--- title: Q1 2026 Trends in the Private Secondary Markets description: Learn about the latest trends in the private market, including the surge in AI investments and the public market’s impact on IPOs. Discover what this means for technology investors in venture-backed companies. image: https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/Q1%202026%20(1).png --- [![EquityZen](https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/equityzen-logo.svg "EquityZen")](https://equityzen.com/) - [Investments](https://equityzen.com/explore/) - [Explore](https://equityzen.com/explore-private-market/) - How it Works - [Investors](https://equityzen.com/investor/) - [Shareholders](https://equityzen.com/shareholder/) - [Institutions](https://equityzen.com/institutions/) - [Issuers](https://equityzen.com/issuers/) - [Financial Advisors](https://equityzen.com/financial-advisors/) - [Insights](https://blog.equityzen.com/) - [Login](https://equityzen.com/accounts/login/) - [Sign Up](https://equityzen.com/accounts/register/) [Back to insights](https://blog.equityzen.com) [Market Views](https://blog.equityzen.com/tag/market-views) [From Our Founders](https://blog.equityzen.com/tag/from-our-founders) [Video](https://blog.equityzen.com/tag/video) # Q1 2026 Trends in the Private Secondary Markets ![EquityZen](https://blog.equityzen.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image%20(5).png?width=96&height=96&name=image%20(5).png) Written by EquityZen • May 14, 2026 • 2 min read ![Q1 2026 Trends in the Private Secondary Markets](https://blog.equityzen.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Q1%202026%20(1).png?width=1318&height=736&name=Q1%202026%20(1).png) In this article Like this article? In this session, Brianne Lynch (Head of Market Insight) and Phil Haslett (Chief Strategy Officer) discuss the "noisy" macro environment in early 2026 and the explosive growth in private markets. ### Key Takeaways1 - AI Dominance + Evolution: AI remains the most popular sector, but interest has shifted to AI infrastructure, the physical “picks and shovels” like manufacturing, chips, and data centers. - The Rise of Hard Tech: Aerospace is now the #2 most popular industry on EquityZen, with manufacturing climbing to #4, displacing traditional SaaS and FinTech leaders. - Shrinking Discounts: The deep discounts of previous years are vanishing. The average trade discount dropped from 29% to just 8%, with 34% of trades actually happening at a premium. - Flight to Quality: Over half of Q1 trading volume was concentrated in "Decacorns" ($20B+ valuations). Investors appear to be prioritizing stability and potential IPO contenders over riskier, mid-tier startups. - Liquidity Backlog: With the IPO and M&A markets stalled by volatility, the secondary market is a relief valve that employees and early investors seeking liquidity can use to navigate these conditions. The Bottom Line: While the public market remains hesitant, private market investors are paying up for quality, betting on the companies that will lead the next cycle of innovation.   Want more data? Check out the full [Q1 2026 Secondary Spotlight](https://blog.equityzen.com/private-market-investment-trends-q1-2026-equityzen). ###### Footnotes 1. EquityZen data, March 2026 ###### Disclosures Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not all pre-IPO companies will go public or be acquired, and not all IPOs or acquisitions are or will become successful investments. Join Investors and Shareholders Exploring the Private Markets Today [![Get Started](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20754585/8e691282-6ef2-4809-87ba-5604efc0edbe.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20754585/8e691282-6ef2-4809-87ba-5604efc0edbe) ### Related Articles ![Investing Pre-IPO: What Investors Need to Know to Navigate the Market](https://blog.equityzen.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EquityZen_VideoThumbnail_01%5B99%5D-1.jpg?width=812&height=446&name=EquityZen_VideoThumbnail_01%5B99%5D-1.jpg) ##### Investing Pre-IPO: What Investors Need to Know to Navigate the Market Navigate the private market with EquityZen's insights on pre-IPO investing. Learn about what investo... Investor Education 1 min read ![EquityZen CEO Atish Davda: Our entire mission is to bring private markets to the public](https://blog.equityzen.com/hs-fs/hubfs/unnamed-1-3.png?width=812&height=446&name=unnamed-1-3.png) ##### CNBC: EquityZen CEO Atish Davda: Our entire mission is to bring private markets to the public Atish Davda, CEO & co-founder of EquityZen, joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss EquityZen’s partners... In the News 1 min read ![From Entrepreneurial Economy to Investment Opportunity](https://blog.equityzen.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_539405500.jpg?width=812&height=446&name=shutterstock_539405500.jpg) ##### From Entrepreneurial Economy to Investment Opportunity Explore how self-directed investors can align their portfolios with entrepreneurship and innovation,... Market Views 8 min read #### The Potential to Shape the Future Join over 700,000 investors and shareholders accessing the private markets with EquityZen [![Get Started](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20754585/b1b6ba1b-ed6d-4097-8816-bcd01b3b9828.