EquityZen

The Pre-IPO Marketplace.
Explore private startups or sell your employee equity.
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[EquityZen @EquityZen]

The Q3 2026 data is in! From generative AI to hard-tech automation, here are the top ten companies that users on the EquityZen platform actively engaged with this quarter:

1. Generative AI & Infrastructure Take Center Stage: EquityZen users focused heavily on generative video and AI infrastructure. Higgsfield, a video AI firm, surged to the #1 spot, accompanied by strong platform momentum in AI tools and platforms like Clay, Fireworks AI, and Tensordyne.
2. Interest in Hard-Tech & Physical Automation: Electric aviation developer Heart Aerospace secured #2, while industrial AI robotics platform Atoms gained traction, highlighting EquityZen user attention toward hardware, transport, and physical automation assets.
3. Demand for Enterprise Software: Cybersecurity firm Huntress and blockchain intelligence platform Chainalysis saw significant growth in popularity.  
4. Emerging Consumer Brands:  Prebiotic beverage maker, OLIPOP, and Neko Health, a health tech company focused on prevention, led interest across consumer products.

The Top 10 Movers of Q3 2026:
1. Higgsfield
2. Heart Aerospace
3. Huntress
4. Clay
5. Fireworks AI
6. OLIPOP
7. Neko Health
8. Atoms
9. Chainalysis
10. Tensordyne

👉 Read our full analysis of these Q3 2026 private market trends.

https://t.co/qGb8Crkn9L

#PreIPO #SecondaryMarket #VentureCapital #EquityZen #MorganStanley

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. This information is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk. All company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Driven by rapid commercial adoption and soaring valuations, some AI startups are generating secondary demand and activity much earlier in their lifecycles compared to traditional timelines. But does this represent a temporary, cycle-driven surge—or a permanent shift in private-market liquidity expectations?

In our latest post on EquityZen Insights, we break down the data to find out:

https://t.co/hcuIWMexHh

#PrivateMarkets #EquityZen #AI #Startups

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Atish Davda, Head of Morgan Stanley Private Markets & EquityZen, and Jean Brandolini Lamb, Head of marketing, Morgan Stanley Private Markets & EquityZen recently sat down for a discussion about the future of the private markets at an offsite bringing together colleagues from across Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Marketing. It was a great opportunity to connect, and we look forward to our combined team’s efforts working together in this space!

#privatemarkets #equityzen #morganstanley #firesidechat

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Fall is here, bringing the latest update to our private market data. 🍁 

The September edition of #MonthlyMovers is live, spotlighting the private companies that saw the largest surge in investor demand this past month.

From AI software to space hardware and consumer goods, check out the top-trending names for September.

🥇Clay
🥈Tensordyne
🥉Ultraviolette Automotive
⭐Huntress
⭐Varda
⭐OLIPOP
⭐ElevenLabs
⭐Mistral AI
⭐Ayar Labs
⭐Thinking Machines Lab

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. This information is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk. All company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Until recently, high investment minimums and heavy operational drag kept many investors on the sidelines of pre-IPO investing. Technology is now helping address traditional barriers, reducing friction around access, liquidity, transparency, and efficiency across the private market ecosystem. The next big challenge will be deploying technology in ways that better align the public and private market investing experiences while maintaining the unique structure of private assets.

Read the full article on EquityZen insights to explore how technological advancements are modernizing pre-IPO investing while maintaining essential structural safeguards.

https://t.co/dZ8Ip37Ha5

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Company-sponsored liquidity events have evolved from standalone transactions into repeatable programs that help pre-IPO companies manage talent and prepare for going public. 

In a recent Q&A, Emiley Jellie, Managing Director and Head of Private Company Liquidity at Morgan Stanley, and Phil Haslett, Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer of EquityZen, part of Morgan Stanley, provide insights on how leaders are leveraging tender offers and secondary trades to balance shareholder needs with long-term valuation strategy.

Read the full piece on Morgan Stanley at Work to explore how modern liquidity tools are shaping the path toward an IPO.

Article link:

https://t.co/d28nPPR9XX 

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Reinvention continues to define Enterprise SaaS. As the market moves beyond platform consolidation and capital discipline, platforms are evolving into the core operational engines that power modern business workflows.

In this article, we examined current market trends, revenue models, and key evaluation metrics shaping the pre-IPO software landscape today.

Read the full analysis on EquityZen Insights:

https://t.co/jfKQYmi8o4 

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

True market readiness goes far beyond unicorn status. As companies choose to stay private longer, making the leap to public markets requires strength across four core pillars: predictable growth quality, a clear equity story, public-grade infrastructure, and optimal market timing.

