Forge Closes Over $150M in Funding, Adds New Investors Amid Another Record-Breaking Quarter
4.5.2021 17:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Forge Global, Inc. (“Forge”), the leading global private securities marketplace, announced today that it has received FINRA approval to operate as a single broker dealer with SharesPost, which Forge merged with in 2020, and that it closed an oversubscribed round of more than $150M in new funding. Total funding raised to date exceeds $250M with the latest round including existing investor Deutsche Börse and Forge’s new investors Temasek, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, LUN Partners Group and others. The continued interest from global strategic and financial investors validates Forge’s leadership position as it continues to develop new, innovative products and services to meet the needs of the private market.
“We’re excited to have these incredible companies partner with Forge as we continue to build the operating system for the private market,” said Forge CEO Kelly Rodriques. “With their support and backing, and the momentum coming from the SharesPost merger, we are in an excellent position to continue to build world-class solutions and bring data, technology and liquidity at scale to the private markets.”
Since inception, Forge has completed more than $9B in transactions in nearly 400 private companies. In the months since its acquisition of SharesPost, the company tallied three consecutive record-breaking quarters including in Q1 2021 when Forge completed 1400 transactions totaling more than $730M of volume.
Forge intends to use the increased funding to continue to expand service offerings in the US and beyond. Jane Atherton, Managing Director, Investment at Temasek International and Paul Hilgers, Managing Director of Deutsche Börse's cash market business, will join Forge’s board.
“The importance of private markets is growing – for companies and investors alike,“ explains Christoph Hansmeyer, Head of Group Strategy & M&A at Deutsche Börse. “Investing in Forge pays testament to our commitment to help companies access liquidity both publicly and privately, and allows global investors to participate in the wealth created in both the public and private markets.”
With more than 642 private unicorn companies globally totaling $2T in collective valuation and with many of those staying private for 10 years or more, unicorn companies are increasingly turning to the private market for liquidity solutions that Forge provides. Global institutions, through their investments in Forge, are signaling increased interest in innovative new products and services that build on the core secondary trading capabilities that the Forge platform delivers.
"The private securities market plays an increasingly important role in today’s financial landscape, and Wells Fargo recognizes the significance of a digital platform like Forge in the ongoing evolution of this marketplace,” said Tom Richardson, Head of Principal Technology Investments at Wells Fargo Strategic Capital. “Forge's liquidity solutions simplify the complexities of private market transactions and introduces further transparency into the price discovery process. We’re excited about the opportunities this brings to our customers and look forward to seeing Forge’s continued growth.”
In February 2021, Forge launched Forge Company Solutions, a comprehensive liquidity solution suite for private, high-growth companies to facilitate custom liquidity programs including executive liquidity, company-sponsored employee liquidity, tender offers and direct listings.
About Forge
Forge serves the complex and emerging needs of the private market ecosystem by forging new connections through our technology, data and expertise. Founded in 2014, the firm empowers investors and shareholders by facilitating liquidity in the private markets. Forge is backed by top Silicon Valley investors and large, global institutions including Deutsche Börse, Temasek, Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, FT Partners, Draper Associates, Peter Thiel, Munich Re Ventures and LUN Partners Group. . Securities related services are offered through Forge Market, LLC (“Forge Markets”) and SharesPost Financial Corporation (“SPFC”), each of which is a member of FINRA/SIPC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Forge Global, Inc. Transactional information includes trades conducted through SPFC, Forge Markets, and Emerson Equity, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC and a broker dealer for SharesPost, Inc.) in 2011.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210504005348/en/
Contact information
Kelsey Quickstad
press@forgeglobal.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Beerenberg Prevails in Patent Case Against Aspen Aerogels29.6.2026 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
