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Upmarket
Techstars '23New York City, US · Founded 2015 · 1 known investors
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UpMarket is a New York-based online investment platform and registered broker-dealer offering alternative investments to accredited investors.
Also known as UpMarket
Founders & leadership
Upmarket was founded in 2015 by Grace Chen.
Investors · 1
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Company profile
researched Sep 2026UpMarket operates an online investment platform and US-registered broker-dealer that gives accredited investors access to alternative asset classes outside of public equity markets. The platform's offerings span pre-IPO shares in private companies, crypto assets including blockchain startups, tokens and NFTs, hedge funds, private equity funds, alternative private market funds, fixed income strategies such as bonds, private debt and bridge financing, and real estate funds.
Access to private company shares is arranged through secondary market transactions rather than direct offerings by the issuers. Investors verify accredited status under SEC Rule 501 of Regulation D, complete KYC/AML onboarding, review offering memoranda and risk disclosures, sign subscription documents digitally, and fund via wire transfer or ACH into a custodial account, with a stated minimum investment of $50,000 per pre-IPO offering. The company states that it conducts individualized diligence on every offering, reviewing strategy, risk management, liquidity, fees, valuation methodology, tax matters, and third-party providers including legal counsel, auditors, administrators and custodians, and that it provides post-investment fund updates, valuation reporting and tax documentation.
Business model
UpMarket acts as an intermediary broker-dealer, sourcing and curating alternative investment offerings and distributing them to accredited individual investors through its platform; a portion of originated investments is managed by UpMarket Management, with the remainder managed by affiliates.
Traction
The company states it has brokered alternative investments since 2019 and reports a cumulative brokered figure in the billions of dollars, including principal invested and appreciation of investments originated via the platform.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Positions itself as a curated, diligence-led access point to institutional-grade alternative investments for individuals, competing with other online pre-IPO and private markets platforms.
Emphasizes independent diligence on every offering, breadth across multiple alternative asset classes in a single platform, broker-dealer registration, and consolidated post-investment monitoring and reporting.
Technology
A web platform that handles investor onboarding and accreditation checks, digital subscription document execution, funding, and consolidated post-investment reporting including fund updates, valuation reporting and tax documents. Private market data is supplied by partner Caplight and equity research by partner Sacra.
Go-to-market
Direct online sign-up with a licensed representative assigned at onboarding who follows up on investment requests, supported by company-published research pages on individual private companies and a partner network of fund managers, brokers and registered investment advisors.
Accredited individual investors in the United States, including high-net-worth and retirement-oriented investors seeking diversification beyond public stocks and bonds; the company also partners with fund managers, brokers and RIAs.
Geography
US-based and US-registered, headquartered in New York.
History
UpMarket's own materials list 2019 as its year founded and state it has brokered alternative investments since 2019.
Risks & controversies
The company discloses that private market investments are illiquid, speculative and carry risk of total loss of capital, with no guaranteed exit timeline and valuations that can fluctuate substantially between funding rounds. It also notes it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the companies whose shares are made available on its platform.
Compiled by commissioned research from 4 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsUpMarket names Caplight as its private market data partner, supplying valuation insights and secondary market trading data.
UpMarket names Sacra as its equity research partner, providing analysis on private companies and market trends for clients.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 4
primary sources listed
- UpMarket: Alternative Investments Curated for Accredited Investorsupmarket.co · web
4 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Upmarket do?
- UpMarket is a New York-based online investment platform and registered broker-dealer offering alternative investments to accredited investors.
- Who founded Upmarket?
- Upmarket was founded by Grace Chen in 2015.
- Who are Upmarket's investors?
- Upmarket's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Upmarket headquartered?
- Upmarket is headquartered in New York City, US.