Robinhood plans to launch a publicly traded fund to give U.S. retail investors the opportunity to invest in private companies.

PANews reported on September 16th that, according to The Block, Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD) plans to launch a publicly traded fund, "Robinhood Ventures Fund I," to provide US retail investors with access to private companies. CEO Vlad Tenev stated that for decades, wealthy individuals and institutions have been able to invest in private companies, while retail investors have been shut out. The new fund will allow ordinary people to access investment opportunities once reserved for the elite. Previously, Robinhood allowed users in the European Union to purchase tokenized shares tracking well-known private companies such as OpenAI. This new fund, focused on the US market, will make long-term investments through IPOs and subsequent stages, targeting multiple industries. Robinhood noted that investment opportunities have shrunk in recent years, with the number of US public companies falling from approximately 7,000 in 2000 to approximately 4,000 in 2024, while the number and value of private companies have increased, exceeding $10 trillion in total. Robinhood has submitted a registration statement to the US SEC for the public offering of the fund and hopes to list it on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RVI.