Top 20 Secondaries & Liquidity Solutions Advisory 2026

This report forms part of the Ranking News Investment Banking & Capital Markets Advisory series, evaluating specialist advisory firms operating in the secondary market and liquidity solutions segment of private capital markets.

Secondaries and liquidity solutions advisory firms play a critical role in enabling liquidity in otherwise illiquid private markets. These firms operate at the intersection of private equity, venture capital, growth equity, and institutional investing, facilitating transactions that are typically executed outside public markets.

Unlike traditional placement agents or investment banks, these firms specialize in off-market transactions, including:

• Secondary sales of private company shares
• Block trades in private or thinly traded assets
• Direct secondary transactions between shareholders and institutional buyers
• Private placements and structured liquidity solutions
• VC secondaries and pre-IPO liquidity events

Their clients include founders, early investors, venture capital firms, employees, family offices, and institutional investors seeking entry or exit in private assets.

The firms recognized in this ranking represent the evolving infrastructure of global private market liquidity.

Market Overview

The global secondary and private liquidity market has expanded significantly as private companies remain private for longer periods and institutional capital continues to shift toward alternative assets.

Traditional exit routes such as IPOs and M&A are no longer sufficient to meet liquidity needs. As a result, private secondary markets have become a critical mechanism for enabling capital recycling and investor flexibility.

Specialist firms in this space facilitate transactions that would otherwise be difficult to execute, including large block trades, cross-border secondary deals, and structured liquidity events. These transactions often require discretion, access to proprietary buyer networks, and the ability to manage complex shareholder dynamics.

The market remains highly fragmented but is rapidly institutionalizing, with increased participation from sovereign wealth funds, secondary funds, and large family offices.

Industry Trend — 2026

In 2026, private market liquidity continues to evolve into a structured and scalable asset class. Secondary transactions are no longer limited to distressed sales or opportunistic trades but are increasingly integrated into portfolio management strategies.

Venture capital secondaries are experiencing significant growth, particularly in late-stage companies where early investors and employees seek liquidity prior to exit events. At the same time, institutional investors are actively pursuing access to high-quality private assets through secondary channels.

Technology-enabled platforms are also reshaping the market, improving price discovery and transaction efficiency. However, relationship-driven intermediaries remain essential for executing large or complex transactions.

The ability to source proprietary deal flow and match buyers with sellers discreetly remains a key differentiator in this market.

Methodology — Core Eligibility Criteria

Firms considered for this ranking were evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Active involvement in private market secondary transactions
• Ability to facilitate off-market liquidity events or block trades
• Engagement in VC secondaries, private placements, or structured liquidity
• Demonstrated access to institutional and private buyers
• Operates as an independent intermediary or platform

Methodology — Ranking Factors

Firms were evaluated based on qualitative institutional indicators including:

• Volume and complexity of secondary transactions executed
• Access to proprietary deal flow
• Strength of buyer and seller networks
• Capability in structuring off-market liquidity solutions

The ranking universe consisted of approximately 50 advisory firms globally, from which 20 firms were selected for inclusion.

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Tier I — Leading Secondaries & Liquidity Solutions Advisory

Nasdaq Private Market

• Headquarters: San Francisco, United States
• Founded: 2013

Nasdaq Private Market is one of the most institutionally recognized platforms for private company liquidity, providing infrastructure for tender offers, auctions, block trades, company-directed liquidity programs, and secondary transactions in private company shares. The firm serves private companies, employees, shareholders, investors, banks, brokers, and other market participants seeking controlled liquidity before an IPO or acquisition.

Its position is especially important because private companies are staying private longer, creating greater demand for structured liquidity programs. Nasdaq Private Market’s brand association, regulatory orientation, and experience with company-sponsored liquidity events give it a strong institutional profile in an otherwise fragmented private secondary market.

Nasdaq Private Market fits Tier I because it combines marketplace infrastructure, issuer-side liquidity solutions, investor access, data, and settlement capabilities. It is not merely a retail pre-IPO access platform; it functions as a core private-market infrastructure provider.

Setter Capital

• Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
• Founded: 2006

Setter Capital is a specialist secondary advisory firm focused on liquidity solutions for private fund managers, institutional investors, and holders of alternative investment interests. Its work spans private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, real assets, hedge funds, and other illiquid alternative investment categories.

The firm’s role is more advisory-driven than marketplace-driven. Setter supports portfolio sales, buyer identification, secondary transaction execution, market intelligence, valuation support, and liquidity planning for investors and fund managers. This gives it a differentiated position within the ranking because it covers fund-level and institutional secondary transactions rather than only pre-IPO company shares.

