Forge Global Acquisition, Valuation & Financials

Forge Global was acquired by Charles Schwab for $660M in November 2025, a 8.4x multiple on $79M of revenue.

Forge Global acquisition price

$660M

Acquired by Charles Schwab · Nov 2025

Forge Global revenue at acquisition

$79M

Last twelve months · Nov 2025

Forge Global revenue multiple at acquisition

8.4x

EV/Revenue · Nov 2025

Cumulative funding Forge Global raised

$289M

across 5 funding rounds

Forge Global Overview

About Forge Global

Forge Global Holdings Inc is a financial service platform created to serve the needs of the private market. It provides marketplace infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for private market participants. The company offers a trusted trading platform, proprietary data and insights to inform investment strategies, along with custody services to help companies, shareholders, institutions and accredited investors confidently navigate and transact in the private market.


Founded

2014

HQ

United StatesSan Francisco, CA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Commission

Revenue

$79M (Nov 2025)

Valuation

$700M (Nov 2020)

Forge Global Acquisition

Forge Global was acquired by Charles Schwab for $660M on 6 November 2025.

The acquisition price implies a 8.4x revenue multiple on $79M of revenue.

Before the acquisition Forge Global had raised $289M across 5 funding rounds.

Forge Global Holdings, a San Francisco-based private market platform and trading marketplace, enables qualified investors to buy and sell shares in private companies, having facilitated over $17 billion in transactions since 2014, including access to firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, and Anduril. The Charles Schwab Corporation, a Westlake, Texas-based discount brokerage and the world's largest RIA custodian with 46 million client accounts and $11.6 trillion in client assets, announced on November 6, 2025, a definitive agreement to acquire Forge for $660 million in cash at $45 per common share. Strategic rationale centers on democratizing private market access for individual investors, advisors, and employers, enhancing liquidity and transparency amid growing private company pools staying private longer, while competing with moves by Morgan Stanley (acquiring EquityZen) and Fidelity; Forge's largest stockholders, Motive Capital and Deutsche Börse, support the transaction. The deal, approved by both boards, closed in early 2026 after regulatory and stockholder approvals, with integration underway to roll out Forge's capabilities first to Schwab's ultra-high-net-worth clients ($1M+), then RIAs and broader qualified retail investors via '40 Act funds and enhanced stock plan services. Schwab anticipates revenue synergies from increased client engagement in private markets and asset management, modest expense savings, and long-term growth without near-term financial impact, diversifying revenue through-the-cycle and strengthening workplace services. Forge CEO Kelly Rodriques noted the combination transforms private markets by expanding liquidity options for issuers and growth access for investors via Schwab's distribution.

Forge Global acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/Revenue
6 Nov 2025Strategic M&A$660M8.4x

Forge Global as a Public Company

Forge Global traded as NYS: FRGE before it was taken private. Its acquisition was announced in November 2025. January 2026 is its last month on record as a listed company, with a market cap of $619M and an enterprise value of $572M.

Last-twelve-month revenue was $108M, with EBITDA of ($21M) (-20% margin), and the shares traded at 5.3x EV/Revenue.

Over the 3 years before that, its market cap grew from $364M in January 2023 to $619M, while revenue grew from $72M to $108M.

Forge Global market cap while listed

Forge Global EV/Revenue (LTM) while listed

Forge Global financials and trading multiples by year while listed
As ofMarket capRevenue (LTM)EBITDA (LTM)EBITDA marginEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
Jan 2026$619M$108M($21M)-20%5.3x(27.2x)
Jan 2025$143M$84M($38M)-45%0.5x(1.1x)
Jan 2024$337M$72M($43M)-59%2.6x(4.4x)
Jan 2023$364M$72M($45M)-62%2.4x(3.9x)

Market cap, enterprise value and last-twelve-month figures are month-end values, up to the last month Forge Global traded.

Forge Global Valuation

Forge Global is currently valued at $700M, based on its undisclosed-stage round in November 2020.

The $150M round included Temasek, Deutsche Börse, LUN Partners Group, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital and Disruptive Ventures.

Forge Global's valuation has grown 67x from $11M at its angel round in June 2014 to $700M in November 2020, across 3 priced rounds.

Forge Global valuation by funding round

Forge Global valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Nov 2020Undisclosed stage$700M
Mar 2017Series A$50M
Jun 2014Angel$11M

Forge Global Funding History

Forge Global has raised a total of $289M across 5 funding rounds.

Forge Global's first fundraising round was a $500K angel round in June 2014. The most recent completed round was a $150M undisclosed-stage round in November 2020.

Forge Global funding rounds

Forge Global funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Nov 2020Undisclosed stageTemasek; Deutsche Börse; LUN Partners Group; Wells Fargo Strategic Capital; Disruptive Ventures$150M$700MForge Global, formerly Equidate, operates a digital platform as a private securities marketplace that streamlines liquidity for unicorn issuers and investors through trading, custody, data, and company solutions. It facilitates connections in private markets, providing technology, data, and expertise, and had completed over $9 billion in transactions across nearly 400 companies since inception in 2014. In November 2020, Forge completed an all-share acquisition of peer SharesPost, merging operations and later receiving FINRA approval in 2021 to operate as a single broker-dealer. The funding round, announced May 4, 2021, raised over $150 million from investors including new participants Temasek, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, LUN Partners Group, and existing investor Deutsche Börse, bringing total funding to over $250 million. TechCrunch reported a $700 million post-money valuation for this round. Proceeds were intended to expand service offerings in the US and internationally, building on momentum from the SharesPost merger, which delivered three consecutive record quarters, including Q1 2021 with 1,400 transactions totaling over $730 million in volume. Post-merger performance was strong, with Q3 2020 seeing over 1,200 trades and $8.8 billion cumulative transaction volume, alongside 95% quarter-over-quarter revenue growth including both brands. The platform serves a growing private market with over 642 unicorns valued at $2 trillion globally, many staying private longer and seeking secondary liquidity solutions. New board members included Jane Atherton from Temasek and Paul Hilgers from Deutsche Börse. Prior funding included a $85 million Series B in early 2019 from investors like Munich Re, FT Partners, and individuals such as Peter Thiel.
Jan 2019Series BStreamlined (lead)$85M-Forge Global, formerly Equidate Inc., is a San Francisco-based online marketplace for pre-IPO securities that facilitates trading in private company shares, providing liquidity to employees, investors, and companies. On January 29, 2019, it rebranded to Forge Global, Inc. and expanded its Series B funding round to $85 million from an initial $50 million raised in July 2018, bringing total venture fundraising to $89 million. The extension was led by Munich Re (also referenced as Streamlined in query), with participation from early investors including Peter Thiel, Tim Draper, and others like Financial Technology Partners and Panorama Point Partners from the prior tranche. The funding supported Forge's growth amid expanding private markets, enabling expansion of services beyond its core trading platform to include tools for companies, investors, and strategic partners. By the announcement, Forge had completed over $1 billion in pre-IPO transaction volume across US and international companies, hired key C-suite executives like a veteran CEO and CFO, and launched the Forge Tech30 Capped Index tracking valuations of 30 