The post Robinhood Launches $1B Fund to Let Retail Investors Buy Pre-IPO Shares appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Robinhood Markets has announced a new plan aimed at giving everyday investors access to private companies before they go public an area that has usually been limited to venture capital firms and large institutions.
The company has launched Robinhood Ventures Fund I (RVI) and started its IPO roadshow for a public offering of about $1 billion in common shares. The shares are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RVI.
Retail investors can request IPO shares at an expected price of $25 each. The offering includes 40 million shares 35 million from the fund and 5 million from Robinhood Markets. Goldman Sachs is managing the offering. Underwriters also have the option to purchase up to 6 million additional shares within 30 days.
What the Fund Will Invest In
RVI plans to invest in a group of well-known private companies, including:
- Databricks
- Revolut
- Airwallex
- Boom Supersonic
- Mercor
- Oura
- Ramp
The fund also has an agreement to buy shares of Stripe after its IPO.
These companies operate in areas like fintech, software, consumer technology, and aerospace. Through this fund, individual investors may gain exposure to businesses that are still private — something that has traditionally required large capital or accredited investor status.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said the goal is to give retail investors earlier access to companies that often see major growth before listing publicly.
Why This Move Now?
Robinhood’s latest earnings report showed mixed performance, with crypto trading revenue declining in Q4 2025. Slower trading activity across both stocks and crypto has pushed the company to look for new revenue sources.
Launching RVI appears to be part of that effort expanding beyond regular stock and crypto trading into private market investments.
Market Reaction
Robinhood’s stock (HOOD) fell 0.70% in the past 24 hours. Trading volume also declined 27.47% compared to the previous session, reaching $2.37 billion.
The drop in price and volume suggests investors are cautious, especially as Robinhood moves into private market investing while overall retail trading activity remains subdued.