In this article, we examine the primary factors shaping listing readiness today and how private secondary liquidity programs serve as a vital release valve for late-stage companies.

Read the full analysis on EquityZen Insights:

https://t.co/knEYpxhc76 

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Watching tennis all weekend? Us too. 

Not every opportunity plays on center court. EquityZen serves up private market investing opportunities to accredited investors who are interested in adding a new spin to their portfolios. 

Visit the EquityZen listings page to explore private companies and learn how to gain exposure to late-stage growth.

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

As summer winds down, the momentum in the private markets is heating up. ☀️🔥

The August edition of #MonthlyMovers is live, spotlighting the private companies that saw the largest surge in investor demand this past month.
From breakthrough aerospace innovators to next-gen AI platforms, see which names topped the charts as August drew to a close.

🥇Heart Aerospace
🥈Allen Control Systems
🥉Poolside
⭐Generalist AI
⭐Base Power
⭐Baseten
⭐d-Matrix
⭐Stoke Space
⭐Neros Technologies
⭐Betterment

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. This information is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk. All company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Hot or cold? The VC secondaries market is both. 

In a recent feature by Mergermarket, EquityZen's Head of Market Insight, Brianne Lynch, highlighted the growing divide in the pre-IPO market:

Capital density at the top: High-demand AI and frontier tech names are trading at premiums.

Discount opportunities: Enterprise SaaS and fintech are largely trading at discounts to their last funding rounds, creating value opportunities for disciplined buyers.

Structure matters: High demand for scarce allocations has driven a surge in multi-layered SPVs, making contractual transparency and governance crucial for investors.

🔗https://t.co/g2K8zpBaiq 

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Private market valuations in Q2 2026 reflect a stark sector-by-sector divergence:

• AI/ML leading premiums: 62% of AI, ML, and NLP transactions cleared at a premium relative to their last primary funding round.
• SaaS rebounding: 29% of Enterprise SaaS companies traded at a premium in Q2, a rebound compared to Q1, where no SaaS transactions cleared above their previous round.
• Discounts across traditional sectors: 100% of Q2 transactions in FinTech, Healthcare, Media, and Emerging Energy traded at a discount.

Read the full breakdown of Q2 2026 secondary market trends on the EquityZen blog:
https://t.co/eCBry15dfk

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

The fireworks are over... but these results are still grabbing our attention. 🎆✨

The July edition of #MonthlyMovers is live, spotlighting the private companies that saw the largest surge in investor demand this past month.

From proven heavyweights to fast-rising contenders, see which names made the biggest moves as summer hit its stride.

🥇 Fireworks AI
🥈 Neko Health
🥉 Atoms
⭐ OpenRouter
⭐ Moonshot AI
⭐ Lyten
⭐ JetZero
⭐ Safe Superintelligence 
⭐ Positron
⭐ Flock Safety

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. This information is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk. All company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

While household tech giants continue to grab headlines, a new wave of breakout startups is laying the foundation for future technology, from orbital AI data centers to autonomous defense systems and agentic search infrastructure.

To construct our 2026 Next List, we tracked U.S.-based up-and-comers backed by Midas List investors, valued between $2B and $5B, and delivering 200%+ team growth:

🛡️ Defense + Aerospace: Allen Control Systems, Impulse Space, Cowboy Space Corp. 

⚡ AI Infrastructure + Hardware: Armada, Decart, MatX, Modal Labs, Nexthop AI 

🤖 Robotics: FieldAI, Generalist 

📊 Enterprise Software & Fintech: Corgi, Eon, Exa, Parallel, Rogo

Review the full breakdown of metrics, commercial milestones, and key stats for each company:
👉 https://t.co/9pxysJqDu1

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. The information provided is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

98.6% of companies that traded on EquityZen’s platform in Q2 shared one common trait: maturity. 

In today’s climate, buyers are operating under a strict "flight to quality" mandate. The breakdown of Q2 transaction volume by company age:

• 10+ Years: 75.7%

• 6–10 Years: 22.9%

• <=5 Years: 1.4%

Read our breakdown of the latest private market investment trends: https://t.co/20Q9jT2nZH

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Welcome to the Era of the Mega Unicorn. 🦄

According to EquityZen’s Q2 2026 data, secondary market activity has aggressively polarized, favoring pre-IPO heavyweights over almost everyone else.