major private tech firms like Uber and Airbnb, along with the EQUIAM Private Tech30 Fund for diversified investor access. Forge's platform matches buyers with sellers of vested stock options and private shares, generating data on private market demand valuable to pre-IPO companies. It enables secondary liquidity programs and primary issuances, allowing companies to raise capital while providing exits, often at fees around 5% for smaller trades. The investment reflected trends of startups staying private longer, with strong demand for employee liquidity and investor access to high-growth private firms.
Jul 2018Series BFinancial Technology Partners (lead); Operative Capital (lead); Panorama Point Partners (lead); Oyster Ventures; Scott Banister; Peter Thiel; Streamlined; Tim Draper; Nikhil Gopalani$50M-Forge Global, formerly Equidate, operates a digital marketplace for trading shares in private companies, facilitating secondary transactions for vested stock options and private shares among employees, early investors, institutions, and companies. By July 2018, it had completed over $1 billion in secondary transactions, handling trades for high-profile pre-IPO firms like Spotify, Snap, and Square, attracting global institutional buyers such as sovereign wealth funds and family offices. The platform generates valuable data on private market demand, aiding pre-IPO companies, and offers services beyond trading to serve issuers directly. In July 2018, Forge announced a $50 million Series B round led by Financial Technology Partners (FT Partners), Operative Capital, and Panorama Point Partners, with participation from early investors including Peter Thiel, Tim Draper, Scott Banister, Nikhil Gopalani, Oyster Ventures, and Streamlined. This round was later extended by $35 million led by Munich Re, bringing the total Series B to $85 million and cumulative venture funding to $89 million at that time. At the time, Forge had grown from 14 employees in early 2018 to about 38, planning to use the funds for headcount expansion, marketing, and product development. The company aimed to broaden its platform for private companies to issue new shares to non-traditional investors, enhancing liquidity outside venture capital norms. Forge continued scaling post-2018, merging with SharesPost in 2020, acquiring IRA Services in 2019, and raising additional capital including $150 million in 2021 advised by FT Partners. By its 2021 SPAC merger announcement with Motive Capital Corp valuing it at $2 billion pro forma, Forge had nearly 400,000 users, $10 billion in transaction volume across 400+ companies, and $14 billion in assets under custody via Forge Trust.
Mar 2017Series APeter Thiel (lead); Tim Draper (lead); Bo Feng; Tikhon Bernstam; Richard Chen; Ceyuan Ventures$3M$50MForge Global (formerly Equidate) is an online marketplace for pre-IPO securities that enables shareholders and investors in privately held companies to liquidate portions of their shares. Founded in 2014, the platform serves institutional and private investors seeking access to companies before their IPOs, while also providing liquidity to employees and founders. In 2017, Forge Global was valued at $50 million, with prominent venture investors Peter Thiel and Tim Draper among its backers. The company achieved significant early traction, surpassing $1 billion in transactions on its platform. Forge Global went on to raise larger rounds in subsequent years, including an $85 million Series B in early 2019 led by Munich Re, and over $150 million in 2021 with Deutsche Börse and Wells Fargo, reflecting strong investor confidence in the private markets infrastructure space.
Jun 2014AngelScott Banister (lead); Ignacio Vilela; StartCaps Ventures; Long Journey Ventures; Marc Bell Ventures; Charlie Cheever; Structure Capital; Adeyemi Ajao; Augusta Investments; Ben Davenport; Jared Kopf; Kenneth Ballenegger$500K$11M-

