EquityZen
EquityZen is a New York-based online marketplace that connects shareholders of private, pre-IPO companies with accredited investors seeking access to secondary shares. Founded in 2013 by Atish Davda, Shriram Bhashyam, and Phil Haslett, the platform facilitates the buying and selling of employee-held equity in late-stage private companies. EquityZen offers low investment minimums (as low as $5,000) and has executed over 35,000 secondary transactions across more than 400 private companies. In November 2025, Morgan Stanley announced an agreement to acquire EquityZen, and the deal closed on January 27, 2026.
Acquired
EquityZen has been acquired
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market.
Overview
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
2013
Employees
50–60
Total Funding
$3M
3 rounds
Funding
Total raised $3M across 3 rounds
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Last updated 06-25-2026
Latest Round
Type
Series A (Draper-led)
Date
July 2017
Amount
$3M
Valuation
—
Lead Investors
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2017 | Series A (Draper-led) | $3M | — | Draper Associates |
| September 2015 | Series A (initial) | Not disclosed | — | Not disclosed |
| January 2014 | Seed | Not disclosed | — | Not disclosed |
Prominent Investors
Leadership
Atish Davda
Co-Founder & CEO
Phil Haslett
Co-Founder & Head of Investments
Shriram Bhashyam
Co-Founder
Competitors
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Forge Global
Public (NYSE: FRGE) secondary marketplace for private company shares; acquired SharesPost in 2020. Schwab announced acquisition of Forge for $660M. Targets larger investors with higher minimums.
Hiive
Vancouver-based pre-IPO secondary marketplace founded in 2021; the fastest-growing platform in the space with 500+ private companies on its order book.
Nasdaq Private Market
NYC-based liquidity platform for private company tender offers, auctions, and block trades; spun out of Nasdaq in 2021 with strategic investor backing.
Carta (CartaX / Liquidity)
Cap-table software provider that operates a private liquidity / tender offer business serving issuers and shareholders of pre-IPO companies.
Linqto
Retail-oriented private investment platform offering access to pre-IPO unicorns at lower minimums; direct competitor for accredited individual investors.
tZERO
Blockchain-based alternative trading system (ATS) for private securities and digital asset securities; broker-dealer registered platform.
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