↑ "Giving investors access to pre-IPO shares". Fox Business. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Hook, Leslie (2 June 2015). "Private share trading takes off as tech companies shun IPOs". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Bort, Julie (7 December 2013). "Here's How Hot Startups Help Employees Cash Out Before An IPO". Business Insider. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  10. ↑ Lawler, Ryan (5 February 2014). "My Favorite Companies From The Seventh 500 Startups Accelerator Class". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Yeung, Ken (29 October 2013). "500 Startups reveals its 7th batch of accelerator startups, which includes its first biotech company". The Next Web. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "EquityZen Obtains $450,000 New Funding". Xconomy. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "EquityZen Lands Series A Investment". VentureDeal. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "EquityZen Secures $3,499,994 Series A Round". Xconomy. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  15. ↑ Newswire, PR (2017-07-18). "EquityZen Raises $6.5 Million; Draper Associates Leads $3M Infusion". PRNewswire.
  16. ↑ Novack, Janet (9 December 2015). "Introducing The Forbes Fintech 50". Forbes. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  17. ↑ Saini, Manya; Bautzer, Tatiana (29 October 2025). "Morgan Stanley to buy private shares platform EquityZen". Reuters.
  18. ↑ Liesman, Steve (2016-08-10). "Executive Edge: Private Investing". CNBC.
  19. ↑ Evans, Kelly (2017-03-03). "Investing in the private market: Should it become easier?". CNBC.
  20. ↑ Anan, Ritesh (16 December 2014). "EquityZen: A Stock Market For Private Companies". Benzinga. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "The Pre-IPO Investment Opportunity in a Down Market". Advisor Perspectives. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "EquityZen helps Indian investors to invest in US companies". The Economic Times. India. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "EquityZen helps Indian investors to invest in US companies". The Times of India. India. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  24. ↑ "A Rare Look at Small Investor Deals in Private Tech". The Information. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  25. ↑ "Movement in Secondary Market". CNBC, Squawk Alley. Retrieved 26 April 2016.

External links

  • Official Website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=EquityZen&oldid=1382220113"
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