Jul 27, 2022
Qapita acquires India-based ESOP Direct, becoming a market leader in India and Southeast Asia
The combined entity will manage over US$12 billion of ESOPs with over 130,000 employee owners on the platform
We are delighted to announce that India-based UnlistedKart is now a part of Qapita family. This shall allow Qapita to be a pioneer in buying and selling unlisted shares. This acquisition will allow Qapita to cater better to its unlisted and listed clients, adding to its vast customer pool. This acquisition comes on the back of Qapita’s 100% acquisition of ESOP Direct, a market leader and pioneer in ESOP Advisory and managed services solutions, earlier in 2022.
Speaking about the acquisition, Ravi Ravulaparthi, CEO of Qapita, said, “This acquisition will further cement our leadership position in unlisted markets as we seek to offer a comprehensive range of liquidity and other equity solutions to our customers. Through this acquisition, we are excited at the prospect of being able to offer our equity management customers access to unlisted market liquidity solutions. Unlistedkart’s proven liquidity solutions delivered through its wide investor network including HNIs, family offices and wealth managers, can immensely benefit our customers and in turn their employees and shareholders, looking for liquidity for their unlisted holdings.”
Unlistedkart is a quick scaling, new-age company that has managed to create capital to give almost immediate liquidity to start-ups, and is viewed as the leading choice for any wealth management or banking firm that has institutionalized investing. As a SEBI registered research firm, the neutral research reports help any customer make well-informed decisions in private markets. With over $30M in transactions in the unlisted space, PE and AIFs, Unlistedkart remains unparalleled as the front runners in the Indian Unlisted Market.
Krishna Raghavan, Founder of UnlistedKart, added, “We have always endeavoured to bring an exclusive set of opportunities to our buyers and quick liquidity to sellers. We are elated to join hands with Qapita, a market leader in equity management and liquidity solutions in Asia. Through this partnership, we will be able to leverage Qapita’s extensive client base to offer buyers on our network access to a steady and exclusive supply of unlisted market opportunities, along with relevant insights to support their investment decisions.”
Qapita envisions the value of private securities in this region surpassing US$1 to 1.5 trillion in the near future, accompanied by the emergence of 200 to 250 unicorns. To ensure the thriving growth of such an ecosystem, scalable digital solutions will be of paramount importance. The first crucial step in building a Qapita marketplace for liquidity involves creating a digital ledger for equity management. Qapita estimates that over US$250 billion in equity will seek liquidity solutions. This forward-looking approach aims to cater to the growing demand for efficient, secure, and transparent ways to manage and trade private securities. By establishing a digital ledger for equity management, Qapita sets the foundation for a dynamic marketplace that will facilitate liquidity and unlock opportunities for investors and businesses alike.
Being backed by prominent venture capital investors and esteemed financial institutions such as Vulcan Capital, East Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Endiya Partners, Citibank and NYCA to name some, Qapita shows itself to remain a credible and well-funded player in the financial technology landscape. With such influential support, Qapita is poised to leverage their collective expertise and resources to drive innovation, create cutting-edge solutions, and make a significant impact on the future of equity management and private securities trading.
Qapita is Asia’s largest Equity Management platform, managing over $13 billion worth of Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs) for 130,000 employees in 1,800+ companies across 20+ countries including India, Singapore, US, Indonesia, UAE, Australia among others. Qapita offers a range of services including CapTable and ESOP management, ESOP design and advisory, valuations, employee and shareholder liquidity solutions, among others. With an aim to build a network of start-ups, employees and investors on a single platform, Qapita moves towards digitally enabling private capital market transactions and facilitating liquidity solutions to private market stakeholders. For more information Qapita, Visit: https://qapita.com
