If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
Linqto might be for you if: You're an accredited investor who wants to invest in pre-IPO companies. Linqto lets you get started with as little as $2,500 for your first investment and $5,000 on subsequent investments, which is less than the minimum many similar platforms require. The low minimum makes it a good choice if you're new to pre-IPO investing.
Find out more about the platform and whether you qualify to use it in this honest Linqto review.
On Linqto's Secure Website.
Linqto allows accredited investors access to pre-IPO companies with a relatively low minimum investment. Investing in companies that aren’t publicly traded is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor, but Linqto’s relatively low minimum investment helps you minimize the risk. The costs of investing aren’t exactly transparent, as Linqto makes money through an undisclosed markup on investments.
Markup on investments
$2,500 for first investment
On Linqto's Secure Website.
We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2025.
| Broker | Best For | Commissions | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Low-cost investing with a full-featured platform | $0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares. |
Learn More for Charles Schwab
On Charles Schwab's Secure Website. |
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Managing your finances under one roof | $0 for stocks, $0 for options contracts |
Learn More for SoFi Active Investing
On SoFi Active Investing's Secure Website. |
5.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
Full-service investing at every experience level | $0 commission for online U.S. stock and ETFs*. No account fees****. |
Learn More for Fidelity
On Fidelity's Secure Website. |
Linqto allows you to invest in private companies that aren't open to the general public for investment. Unlike the top stock brokers, which typically allow you to invest if you're at least 18 years old and have a Social Security number, Linqto is only available to accredited investors.
If the company you've invested in goes public, Linqto will contact you to obtain your brokerage account information and transfer your shares there.
At Motley Fool Money, brokerages are rated on a scale of one to five stars. We primarily focus on fees, available assets, and user experience; however, we also take into account features like research, education, tax-loss harvesting, and customer service. Our highest-rated brokerages generally include low fees, a diverse range of assets and account types, and useful platform features.
See our full methodology here: Ratings Methodology
I've been investing for about a decade. Though I've dabbled in individual stocks at times, I'm mostly a boring, hands-off index fund investor because I don't have to pick the next winner.
The overall stock market delivers amazing returns if you're patient. As a passive investor, I mostly stick with the two IRAs I have with Wealthfront and let their robo-advisor take it from there. The platform is easy to use and great for set-it-and-forget-it investors like me.
Linqto's offerings are limited to private companies, primarily in the tech space, that are expected to go public or be acquired within five years. As of mid-August 2024, there were 82 companies available on the platform, including:
When you buy shares of a private company, your investment is far less liquid than a publicly traded stock. Linqto can turn off the option to sell shares of a company for a number of reasons, including lack of demand or pending company events. You'll also need to hold your investments for at least 90 days.
Linqto offers the option to invest through a self-directed IRA, solo 401(k), trust, or certain types of business entities. To do so, you'll need to link the outside account to your Linqto profile as a sub-account and designate it as a separate purchaser.
Linqto bills itself as a "zero-fee investment management platform." It doesn't charge brokerage fees, account management fees, administrative fees, or carried interest (which is a type of executive compensation that's common in private equity and venture capital).
However, it charges a markup on the shares it sells, so the fees are essentially baked into the investment. That can make it difficult to determine how much you're actually paying -- and some Redditors say that the markup appears to be substantially higher on Linqto compared to similar pre-IPO platforms.
The standard minimum investment is $5,000, but you can make your first investment with as little as $2,500. Many investments have different price tiers that allow you to pay less per share when you invest larger amounts.
Linqto provides a decent amount of research about the companies it offers to investors. It provides a summary for each company that includes what it does, its officers and key investors, its estimated valuation, and its funding rounds.
However, due to the risk of investing in pre-IPO companies, you should review its Form S-1 (sometimes known as the registration statement) and its financial statements. You can find this information through the SEC's website.
Linqto's interface is fairly straightforward and easy to use. Signing up for the platform isn't much different than opening a regular brokerage account, though you'll need to take the additional step of verifying that you're an accredited investor.
You can add funds by linking your bank account, initiating a wire transfer, or linking an Uphold account using the currency or cryptocurrency of your choosing. Placing an order is similar to placing a buy order using a regular brokerage account.
Linqto's app gets 4.1 stars in the Google Play store and 3.8 stars on the Apple App Store. You can use the app to register and upload your ID and relevant documentation, as well as to buy and sell shares, and access research offerings.
To contact Linqto customer service, you'll need to fill out a form. There's no customer service number published on Linqto's website.
There's also a chatbot available on its website, but the functionality is extremely limited. The current version (which is in beta mode) allows you to choose from several topics and then directs you to information that's similar to what you find on the FAQ page. However, you don't have the ability to actually type in a question and if you select "Still need help?", you're directed to the "contact us" customer service form where the chatbot says the company will get back to you in one business day.
The platform gets a respectable rating of 3.5 stars on Trustpilot, though. Several users praise the company's customer service as knowledgeable and quick to respond.
Linqto says it received a 98/100 security and cyber resilience score from cybersecurity ratings firm SecurityScorecard. The platform uses 256-bit encryption, the industry standard for banks and brokerages, along with two-factor authentication.
The cash in your account is stored in a J.P. Morgan Chase bank account, so you can rest assured that your uninvested funds (up to $250,000) are protected by FDIC insurance.
Linqto is a San Jose, California-based fintech company that had more than 160,000 users and $220,000 of capital invested as of 2023. Its platform provides accredited investors with the opportunity to invest in companies that are expected to go public, while also allowing founders, employees, and venture capitalists (VCs) to sell their shares ahead of an IPO.
Linqto is preparing for its own IPO through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition. The deal is valued at $700 million.
Fidelity disclosure
Investing involves risk, including risk of loss
* - $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (historically from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other exclusions and conditions may apply. A limited number of ETFs are subject to a transaction-based service fee of $100. See full list at Fidelity.com/commissions. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Institutional® are subject to different commission schedules.
**Fidelity Crypto® is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets®. Investing involves risk, including risk of total loss. Crypto as an asset class is highly volatile, can become illiquid at any time, and is for investors with a high risk tolerance. Crypto may also be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities. Crypto is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Investors in crypto do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities. Fidelity Crypto® accounts and custody and trading of crypto in such accounts are provided by Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, which is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency business (NMLS ID 1773897). Brokerage services in support of securities trading are provided by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”), and related custody services are provided by National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”), each a registered broker-dealer and member NYSE and SIPC. Neither FBS nor NFS offer crypto as a direct investment nor provide trading or custody services for such assets. Fidelity Crypto and Fidelity Digital Assets are registered service marks of FMR LLC.
***Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.
****Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