Key takeaways from the shift:

- Decacorn Domination (>$20B): Captured 54.3% of Q2 transaction volume (and 56.7% in Q1), nearly doubling historical levels as buyers pile into market leaders potentially nearing liquidity events.

- The Squeezed Middle ($10B–$20B): Secondary activity has plummeted, taking just 2.9% of Q2 volume.

- Resilient Mid-Market ($5B–$10B): Held strong at 32.9%, serving as a balanced sweet spot between growth and established valuations.

As investors focus on scale and mature exits, small-to-mid stage companies are taking a back seat to late-stage giants.

See the full breakdown and pre-IPO market insights here: https://t.co/4HDxSGUPqz

#PrivateMarkets #VentureCapital #PreIPO #Unicorns #Investing #SecondaryMarket #EquityZen

Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

For decades, investing in high-growth private companies was restricted to institutional investors. 

Today, the secondary market is shifting that landscape. EquityZen’s Head of Market Insights, Brianne Lynch, recently sat down with The Silicon Valley Podcast to discuss how these changes are unfolding.

In her guest appearance, Brianne discusses the mechanics of venture secondaries and their role in providing liquidity options for founders, employees, and early investors long before an IPO.

If you are looking to better understand SPV structures, secondary transaction terminology, or how companies manage employee equity liquidity, this breakdown offers an inside look at the evolving private markets.

👉 Catch the full episode and key takeaways https://t.co/3wdFpyiCse

#VentureCapital #Startups #Secondaries #PrivateMarkets #AlternativeInvestments #EquityZen

The information in this podcast is intended for reference only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk.  Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

Thank you to those who joined our recent webinar with Georgia Edwards (AVP, Private Markets) and Brianne Lynch (Head of Market Insight)!

We had a great time diving into key #PrivateMarkets insights and exploring how EquityZen’s tools can help you navigate the market.

Want to stay informed? Join our community today: https://t.co/xIuCeezRpf

#PrivateMarkets#AlternativeInvesting#MarketInsights#EquityZen

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

What are pre-IPO investors actually looking to buy? EquityZen’s Q2 2026 data reveals a shift in investor interest away from traditional software and into the physical economy.

Key trends in secondary buyer demand on EquityZen this quarter:

1. The Space Surge: Driven by growing investor interest, Aerospace held #2, while Space Travel (#3) and Satellite Communications (#5) made top 10 debuts.

2. The Software Squeeze: Buyer interest in traditional tech models is cooling. IT, Fintech, and Enterprise SaaS all slipped in ranking as capital rotated to hardware.

3. Hard Tech + Frontier Science: Hardware, robotics, and deep-tech companies (like Figure AI and Neuralink) are capturing a surge of new buyer Indications of Interest (IOIs).

Are we witnessing a structural shift from bytes to atoms?

📊 Dive into our proprietary investor demand data and charts in the full Q2 report: https://t.co/48Slop0JHE

#PrivateMarkets #VentureCapital #SpaceEconomy #ArtificialIntelligence #EquityZen
Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment.

[EquityZen @EquityZen]

The Q2 2026 data is in, and EquityZen investors are looking past the AI model hype cycle to focus on the physical and digital infrastructure required to sustain it.

Here are the key takeaways from this quarter's top private market movers:

1. The AI Grid Bottleneck is Real: Climate and energy tech dominated the top spots in EquityZen investor interest. Plantd took #1 with its carbon-negative structural panels, while SPAN secured #2 by reinventing the home electrical panel to optimize energy use.

2. Powering the AI Data Layer: Investors are aggressively targeting inference-first infrastructure. ClickHouse and Baseten saw significant surges as the focus shifted from training models to deploying them efficiently in the real world.

3. Deep Tech + Frontier Science: NewLimit and Isomorphic Labs are leveraging advanced machine learning to tackle complex physical and biological challenges, from epigenetic reprogramming to rapid drug discovery.

The Top 10 Movers of Q2 2026:

1. Plantd 
2. https://t.co/fvXtH1PipM
3. NewLimit
4. ClickHouse
5. Baseten
6. Rappi
7. Neo4j 
8. NEURA Robotics 
9. Aalo Atomics
10. Isomorphic Labs

👉 Read our full, deep-dive analysis of these Q2 2026 private market trends: https://t.co/aQzfsIgswa

There are inherent risks in pre-IPO investments, including the risk of loss of the entire investment, illiquidity, and fluctuations in value and returns. This information is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or personal financial advice. Use of this information is at the user's discretion and risk. All company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.