The Korean Patent Court has invalidated three of Aspen Aerogels’ patents related to improved hydrophobic aerogel material. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260628192007/en/ Beerenberg delivers high-end insulation solutions built for performance, reliability, and long-term value. (Photo: Beerenberg) The ruling confirms the conclusion of the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (IPTAB) that the patents did not meet the necessary requirements for patentability. Beerenberg, which specializes in high-end insulation products, welcomes the court’s decision. “We are pleased that the case has now been concluded and that any uncertainty regarding the infringement claims has been removed,” says CEO Arild Apelthun. About Beerenberg Beerenberg has delivered cost-efficient solutions to a wide range of industrial enterprises for 49 years. The company is one of the leading suppliers of maintenance and modification serv
Seiden Law LLP States: Cambodian Businessman Leak Yim, Wrongfully Accused in Thailand, Seeks Redress in U.S. Court29.6.2026 07:00:00 EEST | Press release
Seiden Law LLP (“Seiden Law”), legal counsel for Mr. Leak Yim, a Cambodia national, and his family, announces the filing of an application in U.S. federal district court in Washington D.C., seeking court-ordered discovery to uncover the false and misleading information that may have led to mistaken prosecution in Thailand of Mr. Yim as well as his unwarranted identification to Congress as being associated with scam centers in Asia. 28 U.S.C. § 1782 (“1782”) provides powerful evidence-gathering remedies, permitting an applicant to obtain evidence in the United States to assist international proceedings. Seiden Law, a U.S. law firm with significant experience in 1782 cases, has filed this application to compel production of documents and sworn testimony from persons in the U.S. that will shed light on the circumstances surrounding recent actions against Mr. Yim. “Mr. Yim and his young family are the apparent victims of guilt by association and political persecution,” said Robert Seiden,
Sultan Bin Ahmed Attends Media Master's Graduation in Spain28.6.2026 19:40:00 EEST | Press release
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah (UOS), attended on Friday, at the University of Barcelona, the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the Master of Science in Media Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation programme, first of its kind, offered by the University of Sharjah's College of Communication in partnership with the University of Barcelona and with strategic support from Sharjah Media City (Shams). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260628429537/en/ Sultan Bin Ahmed attends Media Master's Graduation in Spain (Photo: AETOSWire) His Highness expressed his pride in their achievements and praised the strong partnership between the two universities, which share a commitment to knowledge, excellence and global understanding. His Highness stressed that graduation marks the beginning of a new journey rather than its con
VerSprite Launches Fork and Knife: AI-Driven Threat Modeling and Adversarial Testing Built for the Speed of Modern Software27.6.2026 00:28:00 EEST | Press release
VerSprite, a global leader in risk-based threat modeling and the firm behind the PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) methodology, today announced the general availability of Fork (www.forktm.com), a continuous application threat modeling platform, alongside Knife, an AI-led, human-on-the-loop adversarial testing platform for web applications and web API endpoints. Together, the two products operationalize a new model for product security—one where applications are securely designed, continuously modeled, and actively tested as part of the build process itself. The launch addresses a problem every security leader knows but few tools have solved: threat modeling is essential, never more so than in an AI-driven era, yet it has remained slow, manual, and anchored to frameworks designed for a different threat landscape. The problem: threat modeling matters more than ever—and most tools are stuck in 2005 For two decades, application threat modeling has leaned heavily on
Venture Global Announces Closing of $1.5 Billion Senior Secured Vessel Financing Facility26.6.2026 23:30:00 EEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Venture Global Shipping Holdings, LLC (“VGSH”), has entered into a Credit and Guaranty Agreement providing for a senior secured term loan facility (the “Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,500,000,000. The Facility will mature on June 26, 2032. Deutsche Bank and ING acted as coordinating lead arrangers for the Facility. ING also serves as facility agent and security trustee. VGSH intends to use the net proceeds from the Facility for general corporate purposes, including to reimburse Venture Global LNG, Inc. for payments previously made by it or its affiliates in connection with the acquisition of nine LNG carriers, funding certain reserve accounts, and paying transaction fees and expenses. About Venture Global Venture Global is an American producer and exporter of low-cost U.S. liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) with over 100 MTPA of capacity in production, construction, or development. Ven
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom