Clear Street, a fintech prime brokerage startup, has introduced a new platform that grants accredited investors access to pre-IPO shares of some of Silicon Valley’s leading private companies. The platform’s flagship offering is exposure to Databricks, an AI software company recently valued at $188 billion. The firm plans to expand the platform by adding up to 30 private firms by the end of 2026, focusing primarily on late-stage tech companies valued between $5 billion and $20 billion and close to IPO.

The platform allows investors to finance positions in private-company shares through special purpose vehicles (SPVs) that hold interests in third-party funds owning the stock, rather than purchasing shares directly from the companies. Clear Street CEO Uriel Cohen emphasized the mission to democratize private market investing by reducing friction and broadening access beyond traditional institutional investors. The firm will also launch dedicated private company research led by analyst Owen Lau to provide transparency akin to public markets, addressing a frequent criticism of private investing opacity.

Clear Street’s initiative comes amid heightened competition among Wall Street firms to capitalize on growing demand for private market exposure. Goldman Sachs recently expanded its offerings to wealthy clients and family offices seeking pre-IPO stakes in fast-growing tech firms. While Databricks has no formal relationship with Clear Street, the startup market’s growing tendency to remain private for longer has increased the desire among investors to participate in companies’ value creation prior to their initial public offerings.

Despite shelving its own IPO earlier this year due to market volatility, Clear Street is financially strong, having raised $400 million via an investment-grade bond offering. The firm aims to relaunch its public listing in 2027 if conditions improve. Meanwhile, it is focused on building out infrastructure for trading private shares, positioning itself as a conduit for retail and smaller investors seeking exposure to high-growth private technology ventures before they become public companies.