What Investa does

Investa Markets Ltd is a UK-based fintech operating a mobile-first investment application targeted at UK retail investors who want zero-commission access to US-listed stocks, ETFs, and options. The company was founded around 2023 and launched its iOS app to the public in October 2025, positioning itself as the UK's first zero-commission options trading platform, with an Android app on a waitlist. The platform is built around a simplified options UX, offering proprietary features such as Options Cards (a streamlined option chain view showing breakevens, greeks, and volatility), Sidekick (a horizon-based trade discovery tool ranging from one week to twelve months), and Covered Calls (an income-generation strategy tool). Market data is supplied by QuoteMedia, Massive, and OPRA, while order execution, custody, and client money handling are outsourced to Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited under an agency model; Investa itself operates as a directly FCA-authorised firm (FRN: 1037289) since April 2026. The company has no disclosed revenue and is an early-stage venture, having raised approximately £3.5 million across two Crowdcube equity crowdfunding rounds in 2024 and 2025, supported by angel investors affiliated with major global banks.

The business model is zero-commission on trades, deposits, withdrawals, custody, and exercise/assignment, with the primary monetisation lever being a 0.99% foreign exchange conversion fee received from Interactive Brokers when users convert GBP to USD (and back) for trading. Secondary revenue comes from pass-through third-party regulatory fees, including TAF, SEC, OCC, ORF, and CAT charges applied per transaction. Distribution is purely self-serve and consumer-direct via the Apple App Store and the Crowdcube crowdfunding platform, supplemented by PR coverage in outlets such as Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Finextra, Fintech Global, and Fintech Finance, plus event participation at The London Investor Show 2025. Customer engagement signals include over $1,000,000 in cumulative customer trading activity, more than 225,000 tradeable option contracts, 1,400+ trades during the soft launch period, and record trading volumes in March 2026 driven by retail demand for put options as defensive hedges.

Name

Investa

Legal name

Investa Markets Ltd

Website

https://investa.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Investa Markets Ltd is a UK fintech offering a zero-commission mobile (iOS) trading app that gives UK retail investors access to US stocks, ETFs, and 225,000+ option contracts, routing orders to Interactive Brokers and monetising via a 0.99% FX conversion fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Brokerage / Online Trading Platform

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Execution-Only / Self-Directed Investing Platforms (FSAAAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Options Brokerage (FSAEACAI), Discount & Online Retail Brokerage (FSAEACAB), Investor Education, Research & Portfolio Analytics Services (Retail) (FSAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Zero commission trading
• Options trading app
• Retail brokerage platform
• Mobile investing app
• US stocks trading

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foreign Exchange Conversion Fee: Investa receives a 0.99% fee from Interactive Brokers based on the value of foreign exchange conversion when converting GBP to USD for trading and vice versa. This is the primary revenue stream as Investa charges zero commission on trades.
2. Third-Party Regulatory Fees: Pass-through fees including TAF (Trading Activity Fee), SEC fees, OCC fees, ORF fees, and CAT fees charged to customers. These are regulatory fees passed through to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Investa operates a mobile-first iOS trading app that enables UK retail investors to trade US stocks, ETFs, and options with zero trading commissions. The platform features a simplified Options Cards interface, Covered Calls strategy tools, and the Sidekick trade discovery feature, with all orders routed to Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited for execution. Revenue is generated primarily through a 0.99% foreign exchange conversion fee on GBP/USD transactions, alongside pass-through third-party regulatory fees.

Product overview

Investa is a UK fintech company offering a mobile trading platform built around zero-commission options trading on US stocks and ETFs. The core product is the Investa App (iOS), which provides a streamlined interface for trading through features like Options Cards (simplified option chain view with breakevens, greeks, and volatility data), Covered Calls strategy tools, and Sidekick for finding options trades. The platform also supports commission-free Stocks & ETFs trading with Search & Find and Charts features for market analysis. Orders are routed to and executed by Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited. The company was granted direct FCA authorization in April 2026 after operating as an Appointed Representative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investa App Mobile-first iOS trading app enabling UK retail investors to trade US stocks, ETFs, and options with zero trading commissions, featuring Options Cards, Covered Calls, Sidekick, Search & Find, and Charts capabilities. Orders are routed to Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited for execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1,000,000 in customer trading activity
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Interactive Brokers (UK) LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationInteractive Brokers serves as the execution broker and custodian for Investa. Orders are transmitted to IBKR for execution, and IBKR handles custody, client money, and cashiering services. IBKR is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 208159). Investa acts as agent on behalf of clients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trading 212: UK-headquartered, FCA-regulated commission-free retail broker offering stocks, ETFs, and CFDs/options via mobile app. Most directly comparable UK competitor on zero-commission retail trading and mobile-first UX, though with a broader multi-asset offering rather than an options-first focus.
• Freetrade: UK FCA-regulated commission-free retail stock/ETF app. Direct peer on geography, target customer (UK retail), and commission-free mobile model; Investa's CTO Ian Fuller is a Freetrade co-founder, highlighting shared DNA and direct competitive overlap.

Emerging players

• Robinhood: US-based zero-commission retail brokerage whose options-first, mobile-led playbook Investa explicitly mirrors. Comparable in product wedge and GTM, and potentially a future entrant into the UK market that would directly compete for the same retail investor.
• eToro: Multi-asset social trading platform with UK retail presence offering zero-commission stock trading and options-like products. Comparable as a mobile-first, low-cost retail platform with social/community layers, though wider in scope.

Broad incumbents

• Hargreaves Lansdown: UK's largest retail investment platform with stocks, funds, ISAs, and options access. Comparable as a UK retail investment destination but operates a much broader portfolio and is not zero-commission, positioning it as the incumbent Investa is disrupting on price and UX.
• IG Group: UK-listed, FCA-regulated multi-asset broker offering share dealing and options/derivatives. Comparable on UK-regulated options distribution and retail options access, but with a more institutional and broader product set than Investa.
• Plus500: UK-listed, FCA-regulated retail broker focused on CFDs and derivatives (including options). Comparable on UK-regulated retail options/derivatives distribution, though Plus500's product mix skews heavily to leveraged CFDs rather than equity options.
• AJ Bell: UK FCA-regulated retail investment platform with shares, funds, ISAs, and options trading. Comparable as a UK retail options-enabled incumbent and a likely target customer migration path for Investa users seeking broader wrappers (SIPP/ISA).
• Saxo Bank: Global FCA-regulated broker offering multi-asset retail and institutional trading including options. Comparable on regulated options access and the broader retail trading category, but with a higher-cost, more professional user base than Investa's mass-retail target.

Others

• Interactive Brokers: Investa's execution and custody partner, but also a competitor for direct-to-consumer UK retail clients. Relevant as both a dependency and a benchmark on pricing, technology depth, and regulatory standing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Investa-100090557632199
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/investauk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Investa