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20754585/b1b6ba1b-ed6d-4097-8816-bcd01b3b9828) #### Company - [About](https://equityzen.com/about/) - [Careers](https://equityzen.com/careers/) - [Press](https://equityzen.com/press/) #### Policies & Disclosures - [Disclosures](https://equityzen.com/disclosures/) - [Business Continuity Plan](https://equityzen.com/bcp/) - [Privacy Policy](https://equityzen.com/privacy/) - [Allocation Policy](https://equityzen.com/allocation-policy/) - [Form CRS](https://equityzen.com/form-crs/) #### Help - [Help Center](https://help.equityzen.com/en/) - [Getting Started](https://help.equityzen.com/en/collections/5549447-getting-started) - [Status Page](https://status.equityzen.com/) #### Connect - [![Facebook](https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/facebook-1.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/EquityZen) - [![Instagram](https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/instagram-1.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/equityzen_/) - [![Vector (8)](https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/Vector%20(8).svg)](https://twitter.com/EquityZen) - [![Linked In](https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/linkedin-1.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/equityzen) Investment opportunities posted on this website are "private placements" of securities that are not publicly traded, are subject to holding period requirements, and are intended for investors who do not need a liquid investment. Investing in private companies may be considered highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the risk of substantial loss of investment. Investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire investment. See [our Risk Factors](https://equityzen.com/risk-factors/) for a more detailed explanation of the risks involved by investing through EquityZen’s platform.   EquityZen Securities LLC (“EquityZen Securities”) is a subsidiary of EquityZen Inc. EquityZen Securities is a broker/dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is a [FINRA](http://www.finra.org/)/[SIPC](https://www.sipc.org/) member firm.   Equity securities are offered through EquityZen Securities. Check the background of this firm on [FINRA’s BrokerCheck](https://brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/281820).   EquityZen Inc. was awarded a 2024 Fintech Breakthrough Award by Tech Breakthrough LLC on March 19, 2025, based on the prior year and covering calendar year 2024, and has compensated FinTech Breakthrough LLC for use of its name and logo in connection with the award. FinTech Breakthrough LLC is a third party and has no affiliation with EquityZen.   EquityZen created the ticker symbols referenced on this page for use solely on the EquityZen platform. They do not refer to any publicly traded stock. EquityZen does not have an affiliation with, formal relationship with, or endorsement from any of the companies featured and none of the statements on the site should be attributed to those companies.   “Market Activity” and other transactional data displayed on this website is compiled by EquityZen and is confidential and historical in nature. Unauthorized use, distribution or reproduction is prohibited. Transactional information does not guarantee future investment results. EquityZen cannot guarantee finding or approving a transaction at any displayed price.   EquityZen.com is a website operated by EquityZen Inc. ("EquityZen"). By accessing this site and any pages thereof, you agree to be bound by our [Terms of Use](https://equityzen.com/terms/). EquityZen and logo are trademarks of EquityZen Inc. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2026 EquityZen. All rights reserved. EquityZen 1 New York Plaza 12th floor New York, NY 10004 [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/equityzen.com) [![Secured via DigiCert Extended Validation certificate](https://dioguwdgf472v.cloudfront.net/assets/equityzen/img/digicert-site-seal.png)](https://seal.digicert.com/seals/popup/?tag=eoBY_h-N&url=equityzen.com&lang=en_US&cbr=1411486682292) [![FINRA's BrokerCheck](https://dioguwdgf472v.cloudfront.net/assets/equityzen/img/broker-check.png)](https://brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/281820) [![SIPC](https://dioguwdgf472v.cloudfront.net/assets/equityzen/image/common/sipc.png)![FinTech Breakthrough Award](https://dioguwdgf472v.cloudfront.net/assets/equityzen/img/fintech-award.png)](https://www.sipc.org/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "EquityZen", "url" : "https://blog.equityzen.com/author/equityzen" }, "dateModified" : "2026-05-18T20:06:12.461Z", "datePublished" : "2026-05-14T19:28:48.000Z", "headline" : "Q1 2026 Trends in the Private Secondary Markets", "image" : [ "https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/Q1%202026%20(1).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.equityzen.com/q1-2026-trends-in-the-private-secondary-markets", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.equityzen.com/hubfs/EZ_logo_h_color-bk_RGB-1.png" }, "name" : "EquityZen, Inc." } } ```