What SetterVC does

SetterVC is a privately held US-based broker-dealer founded in 2006 that operates a marketplace platform facilitating secondary market transactions in shares of private, predominantly unicorn, companies. The platform connects three participant groups: accredited individual investors and institutional buyers seeking pre-IPO exposure, and existing shareholders (founders, employees, early investors) seeking liquidity before public listing events. As a FINRA- and SIPC-registered broker-dealer, the company earns revenue through transaction fees on the deals it intermediates, with pricing reportedly negotiated on a per-transaction basis rather than through publicly disclosed rate cards.

The company's product surface consists of two components. The core SetterVC Platform is a web-based marketplace where participants register, view opportunities, and execute secondary transactions. The second product is the Setter30, a real-time proprietary index that ranks the 30 most sought-after venture-backed companies in the secondary market based on buyer shortlists, quarterly market surveys, and daily signals from active platform participants; the index also publishes performance comparisons against the S&P 500 by quarter. Underlying technology is not publicly disclosed, and the company does not describe proprietary matching engines, pricing algorithms, or AI-driven tooling.

SetterVC positions itself as the "No. 1 Unicorn Broker" with claimed coverage spanning thousands of companies across all geographies. It has accumulated multiple industry awards between 2022 and 2025, including Best Secondaries Platform and Best Unicorn Broker recognitions from European, US Awards, SecLink, and PE Wire. The company operates as a bootstrapped private entity with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or named management team in the public source material.

Name

SetterVC

Legal name

SetterVC

Website

https://SetterVC.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SetterVC is a US-based, FINRA-registered broker-dealer founded in 2006 that operates a marketplace facilitating secondary market transactions in shares of private unicorn companies. It serves accredited individual investors, institutional buyers, and existing shareholders seeking pre-IPO liquidity, and publishes the Setter30 index of top-demand private companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Securities Brokerage

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lead Generation, Comparison & Marketplace Platforms (Financial Products) (FSAEAMAM)

Keywords

• Private share trading
• Secondary market brokerage
• Unicorn secondaries
• Private equity transactions
• Pre-IPO investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Secondary transaction facilitation: SetterVC facilitates secondary market transactions between buyers and sellers of private company shares. The platform earns revenue by facilitating transactions for both buyers and sellers in the unicorn secondary market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SetterVC operates an online marketplace platform that connects buyers and sellers of private company (unicorn) shares in the pre-IPO secondary market. The platform facilitates transactions between existing shareholders (founders, employees, early investors) and eligible accredited or institutional investors, providing specialist guidance and access to thousands of venture-backed companies across all geographies. It also publishes the Setter30, a real-time index ranking the 30 most in-demand venture-backed companies in the secondary market.

Product overview

SetterVC is a unified platform for buyers and sellers of private company shares in the secondary market. It consists of the core SetterVC Platform for executing secondary transactions and the Setter30 index product that ranks the top 30 most in-demand venture-backed companies based on secondary market demand signals. The platform serves both buyers seeking exposure to pre-IPO companies and sellers (founders, employees, early investors) looking to liquidate positions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Setter30: Real-time rankings and performance data for the top 30 most sought-after venture-backed companies in the secondary market, tracking buyer shortlists, quarterly market surveys, and daily signals from active secondary market participants.

Products and services

• SetterVC Platform An online marketplace platform that enables buyers and sellers to trade private company shares in the secondary market, facilitating transactions between existing shareholders and eligible investors for pre-IPO companies. Serves both accredited individual investors and institutional clients.
• Setter30 Index A real-time ranking index tracking the 30 most sought-after venture-backed companies in the secondary market, based on buyer shortlists, quarterly market surveys, and daily signals from active secondary market participants. Performance data is updated quarterly against public benchmarks including the S&P 500.

Quantifiable outcome

• Established 2006 with proven track record in private equity and venture capital secondaries

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Linqto: Linqto is a technology-driven investment platform providing liquidity solutions for private company shares through a secondary marketplace targeting accredited investors. It is directly comparable to SetterVC in marketplace model and customer segment, with overlap in unicorn-focused secondary transactions.
• Zanbato: Zanbato operates an institutional private stock trading network facilitating secondary market transactions between accredited investors for shares in private companies. It directly competes with SetterVC's institutional segment and shares similar transaction-fee economics.
• SharesPost: SharesPost operates an online private equity marketplace facilitating secondary transactions in late-stage, pre-IPO company shares for accredited investors. It is directly comparable to SetterVC in product offering, customer segment, and secondary transaction focus.
• Carta (Secondary Market): Carta, primarily known for cap table management, has expanded into private share trading via its secondary marketplace platform. It competes directly with SetterVC by enabling buy-side and sell-side secondary transactions in private company shares through its existing customer network.
• Hiive: Hiive is a private stock trading platform that connects buyers and sellers of shares in venture-backed, pre-IPO companies. It is a direct competitor to SetterVC with similar marketplace mechanics, buyer/seller personas, and transaction-fee economics.
• Forge Global: Forge Global is a leading private securities marketplace providing secondary trading, cap table management, and data products for unicorn company shares. It directly competes with SetterVC in the secondary market for private shares and serves overlapping accredited and institutional investor segments.
• EquityZen: EquityZen operates a marketplace platform facilitating secondary transactions in shares of private, late-stage, pre-IPO companies for accredited investors. It is directly comparable to SetterVC in target market, product (pre-IPO secondary marketplace), and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Nasdaq Private Market: Nasdaq Private Market is a subsidiary of Nasdaq offering private company trading and transfer services to issuers, employees, and investors. As an incumbent exchange-affiliated platform, it competes with SetterVC with broader infrastructure reach and institutional backing.

Emerging players

• MicroVentures (and NowTech): MicroVentures is an online investment platform that has historically offered secondary market access to private company shares alongside primary offerings. It is an emerging player with comparable marketplace mechanics and accredited investor targeting.
• EquityBee: EquityBee enables accredited investors to fund employee stock option exercises in exchange for a share of future upside, providing partial liquidity to employees of private companies. It is an emerging player with partial overlap with SetterVC's seller-side value proposition of pre-IPO liquidity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/reel/DXCqlEYP9Eu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SetterVC