Brokerage app offering commission-free investing in stocks, ETFs and crypto, as well as fractional trading of NFTs and other collectibles and the ability for users to share their portfolios and trades–if they want to. Last year, Public.com stopped taking payment for order flow, a controversial practice that free-trading rivals like Robinhood still rely on, and debuted an optional tipping feature. In April it launched another new revenue source–a “Pulse” service that allows companies wanting to promote their stocks to pay for data about retail investors and to hold town halls. Early customers include buzzy cannabis stock Tilray and Dubai ride-hailer Swvl.
<p>Funding: $310 million from Accel, Greycroft, Tiger Global Management and others.
</p><p>Latest valuation: $1.2 billion.
</p><p>Bona fides: User base has exploded to three million from less than one million at the end of 2020.
</p><p>Cofounders: Co-CEOs Jannick Malling, 34, and Leif Abraham, 36—serial entrepreneurs hailing from Denmark and Germany, respectively.</p>
HQ: New York, New York, United States