EquityZen, the leading private market investment platform, was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. EquityZen, founded in 2013, aims to increase global access to both private market liquidity and investment opportunities.
The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. Technology Pioneers community is an integral part of the larger Global Innovators community of start-ups at the World Economic Forum.
Following its selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO Atish Davda of EquityZen will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year. EquityZen will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with policymakers and private sector leaders to help define the global agenda on key issues.
“We’re excited to welcome EquityZen to our 20th cohort of Technology Pioneers,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “EquityZen and its fellow pioneers are developing cutting edge technologies all over the world. Beyond their innovations, these firms are contributing greatly to improving the state of the world.”
With the abundance of private capital available, companies are staying private longer than ever, creating an increased need for pre-IPO liquidity and investment access. Despite this, the private markets have remained hard to access with high investment minimums and arduous investment processes. EquityZen is committed to solving these barriers and serving the needs of issuers, shareholders, and investors in the private markets. Since 2013, EquityZen has worked with over 200 late stage tech companies, including over half of the top U.S. tech unicorns to facilitate liquidity and investment opportunities.
“We are thrilled to be acknowledged as a pioneer by the World Economic Forum”, said EquityZen’s Atish Davda. “It is a testament of the work our team has done on behalf of the nearly 100,000+ investors and shareholders who use EquityZen. Our team says we build Private Markets for the Public, and I’m proud our team is being recognized for making a difference in increasing global access to the private markets. We look forward to working with our fellow Tech Pioneers to make a broad range of important financial products and services available to a wider global audience.”
This year’s cohort selection marks the 20th anniversary of the Tech Pioneers community. Throughout its 20-year run, many Technology Pioneers have continuously contributed to advancement in their industries while some have even gone on to become household names. Past recipients include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
2020 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more. The diversity of these companies extends to their leadership as well, as over 25% of 2020 Tech Pioneers are female led. The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. Learn more from the the full list of Technology Pioneers.
Technology Pioneers have been selected based on the community’s selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company’s relevance with the World Economic Forum’s Platforms.
For more information, please contact partnerships@equityzen.com.
