Private Market Liquidity Trends Highlight Growing Role for Secondary Platforms

According to a recent LinkedIn post from EquityZen, private markets are projected by S&P Global to reach $18 trillion in assets under management by 2027, with evidence that liquidity options are expanding. The post cites data indicating that Q1 2026 tender activity is on pace to match prior record highs, while 17.1% of unicorns have used tenders to provide shareholder liquidity.

The company’s LinkedIn post also notes that non-tender secondaries on EquityZen’s own platform more than doubled year over year, suggesting growing investor and shareholder interest in secondary transactions. The post further promotes educational material on how platforms like EquityZen aim to broaden access to private market liquidity, while reiterating the significant risks inherent in pre-IPO investing, including total loss and illiquidity.

For investors, the data highlighted in the post points to a structural shift in private markets from traditionally illiquid holdings toward more active secondary trading. If these trends persist, platforms facilitating secondary liquidity could capture a larger share of capital flows in the expanding private markets ecosystem and potentially benefit from higher transaction volumes and fee-based revenues.

At the same time, the risk disclosures referenced in the post underscore that increased liquidity does not eliminate fundamental investment risks in private, pre-IPO companies. Outcomes will depend on the quality of underlying assets, regulatory developments around private market access, and the sustainability of demand for secondary shares, factors that investors may weigh when assessing EquityZen’s long-term growth prospects.