According to a recent LinkedIn post from EquityZen, the company is highlighting data that suggest private markets are increasingly functioning like public markets as companies remain private longer. The post references CB Insights’ Tech Trends 2026 report, noting that the average road to IPO has stretched to nearly 16 years and that 12 unicorns now exceed the median S&P 500 market cap.
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The company’s LinkedIn post also points to internal data indicating a 200% year-over-year increase in first-time investors seeking exposure to AI and robotics companies before they go public. It further cites CB Insights research that top AI startups are reaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue at record speed, largely outside traditional public market visibility.
The post suggests that, as part of Morgan Stanley, EquityZen sees growing institutional support for secondary trading infrastructure as a key driver of this shift. For investors, this trend could imply a structurally larger role for private-market platforms in providing access to late-stage growth and in capturing value creation that historically migrated more quickly to public markets.
If sustained, increased investor demand for pre-IPO exposure and the presence of large, highly valued private companies may support higher volumes and liquidity in secondary transactions. This dynamic could enhance EquityZen’s strategic position within the private markets ecosystem and may also intensify competition among intermediaries serving investors seeking earlier-stage access to influential growth companies.