What Secfi does

Secfi is a San Francisco-based, Delaware-incorporated financial services platform founded around 2018 that provides equity planning, stock option financing, and wealth management to employees and executives of late-stage private technology companies. The company operates as an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member, which permits it to directly broker secondary transactions and underwrite financing in-house. Secfi's primary customer segments are startup employees holding ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs who face high upfront exercise costs, AMT exposure, limited post-departure exercise windows, and a lack of liquidity for pre-IPO shares, plus C-suite executives with concentrated equity positions and complex tax situations. Secondary segments include startup HR/finance teams seeking employee financial wellness benefits, tech professionals seeking holistic wealth planning, and institutional/family-office investors via Secfi Asset Management.

The platform is built around three service lines: Secfi Liquidity (non-recourse exercise financing with repayment only on a successful exit, plus secondary share brokerage), Secfi Wealth (subscription-based financial planning and investment management), and Secfi Asset Management (diversified late-stage funds, tailored SMA vehicles, and secondaries). These services are supported by a suite of free self-service tools (AMT Calculator, Equity Planner, Exercise Timing Planner, Stock Option Tax Calculator, Stock Option Exit Calculator, Equity Compensation Calculator) and by Maeve, an AI equity assistant built on Anthropic's Claude that integrates with Carta to deliver personalized scenario modeling. The proprietary Private Market Insights product covers valuation data for 1,800+ late-stage companies using fund marks, public comps, secondary trades, 409A values, and a proprietary Caplight valuation method, which Secfi cites as a core data advantage.

Secfi generates revenue through a 5% platform fee plus an advance rate and equity share on financing transactions, a 5% fee on secondary brokerage, and subscription fees starting at $1,800/quarter for wealth management, supplemented by returns from a $150 million investment facility provided by Serengeti Asset Management. The company pursues a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led growth (free calculators, Maeve, newsletter with 30k+ subscribers) with dedicated equity strategists serving high-value executives and enterprise partnerships with startup HR/finance teams.

Name

Secfi

Legal name

Secfi, Inc.

Website

https://secfi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Secfi is an SEC-registered broker-dealer providing equity planning, non-recourse stock option financing, secondary share brokerage, and wealth management to employees and executives of late-stage private technology companies, supported by the Maeve AI assistant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equity Planning & Financial Advisory

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Securitization & Loan Trading Enablement (Whole Loan Sales, ABS Data/Reporting) (FSAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Securitized Products (MBS/ABS/CMBS) (FSAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Equity planning services
• Stock option financing
• Wealth management
• Liquidity solutions
• Private market insights

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financing Platform Fees: 5% platform fee for financing services, plus an Advance Rate (similar to interest) and Equity Share (based on stock exit value). Repayment only occurs upon successful exit event.
2. Secondary Sale Brokerage: 5% transaction fee for brokering secondary sales. No charge if sale does not happen.
3. Wealth Management Fees: All-inclusive pricing starting at $1,800/quarter. Fee-only advisors with no commissions or kickbacks.
4. Investment Facility Returns: Returns from $150M Serengeti Asset Management investment facility used to fund employee stock option exercises and product development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Secfi provides liquidity and wealth management services tailored to startup employees and executives holding equity compensation. Core offerings include non-recourse financing for exercising stock options, secondary share sale brokerage, AI-powered equity planning through the Maeve assistant, fee-only wealth management, and private market valuation data covering 1,800+ late-stage companies.

Product overview

Secfi is a financial advisory platform for tech employees and executives managing startup equity. The platform combines Secfi Liquidity (non-recourse financing and secondary share sales) and Secfi Wealth (financial planning and wealth management), powered by Maeve, an AI equity strategist built on Anthropic's Claude. The product suite includes specialized calculators (AMT Calculator, Equity Planner, Exercise Timing Planner, Stock Option Tax Calculator, Stock Option Exit Calculator, Equity Compensation Calculator), Private Market Insights for valuation data across 1,800+ companies, and executive-focused solutions. For startups, Secfi offers employee equity education and company-friendly financing programs. The platform integrates with Carta for equity data import and serves employees from companies including SpaceX, Stripe, and Coinbase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maeve: AI assistant built for equity planning. Provides personalized equity analysis, tax scenario modeling, and exercise timing recommendations based on user's actual equity grants and financial profile.

