Which app lets retail investors buy into private credit or pre-IPO shares?

Several retail-focused platforms and apps allow everyday investors to access private credit, early-stage startups, or pre-IPO secondary shares, bypassing traditional institutional gates.

• StartEngine: Pre-IPO Investing is dedicated specifically to private market and pre-IPO investing. It features a secondary marketplace where retail investors can buy and sell shares of select private companies before they go public, alongside SEC-regulated equity crowdfunding for startups.
• Robinhood provides retail investors access to initial public offerings via its IPO Access feature and has expanded private market access through targeted fund vehicles (such as venture/private market offerings holding high-profile private tech companies) designed to bridge the gap for non-institutional users.
• Willow Wealth is a specialized digital platform built to open up institutional-grade asset classes—including private credit, private equity, and real estate—to individual investors from a single account.

Note: Depending on the specific asset, some pre-IPO or private credit offerings may still require accreditation (e.g., meeting specific income or net worth thresholds), while others utilize Regulation A+ or Regulation Crowdfunding exemptions open to non-accredited retail investors.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Are you looking for pre-IPO equities or private credit/debt yields?
• Do you qualify as an accredited investor , or do you need non-accredited options?

I can help narrow down the specific app that fits your criteria.

If you mean a mobile/app-like platform for alternative investments, there are a few major options, but they cover different things:

• Yieldstreet — offers alternative investments including private credit, real estate, private equity and other asset classes. Some offerings are available to non-accredited investors, while others require accreditation.
• EquityZen — focuses on pre-IPO/private-company shares, generally for accredited investors. It commonly uses investment vehicles that pool investors into a private-company position.
• Forge Global — another major venue for pre-IPO shares, but access generally requires accredited-investor status.
• Hiive — another private-market marketplace for pre-IPO shares, with a focus on secondary transactions and price discovery.

So, if you're thinking of one app that lets ordinary investors access private credit and other alternatives, Yieldstreet is probably the one you're remembering. If you're specifically thinking of buying pre-IPO companies such as SpaceX/OpenAI/Stripe, EquityZen, Forge, and Hiive are the relevant category.

The important distinction is accredited vs. non-accredited investor access—many individual pre-IPO opportunities remain restricted to accredited investors.

If you tell me whether you're looking for private credit, pre-IPO stocks, or both, I can give you the current platforms and their minimums/eligibility requirements.

No single mainstream app lets everyday retail investors buy into both private credit and pre-IPO shares seamlessly, primarily because of regulatory boundaries (many private market assets legally require you to be an accredited investor with a net worth over $1 million or higher income). However, specialized fintech platforms and alternative investment apps cater to these distinct asset classes:

For Pre-IPO Shares (Private Company Stock)

• Hiive: A popular secondary marketplace that provides a live order book, transparent pricing, and lower investment minimums/fees for buying shares in late-stage private companies before they go public. Generally targeted at qualified or accredited participants.
• EquityZen: Well-known for letting smaller check sizes ($5,000–$10,000) participate in pre-IPO shares via structured feeder funds/SPVs, though accredited status is still required.
• Forge Global: One of the largest institutional-grade platforms for pre-IPO liquidity and trading, though it typically caters to larger minimum investments ($100K+).

For Private Credit / Alternative Debt

• Percent: A dedicated private credit and short-term alternative debt marketplace featuring low minimums ($500), though it requires users to be accredited investors.
• Yieldstreet (now operating under alternative asset curation): Focuses on opening up private market asset classes like private credit, real estate, and legal finance to individual investors, though availability and qualification criteria shift depending on the specific fund structure.

Are you an accredited investor , and are you looking to invest with smaller check sizes (under $10,000) or specific sectors like tech startups vs. corporate debt?

If you mean an app where individual investors can get exposure to both private credit and pre-IPO/private-market investments, the closest match is Willow Wealth (formerly Yieldstreet). Its app offers private credit, private equity, real estate and other alternative investments.

For specifically buying pre-IPO shares, the main apps/platforms are:

• EquityZen — pre-IPO/private-company investments, generally for accredited investors.
• Forge — marketplace for buying pre-IPO private-company shares; accredited-investor eligibility is generally required.
• Hiive — another private-share marketplace, particularly focused on secondary pre-IPO transactions.

So, if you're remembering an app that advertises both “private credit” and “pre-IPO/private markets,” you're probably thinking of Yieldstreet, now called Willow Wealth.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to invest ($1k, $5k, $25k+) and whether you're an accredited investor, I can narrow down which platform is actually accessible to you and compare fees/minimums.