Setter Capital belongs in Tier I because of its long specialization, secondary-market data, and direct alignment with private-market liquidity. It adds institutional depth to a list that would otherwise be dominated by venture-backed private share marketplaces.

Zanbato

• Headquarters: Mountain View, United States
• Founded: 2010

Zanbato is a private securities platform and investment firm associated with institutional-grade secondary market infrastructure for private company shares. Its platform orientation has historically focused on connecting qualified market participants in private securities transactions, with a particular emphasis on late-stage private technology companies and institutional buyers.

The firm is relevant because private-company secondary liquidity increasingly requires curated execution, market data, discretion, and counterparty qualification. In large private share transactions, buyers and sellers often require more than a simple listing venue; they need controlled access, pricing intelligence, and transaction workflow support.

Zanbato fits Tier I because it has been one of the better-known private securities platforms in the institutional secondary market ecosystem. Its inclusion emphasizes the ranking continuity with the earlier generation of private share marketplaces while keeping the focus on operationally identifiable platforms.

Hiive

• Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada
• Founded: 2021

Hiive is a private stock marketplace focused on buying and selling shares of venture-backed private companies. The platform serves shareholders and investors seeking access to pre-IPO private company liquidity, with an emphasis on transparency, transaction workflow, and market visibility.

Hiive is particularly relevant in the current market because secondary demand has become concentrated in late-stage technology and AI companies where IPO timelines remain uncertain. Its platform model responds to the growing need for shareholders, employees, early investors, and accredited buyers to transact before traditional exit events.

Hiive fits Tier I despite being younger than several legacy platforms because it has become one of the more visible next-generation marketplaces for private company shares. It represents the newer digital infrastructure layer of the secondary market.

Augment

• Headquarters: Austin, United States
• Founded: 2022

Augment operates a marketplace for private company stock, connecting investors, shareholders, and market participants seeking access to secondary transactions in pre-IPO companies. The firm focuses on simplifying private share transactions through pricing visibility, transaction workflow, and a curated marketplace environment.

Its relevance has increased as private secondary markets become more active around high-demand venture-backed companies. Augment’s platform is especially aligned with investors seeking access to private technology companies and shareholders seeking liquidity before an IPO or acquisition.

Augment fits Tier I because it represents one of the most visible emerging platforms in the modern private share secondary market. While younger than traditional players, its momentum and direct focus on private stock liquidity make it a stronger inclusion than acquired legacy platforms.

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Tier II — Established Secondaries & Liquidity Advisory

(Alphabetical order)

Asset Match

• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Founded: 2012

Asset Match Limited operates an online platform for trading shares in private and unquoted securities. Authorised as a PISCES operator and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, the firm provides a structured secondary-liquidity venue for private companies, advisers, brokers, shareholders, and investors.

The Asset Match model creates secondary liquidity through periodic auctions in which a live order book is displayed throughout the auction process, and a non-discretionary algorithm creates a single clearing price. This approach supports price discovery and controlled liquidity for private-company shares without requiring a full public listing or relying solely on informal bilateral transactions.

Asset Match was included in Tier II in recognition of its regulated private-company secondary market platform, auction-based liquidity model, and relevance to shareholders, companies, advisers, and investors seeking structured liquidity solutions for private and unquoted securities.

Caplight

• Headquarters: San Francisco, United States
• Founded: 2021

Caplight is a private market data and trading platform focused on pricing, market intelligence, and institutional trading tools for private company exposure. The firm’s platform supports private market transactions and derivative-like structures, giving institutional investors better visibility into private company valuations and trading interest.

Its relevance lies in the increasing sophistication of private secondary markets. As late-stage private companies remain private longer, investors require more transparent pricing signals, hedging tools, and structured transaction mechanisms. Caplight addresses this need by building infrastructure around market data and execution rather than relying solely on traditional bilateral brokerage.

Caplight fits Tier II because it adds an institutional trading and data layer to the secondaries ecosystem. It is not a conventional placement agent, but its role in private market price discovery and liquidity formation makes it highly relevant.

Castle Placement

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 2009

Castle Placement is a private placement and capital markets intermediary that supports private securities transactions, capital raising, and structured investor access. The firm works with private companies, issuers, shareholders, and investors in transactions where traditional public-market liquidity is unavailable.

Its relevance to this category comes from its role in off-market private securities execution. Castle Placement can support secondary sales, direct private placements, shareholder liquidity events, and structured capital transactions, particularly for companies and investors requiring targeted access to qualified counterparties.