Who has invested in Forge Global?

29 investors have backed Forge Global across its funding rounds, including Streamlined, Tim Draper, Peter Thiel, Scott Banister, Temasek and Long Journey Ventures.

Lead investors include Streamlined, Financial Technology Partners, Operative Capital, Panorama Point Partners, Peter Thiel and 2 other investors.


Forge Global Investors

Investors in Forge Global by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Scott BanisterUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadJun 2014
Peter ThielUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadMar 2017
StreamlinedUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadJul 2018
Tim DraperUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadMar 2017
TemasekSingaporeSingapore1ParticipantNov 2020
Oyster VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJul 2018
Bo FengChinaChina1ParticipantMar 2017
Ignacio VilelaUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJun 2014
Deutsche BörseGermanyFrankfurt1ParticipantNov 2020
StartCaps VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJun 2014
Long Journey VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJun 2014
LUN Partners GroupHong KongHong Kong1ParticipantNov 2020
Marc Bell VenturesUnited StatesBoca Raton, FL1ParticipantJun 2014

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by Forge Global

Forge Global has acquired 3 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Forge Global was on July 2nd 2025. Forge Global acquired Accuidity for $10M.


Latest Acquisitions by Forge Global

Accuidity
SharesPost
IRA Services
Description
Accuidity is a financial advisory firm delivering asset management, investment strategy development, and private equity services to institutional and high-net-worth clients. It focuses on customized portfolio construction and risk-adjusted returns.
-
-
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited StatesUnited States
HQ City
Boston, MA
-
San Francisco, CA
Deal Date2 Jul 202512 May 202028 Mar 2019
Valuation$10M$160M$55M
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Forge Global Competitors

Forge Global competitors include listed companies like Bravura Solutions, Profile Software, iFAST Corp and Abaxx Technologies, and private ones like Upvest and Pontera.

Public and private companies comparable to Forge Global
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Bravura SolutionsAustraliaAustraliaPublicly listed$201M$55M$998M4.8x
Profile SoftwareGreeceGreecePublicly listed$55M$15M$286M-
iFAST CorpSingaporeSingaporePublicly listed$349M$105M$2.1B2.7x
Abaxx TechnologiesCanadaCanadaPublicly listed$747K($28M)$491M133.1x
UpvestGermanyGermanyPrivate$115M-$735M6.4x
PonteraUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$550M-

Forge Global Public Comps

Forge Global is no longer listed, but its public comps include Foresight Group Holdings, Alfa Financial Software, More Provident Funds, Shanghai Amarsoft, Sunyard Technology, IRESS, Octopus Apollo VCT, VP Bank, Mitek Systems and Global Infotech.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Foresight Group Holdings$221M$83M2.9x3.1x7.8x6.7x
Alfa Financial Software$170M$58M3.7x3.5x10.7x10.8x
More Provident Funds$213M$39M3.7x-20.2x-
Shanghai Amarsoft$153M$8M4.8x-93.4x-
Sunyard Technology$307M$10M2.2x-69.1x-
IRESS$396M$103M2.1x2.2x8.0x8.1x
Octopus Apollo VCT$22M-32.8x---
VP Bank$411M-1.8x1.8x--

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Common questions about Forge Global

When was Forge Global founded?Forge Global was founded in 2014.
Where is Forge Global headquartered?Forge Global is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States.
Is Forge Global publicly listed?No, Forge Global was acquired by Charles Schwab in November 2025.
Who acquired Forge Global?Forge Global was acquired by Charles Schwab in November 2025.
How much was Forge Global acquired for?Forge Global was acquired for $660M in November 2025, a 8.4x revenue multiple.
What is Forge Global's valuation?Forge Global was last valued at $700M in its undisclosed-stage round in November 2020.
How much funding has Forge Global raised?Forge Global has raised $289M across 5 funding rounds.
What was Forge Global's last funding round?Forge Global's last funding round was a $150M undisclosed-stage round in November 2020.
Who are Forge Global's investors?Forge Global's investors include Scott Banister, Peter Thiel, Streamlined, Tim Draper, Temasek, Oyster Ventures, Bo Feng, Ignacio Vilela, Deutsche Börse, StartCaps Ventures and 19 others.
Which companies are comparable to Forge Global?Companies comparable to Forge Global include Bravura Solutions, Profile Software, iFAST Corp, Abaxx Technologies, Upvest and Pontera.
What was Forge Global's market cap before the acquisition?Forge Global had a market cap of $619M in January 2026, its last month on record as a listed company, trading at 5.3x EV/Revenue.
What was Forge Global's revenue as a public company?Forge Global's last reported twelve-month revenue was $108M (January 2026), with EBITDA of ($21M).
How many companies has Forge Global acquired?Forge Global has acquired 3 companies, including Accuidity, SharesPost and IRA Services.
What was the largest acquisition by Forge Global?The $160M acquisition of SharesPost in May 2020 is the largest acquisition Forge Global has made to date.

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