What Avant Garde Trading does

Avant Garde Trading is a Chicago-headquartered retail brokerage, operated as a d/b/a of Prosperum Securities, LLC, that launched a redesigned AI-powered trading platform in April 2026. The platform unifies equity trading, complex (multi-leg) options trading, program trading via Letters of Direction (LOD), curated private placements, and Pre-IPO investment access within a single self-serve interface, supported by a human broker trade desk for assisted execution. The technical stack combines a real-time market data infrastructure with AI-embedded research tools that monitor user portfolios, highlight volatility and momentum shifts, and assist with pre-trade and post-trade analysis. Pre-IPO and private placement access is enabled through an API integration with Monark Markets, allowing qualified retail investors to participate in private market deals with minimums as low as $10,000, with plans to expand into private equity, private credit, fractional real estate, and infrastructure. Clearing and settlement are outsourced to Apex Clearing Corporation, and the firm is a FINRA/SIPC member.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring subscription and transaction-based revenue. A $5/month Member Benefits subscription provides premium platform features; self-directed equity trades are commission-free ($0), broker-assisted equity trades are $15, self-directed options are $0.65/contract, and broker-assisted options are $1.50/contract with $15–$30 minimums. Program trading pricing is variable based on complexity, and program trades are also being made available as auto-execution from social signals (Reddit, X). Customer acquisition is predominantly product-led and community-led, with 5-minute self-serve account opening, free educational webinars with industry presenters (e.g., options strategies, the Rule of 16, iron condors, 0DTE), and an active organic social presence on X and LinkedIn. Customer segmentation spans Professional Traders, Novice Investors, Active Traders, and Self-Directed Traders, with educational content targeted at novice onboarding. Operations are domestic US-only from the firm's Chicago headquarters, and crypto trading is flagged as a forthcoming product line.

Name

Avant Garde Trading

Legal name

Prosperum Securities, LLC

Website

https://avantgardetrading.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avant Garde Trading is a Chicago-based FINRA/SIPC retail brokerage that offers equities, complex options, and Pre-IPO private market access through a single AI-powered self-serve platform, serving both professional and novice investors across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Discount & Online Retail Brokerage (FSAEACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Asset Electronic Trading Platforms (FSAFANAH), Options Brokerage (FSAEACAI)

Keywords

• Retail brokerage services
• Equities options trading
• Pre-IPO investment access
• AI trading platform
• Program trading execution

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Fees: Monthly membership fees charged to platform users for access to trading tools, research, and platform features. Member Benefits tier priced at $5/month provides ongoing recurring revenue.
2. Equity Commissions: Per-trade commissions charged on equity transactions. Self-directed trades priced at $0.00, broker-assisted trades at $15.00 per trade. Transaction-based revenue model.
3. Options Commissions: Per-contract fees charged on options trades. Self-directed at $0.65/contract, broker-assisted single leg at $1.50/contract ($15 minimum) and multi-leg at $1.50/contract ($30 minimum). Volume-dependent transaction revenue.
4. Program Trading: Custom program trading services with variable pricing based on trade complexity and size. Higher-margin professional service offering for sophisticated traders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Avant Garde Trading operates an AI-powered retail brokerage platform that lets individual investors trade equities and complex options, execute program (LOD) trading strategies, and access curated private market opportunities including pre-IPO investments from a single interface. The platform combines commission-free self-directed equity trading, low-cost options, broker-assisted trade desk support, and AI-embedded research and decision support tools, with pre-IPO access enabled through a partnership with Monark Markets.