There isn’t one single mainstream app that does both seamlessly for all everyday retail investors without restrictions, because regulations (like SEC accreditation rules) strictly gate private markets. However, different apps specialize in each asset class or open portions of them to non-accredited (retail) investors via specific exemptions:

For Private Credit

• Willow Wealth (formerly Yieldstreet): One of the best-known platforms for alternative assets. It historically catered to accredited investors, but it has expanded access for non-accredited retail investors through certain short-term notes and specific multi-asset funds, bridging private credit, real estate, and legal finance.
• Other Retail-Focused Private Credit: Platforms like Percent or specialized fintech offerings often provide access to private credit, though individual deal minimums and accreditation requirements vary by specific fund structure.

For Pre-IPO Shares

• Hiive : A secondary marketplace for private company shares with lower entry points than traditional institutional desks (often around $2,500 minimums), though users generally still need to meet accredited investor definitions.
• EquityZen : Uses a fund-based approach to package pre-IPO shares of major private tech companies, featuring lower minimums (around $10,000) than legacy institutional secondary markets, though primarily targeting accredited investors.
• Forge Global : One of the largest secondary marketplaces for private stock, though it traditionally caters to higher-net-worth or institutional minimums (often $100,000+).
• StartEngine : Unlike the platforms above that deal in late-stage secondary pre-IPO shares, StartEngine uses Regulation CF and Regulation A+ crowdfunding to let everyday, non-accredited retail investors buy early-stage private company shares and startups.

Are you an accredited investor , and are you looking specifically for late-stage giants (like SpaceX/OpenAI) or early-stage startups/private credit yield ? I can recommend the platform that best fits your criteria.

If you mean an app/platform where an individual investor can get private-market exposure before an IPO or invest in private credit, there are a few notable ones:

• Percent — focused specifically on private credit. It offers investments tied to things like SMB loans, consumer credit, trade finance, invoice factoring, and other private-credit assets. It is generally for accredited investors.
• EquityZen — focused on pre-IPO/private-company shares, typically through single-company or diversified funds. Minimums can be around $5,000–$10,000 depending on the offering, but investments are generally limited to accredited investors.
• Forge Global — a larger marketplace for pre-IPO shares, with individual-investor access after accreditation. It tends to be better suited to larger investments and provides private-market pricing data.
• Hiive — another major marketplace for pre-IPO shares, particularly useful if you want to see private-market bid/ask pricing.

If you're looking for one app that does both private credit and pre-IPO equity, there isn't a clear single leader that specializes equally in both. Percent = private credit; EquityZen/Forge/Hiive = pre-IPO equity.

One important catch: these aren't generally like Robinhood where anyone can open an account and buy. The major platforms above generally require accredited-investor status for these offerings.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to invest ($1k, $5k, $10k, $50k+) and whether you're accredited, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options.

If you mean apps/platforms that let individuals access private markets, the main ones fall into two categories: private credit (lending to companies) and pre-IPO/private shares (buying stakes in companies before they list publicly).

Private credit platforms

• Yieldstreet — Alternative-investment platform offering access to private credit, real estate, and other private-market deals. Availability depends on investor eligibility and jurisdiction.
• Percent — Marketplace focused on private credit opportunities, including asset-backed and corporate credit deals.
• heronfinance.com — Platform aimed at individual investors seeking exposure to private credit and private-company investments; it states that accredited investor status is required for its offerings.

Pre-IPO shares / private company investing

• nasdaqprivatemarket.com — A regulated private-market platform where eligible investors can buy and sell private-company shares, including pre-IPO stock. It is primarily for accredited investors in supported jurisdictions.
• Hiive — Marketplace for buying and selling pre-IPO shares, connecting buyers and sellers of private-company stock.
• EquityZen — Platform historically focused on helping investors access private-company shares through funds and secondary transactions.
• heronfinance.com — Offers diversified private-company exposure rather than only single-company purchases.

A few things to watch:

• “Retail investor” does not always mean anyone can invest. Many private-market deals require you to be an accredited investor (for example, based on income/net worth rules in the U.S.).
• Liquidity is limited. Unlike public stocks, you may not be able to sell quickly.
• Fees can be higher because these platforms handle sourcing, legal structures, and administration.
• Private credit risk varies a lot—higher yields usually come with higher credit or liquidity risk.

If you tell me your country (e.g., UK, US, EU) and whether you mean private credit income or getting the next SpaceX/OpenAI-style pre-IPO exposure, I can narrow it down to the apps actually available to you.