Castle Placement fits Tier II because it is a practical transaction intermediary rather than a pure digital marketplace. Its broader capital-raising capability should be framed carefully, but its private securities execution role makes it suitable for a secondary liquidity advisory ranking.

Crowdcube Secondary

• Headquarters: Exeter, United Kingdom
• Founded: 2011

Crowdcube is a major European private investment platform with a secondary liquidity offering for private company shares. Its secondary market function allows shareholders in eligible private companies to access liquidity opportunities while giving investors access to companies outside traditional public markets.

The platform is especially relevant for retail and sophisticated investors participating in the European private company ecosystem. As private companies seek broader investor communities without immediate public listings, Crowdcube’s secondary functionality helps address one of the main weaknesses of private investing: limited exit options.

Crowdcube Secondary fits Tier II because it is a real, visible, and active private-market liquidity channel in Europe. It is broader than a pure secondary advisory boutique, but its secondary function is sufficiently important to justify inclusion.

EquityBee

• Headquarters: Palo Alto, United States
• Founded: 2017

EquityBee provides liquidity and financing solutions for startup employees holding stock options. The platform connects employees who need capital to exercise vested options with investors seeking exposure to private company equity before a liquidity event.

Its model is distinct from ordinary secondary share trading because it focuses on the employee stock-option exercise problem. Many startup employees cannot afford the exercise cost or related tax burden, and EquityBee provides a structured way for them to unlock value before an IPO or acquisition.

EquityBee fits Tier II because it addresses a specific and commercially important segment of private-market liquidity. It is not a broad marketplace for all secondary trades, but its role in employee equity liquidity makes it highly relevant.

FNEX

• Headquarters: Indianapolis, United States
• Founded: 2012

FNEX is a private securities and investment banking platform focused on pre-IPO stock transactions, alternative investments, and institutional private securities execution. The firm provides access to private company shares and supports confidential transactions involving accredited investors, family offices, wealth advisors, and institutional buyers.

Its secondary-market relevance comes from its focus on private securities access and large-block execution. In transactions involving late-stage private companies, confidentiality, qualified investor screening, and transaction discipline are critical, particularly when public-market infrastructure is unavailable.

FNEX fits Tier II because it has a clear private securities liquidity function, meaningful transaction orientation, and institutional positioning. It is broader than a pure secondary marketplace, but still directly relevant to private-market liquidity solutions.

Palico

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 2012

Palico is an online marketplace for buying and selling private fund positions. The platform focuses on secondary transactions involving private equity fund interests, connecting qualified buyers and sellers across fund strategies, geographies, and deal sizes.

Its relevance differs from pre-IPO stock platforms because Palico targets fund-level liquidity rather than individual private company shares. This makes it valuable for limited partners seeking to sell fund interests and buyers looking for access to private equity exposure through secondary transactions.

Palico fits Tier II because ofvits broaden exposure to the LP-led fund secondaries market. Its marketplace model is specialized, private-markets-focused, and clearly aligned with secondary liquidity.

Qapita

• Headquarters: Singapore
• Founded: 2019

Qapita is an equity management and liquidity platform serving private companies, employees, investors, and other stakeholders across Asia and other growth markets. Its private secondaries offering supports company-led and investor-driven liquidity programs for unlisted equity.

The firm is particularly relevant in markets where startup equity ownership, ESOP administration, cap table management, and secondary transactions are becoming more formalized. Qapita’s platform links equity administration with liquidity workflows, helping companies manage shareholder liquidity while preserving governance and compliance.

Qapita fits Tier II because it adds geographic diversity and captures the growth of private-market liquidity in Asia. It is not only a cap table provider; its secondaries and liquidity functionality make it relevant to this ranking.

Rainmaker Securities

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 2008

Rainmaker Securities is a private securities broker-dealer focused on pre-IPO liquidity and late-stage private company transactions. The firm facilitates private equity market-making, capital formation, and secondary transactions involving private company shares.

Its model is especially relevant for shareholders and investors seeking broker-led execution rather than purely digital marketplace access. Rainmaker’s work often involves connecting qualified buyers and sellers, handling transaction structuring, and supporting private securities execution in situations where discretion and regulatory discipline are important.

Rainmaker Securities fits Tier II because it is directly tied to private securities liquidity and has a clear operating identity in the pre-IPO secondary market. It provides a useful broker-dealer counterweight to technology-first marketplace platforms.

The Elephant

• Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel
• Founded: 2015

The Elephant is a global secondary market platform focused on private technology company shares. The firm supports trading, data, and company liquidity solutions, helping shareholders, investors, and private companies navigate secondary transactions.