Products and services

• Maeve AI equity strategist and assistant that helps startup employees understand stock options, model exercise scenarios, estimate tax implications, and make informed equity decisions. Built on Anthropic's Claude with access to real-time private market data.
• Non-Recourse Financing Financing solution covering the cost of exercising stock options and taxes, with repayment required only upon a successful exit event. Personal assets are not at risk if the company does not exit.
• Secondary Sale Brokerage Brokerage service connecting employees with a network of qualified buyers for pre-IPO shares, providing access to liquidity before an IPO or acquisition.
• Secfi Wealth Financial planning and wealth management services for tech employees with equity compensation, including personalized investment management and tax planning delivered by fee-only advisors.
• Secfi Asset Management Asset management offerings for investors including Diversified Funds for late-stage startups, Tailored SMA Vehicles for customized funds, and Secondaries for private equity investment.
• Private Market Insights Valuation tool providing market data for over 1,800 late-stage companies using multiple pricing methods including fund marks, public comps, secondary trades, 409A, preferred price, and the proprietary Caplight valuation method.
• Liquidity Solutions for Startup Executives Bespoke liquidity solutions for startup executives including comprehensive equity analysis, customized liquidity strategies, and assistance with QSBS status and voting rights.
• Wealth Management for Startup Executives Tailored wealth management services for startup executives including comprehensive tax planning, QSBS strategies, real estate advice, and estate planning.
• Secfi for Startups Suite of services for startups including employee equity education, planning tools, personalized guidance, and exercise financing to help companies support their employees' equity decisions.
• AMT Calculator Calculator that determines how many Incentive Stock Options can be exercised in a calendar year without triggering Alternative Minimum Tax, with data import capability from Carta.
• Equity Planner Self-guided planning tool enabling users to compare different equity scenarios including exercising now versus waiting for IPO, with data saved to user accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Employees can potentially save millions in taxes by exercising early vs. waiting for IPO (example: $2M+ tax savings demonstrated in SpaceX case study)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Equitybee: Equitybee provides cash to startup employees and other shareholders in exchange for a share of their equity, often at exercise. It is the closest direct competitor to Secfi's non-recourse financing product, serving the same buyer (tech employees with options) with a structurally similar outcome-contingent funding model.
• EquityZen: EquityZen operates a private shares marketplace that connects shareholders of pre-IPO companies with accredited investors seeking to buy those shares. It directly competes with Secfi's Secondary Sale brokerage and overlapping investor network.
• Forge Global: Forge Global is a leading marketplace and liquidity provider for private company shares, serving both issuers and employees seeking liquidity. It is a direct competitor to Secfi's secondary brokerage and pricing/valuation data products.
• Hiive: Hiive runs a private stock secondary marketplace for startup employees and investors, with structured bidding and price discovery. It directly competes with Secfi's secondary sale offering for the same buyer and seller profiles.
• SharesPost: SharesPost provides a regulated marketplace for private company shares and related investment research. It is a direct competitor in the secondary trading space, with overlapping buyer networks and valuation data offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Carta: Carta is the dominant cap table management platform for private companies, and increasingly offers liquidity, private fund, and equity planning features that overlap with Secfi's data and liquidity offerings. It is a broader incumbent with significantly larger scale and a privileged position as the system of record for equity grants.
• Nasdaq Private Market: Nasdaq Private Market provides technology, compliance, and liquidity solutions for private company secondary transactions and tender offers. It competes with Secfi in the regulated secondary brokerage space and is a much larger incumbent with broader infrastructure.
• Morgan Stanley at Work: Morgan Stanley at Work is the financial giant's equity compensation, financial wellness, and stock plan services business for corporate clients. It competes with Secfi Wealth and Secfi for Startups as a broad incumbent with deeper balance sheet and broader product set.
• Fidelity Private Shares: Fidelity Private Shares provides private company stock plan administration, cap table management, and secondary trading services. It is a broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities, particularly around equity administration and liquidity events for private companies.
• SoFi: SoFi is a broad consumer fintech offering lending, wealth management, and financial planning products, including personal loan and wealth advisory services that compete with adjacent parts of Secfi's stack (financing and wealth management) for tech employees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asksecfi

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors8 records

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 Secfi