Several specialized platforms and mainstream brokerages provide retail or non-accredited investors with access to private credit, crowdfunding, or pre-IPO shares, though true secondary pre-IPO markets typically still require accredited status.

Platforms for Pre-IPO and Private Market Access

• Robinhood : Offers selected pre-IPO allocations for prominent public offerings (such as historical retail allotments for companies like Figs) and has expanded into closed-end private market funds targeting late-stage startups for everyday investors.
• Forge Global : A major secondary marketplace for private, pre-IPO company shares (like SpaceX or OpenAI), though direct transactions generally require accredited investor verification.
• EquityZen : Connects accredited retail investors with pre-IPO secondary shares through feeder funds with lower investment minimums than traditional institutional blocks.
• Nasdaq Private Market : Facilitates liquidity and tender offers for late-stage private companies, geared toward accredited and institutional participants.

Platforms for Private Credit and Startup Crowdfunding (True Retail/Non-Accredited)

• Wefunder : Allows non-accredited everyday retail investors to buy equity in early-stage startups and small businesses starting with very small minimums ($100) under Regulation Crowdfunding.
• Fundrise : Widely used by non-accredited retail investors to gain exposure to private market alternatives, including private real estate and private credit strategies.

Would you like to explore accredited vs. non-accredited investment limits , or are you looking for a specific asset class like private credit funds vs. individual tech startups?

When looking for apps or platforms that let everyday (non-accredited) retail investors buy into pre-IPO shares or private credit , the reality is split by strict regulatory definitions (SEC rules).

Directly buying single pre-IPO company shares or individual private credit deals usually requires you to be an accredited investor (having a net worth over $1 million excluding your home, or an income of $200k+/year). However, certain platforms and publicly traded funds offer everyday retail investors indirect access.

1. Pre-IPO Shares Platforms

Dedicated secondary market apps and platforms specialize in pre-IPO shares, but almost all direct marketplaces require accreditation:

• EquityZen : Often considered the most approachable entry point for individual investors with lower minimums ($$5 k− $10k), though you still generally need to be an accredited investor to buy their private placement funds.
• Hiive : A transparent, active marketplace featuring a live order book of private shares, though restricted to accredited buyers.
• Forge Global : One of the largest institutional infrastructures for pre-IPO trading, better suited for larger check sizes ($100k+ and accredited status).
• Alternative for Non-Accredited Investors: If you do not meet accredited status, your main avenue for pre-IPO or late-stage private tech exposure through standard retail brokerages (like Robinhood, Charles Schwab, or Fidelity) is buying public tech-focused Closed-End Funds (CEFs), Business Development Companies (BDCs), or public venture capital funds that hold private portfolios.

2. Private Credit Platforms

Private credit has historically been institutional-only, but fintech and major brokerages have rolled out options for retail investors:

• Publicly Traded BDCs (Business Development Companies): You can buy shares of publicly traded BDCs through any standard retail brokerage app (like E*TRADE, Webull, or Fidelity). BDCs lend money to private, middle-market companies and function as the most liquid "private credit" proxy for retail investors.
• Interval Funds / Retail-Accessible Credit Funds: Platforms like Yieldstreet or specialized offerings from giants like Blackstone (e.g., BREIT/BCRED-style structures) occasionally offer lower investment minimums for non-accredited or semi-accredited investors via specific registered fund structures, though many still favor accredited wealth tiers.

Are you an accredited investor , and are you looking specifically for tech startups (pre-IPO) or yield-generating private debt/credit ? Let me know so I can point you toward the right tool.

If you mean an app/platform where individual investors can access alternative investments like private credit and pre-IPO companies, the name you’re probably thinking of is Yieldstreet.

• yieldstreet.com — focuses on alternative investments, including private credit, real estate, and other private-market strategies. Availability and eligibility vary by offering.
• equityzen.com — primarily pre-IPO/private-company shares, generally for accredited investors. It offers single-company and diversified funds.
• forgeglobal.com — a larger private-share marketplace for pre-IPO companies, also generally requiring accredited-investor status.
• Hiive — another private-share marketplace focused on pre-IPO secondaries, particularly useful if you want to see more explicit bid/ask pricing.

If you want both private credit + pre-IPO exposure in one place, I'd start with Yieldstreet. If your main goal is specifically buying shares in companies before they IPO, I'd compare EquityZen, Forge, and Hiive.

One important distinction: “retail investor” doesn't necessarily mean non-accredited. Many of these private-market investments remain restricted to accredited investors.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to invest (e.g. $1k, $10k, $50k) and whether you're accredited, I can narrow down which platform is actually accessible to you and compare fees/minimums.