Product overview

Avant Garde Trading offers a unified multi-asset trading platform enabling access to equities, complex options, and private market opportunities. The core product is the AI-Powered Trading Platform launched in April 2026, which integrates AI-embedded research and decision support tools. Additional offerings include Self-Directed Trading, Program Trading via Letters of Direction (LOD), Private Placements Access, Pre-IPO Investment Access via Monark Markets partnership, Watchlist portfolio tracking, and Educational Webinars. The platform targets both professional traders and novice investors with a $5/month membership model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AI-Powered Trading Platform A unified, next-generation retail brokerage platform combining AI-embedded investment research, equity and complex options trading, and access to curated private placements for qualified investors, with a redesigned interface built for speed, clarity, and ease of use. Targeted at both professional traders and novice investors.
• Self-Directed Trading A self-directed brokerage service offering $0 commissions on equities and $0 + $0.65 per contract on options, including access to trade desk professionals and free educational webinars. Designed for independent retail investors who execute their own trades.
• Program Trading (LOD Program) Letter of Direction (LOD) program trading that lets users subscribe to publishers and automatically execute trade ideas through structured Letters of Direction, with rules-based execution for repeatable strategies. Pricing varies based on trade complexity and program requirements.
• Private Placements Access Access to curated private market opportunities for qualified investors, including pre-IPO companies and exclusive private placements, enabled through Avant Garde's partnership with Monark Markets.
• Pre-IPO Investment Access Retail investor access to pre-IPO investments with minimums as low as $10,000 via an API integration with Monark Markets, enabling participation in private market deals through Monark's network of pre-IPO brokers and syndicates.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Monark MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Strategic partnership enabling Pre-IPO access on the Avant Garde Trading platform. This partnership allows retail investors on Avant Garde's platform to access Pre-IPO investment opportunities through Monark Markets' infrastructure, democratizing access to investment opportunities traditionally reserved for institutional investors.
• Apex Clearing CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationClearing firm partnership providing backend clearing and settlement services. Apex Clearing Corporation handles the trade clearing and settlement infrastructure, enabling Avant Garde to offer trading services without building proprietary clearing systems.
• SIPCcoreOthersSecurities Investor Protection Corporation membership provides customer account protection up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash) in case of broker-dealer failure, enhancing customer trust and regulatory standing.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• eToro: Social/copy-trading brokerage offering equities, options, and crypto with community-driven signal-sharing. Comparable to Avant Garde's planned social-signal auto-trading feature and its community-led GTM motion.
• Public.com: Mobile-first, commission-free investing platform offering equities, options, and access to private companies, with a strong content/community-led growth motion. Comparable to Avant Garde's multi-asset, education-driven, PLG approach.
• Forge Global: Private shares marketplace enabling investors to buy and sell shares in late-stage private companies. Comparable to Avant Garde's Pre-IPO access, but operates as a dedicated venue rather than a bundled feature within a multi-asset brokerage.
• EquityZen: Platform providing retail and accredited investors access to pre-IPO and private company shares. Directly comparable to Avant Garde's Monark Markets-powered Pre-IPO offering, though focused exclusively on private markets.

Broad incumbents

• Interactive Brokers: Professional-grade brokerage with deep options, multi-leg, and global market access for active and professional traders. Comparable to Avant Garde's "Professional Traders" persona and complex options focus, but at institutional scale.
• SoFi Invest: Multi-product financial platform with commission-free equities and options trading. Comparable to Avant Garde's self-directed and novice-investor target segments within a broader financial-services ecosystem.
• Robinhood Markets: Zero-commission retail brokerage offering equities, options, and crypto to self-directed investors. Directly comparable to Avant Garde's self-directed equity/options offering, but vastly larger and incumbent; serves as the benchmark competitor Avant Garde's pricing and feature set must beat.

Direct peers

• tastytrade: Options-centric retail broker and content publisher targeting active, options-focused traders with educational content. Closely aligned with Avant Garde's options-heavy product, educational webinar strategy, and active-trader segment.
• TradeStation: Online broker specializing in equities, options, and program/algorithmic trading for active self-directed traders. Highly comparable to Avant Garde's mix of complex options, program trading (LOD), and active-trader target segment.
• Webull: Online broker offering commission-free equities and options, with an emphasis on active traders and complex options strategies. Closely aligned with Avant Garde's self-directed multi-leg options pricing and active-trader persona.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TradeAGT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avant-garde-trading
• Facebookfacebook.com/Avant-Garde-Trading-162571277424089

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Avant Garde Trading