Its platform is particularly relevant for late-stage technology companies where employees, founders, early investors, and other shareholders may seek liquidity before a public listing or acquisition. The Elephant’s model combines marketplace access with company-sponsored liquidity support and private market data.

The Elephant fits Tier II because it is directly focused on private share liquidity and has a visible operating footprint outside the US and UK. Its inclusion fits for stronger international coverage beyond Silicon Valley platforms.

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Tier III — Specialist Secondaries & Liquidity Solutions Advisory

Alphabetical order)

BnkToTheFuture

• Headquarters: Hong Kong
• Founded: 2012

BnkToTheFuture is an online investment platform with secondary market functionality for private investments, particularly in fintech, digital assets, and financial innovation companies. Its platform has historically focused on professional and qualified investors seeking exposure to private-market opportunities.

The firm is more specialized and niche than mainstream pre-IPO secondary platforms, but it remains relevant because it serves investors looking for liquidity and access in private financial technology and digital asset-related companies.

BnkToTheFuture fits Tier III because it adds a specialist fintech/private investment angle. It should not be positioned as a core institutional secondaries platform, but it is useful for sectoral depth.

Earlyasset

• Headquarters: Park City, United States
• Founded: 2026

Earlyasset is a new private-market liquidity platform focused on improving access to venture secondary transactions for small and mid-sized private companies. The firm is building pricing and transaction workflow infrastructure to help shareholders and companies manage secondary liquidity more efficiently.

Its positioning is relevant because most secondary market activity remains concentrated in a small number of highly visible late-stage companies. Earlyasset aims to broaden liquidity access beyond the most heavily traded names by creating tools for pricing, transaction coordination, and controlled execution.

Earlyasset fits Tier III because it is newly launched and still emerging, but its focus is directly aligned with the future direction of private-market liquidity. It should be treated as a specialist emerging platform rather than an established Tier II firm.

MicroVentures

• Headquarters: Austin, United States
• Founded: 2009

MicroVentures is an investment platform and broker-dealer providing access to startup and private-market investment opportunities. While it is best known for equity crowdfunding and private investment access, it also participates in the broader ecosystem of private company liquidity and secondary market access.

Its relevance to this ranking comes from its role in connecting investors with private company opportunities across different stages. MicroVentures is not a pure secondary-market specialist, but its platform structure and private investment access model make it part of the wider liquidity infrastructure for private company shareholders and investors.

MicroVentures fits Tier III because it is commercially relevant and active, but broader than the core secondaries platforms in Tier I and Tier II. It should be framed as a specialist private investment platform with secondary-market relevance.

Notice.co

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 2021

Notice is a private market investing platform that provides access to data, portfolio tracking, and trading functionality for pre-IPO companies. The platform is positioned around helping investors participate in private markets with better information, transaction access, and market visibility.

Its relevance comes from the growing demand for digital tools that combine private company data, transaction discovery, and secondary trading. In an opaque market, platforms that support price awareness and transaction access can play an important role even if they are not yet large institutional venues.

Notice fits Tier III because it is active and directly connected to private market liquidity, but still appears less institutionally established than the larger marketplace and broker-dealer platforms. It is a suitable specialist inclusion, not a Tier II anchor.

UpMarket

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 2019

UpMarket is an alternative investment platform and registered broker-dealer offering access to pre-IPO companies, private equity, hedge funds, and other private-market opportunities. Its platform serves accredited investors seeking curated private investment exposure outside public markets.

Its relevance to secondaries and liquidity solutions comes from its pre-IPO and private-market access function. UpMarket helps investors participate in private opportunities and supports a broader environment where private company shareholders and investors seek structured access before traditional exits.

UpMarket fits Tier III because it is broader than a pure secondary trading platform, but still commercially relevant to private-market liquidity. It is best positioned as a specialist alternative investment access platform with secondary-market overlap.

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Remarks

Secondaries and liquidity solutions advisory has emerged as one of the most structurally significant segments within private capital markets. As private assets represent an increasing share of global portfolios, the ability to generate liquidity outside traditional exit channels has become essential.

This category differs fundamentally from both capital raising and traditional investment banking advisory. It operates in environments where transactions are negotiated privately, pricing is often opaque, and execution depends heavily on access to proprietary networks and counterparties.

The firms included in this ranking reflect the evolving infrastructure of private market liquidity, ranging from institutional-grade trading platforms to specialized intermediaries facilitating block trades and structured transactions.

As private markets continue to mature, this segment is expected to expand further, driven by the need for flexible liquidity solutions and more efficient capital allocation mechanisms.

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