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Linqto Review 2024: How this Neobank Compares with the Rest?
Swen Keller
- URL: https://www.linqto.com
- Year Founded: 2009
- Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA
- Monthly/Yearly fees: N/A
- Account types: Investor account
- Physical Card: N/A
- Platform App: Mobile, Web
- No. of Cryptocurrencies: N/A (Linqto supports only blockchain projects)
- Fiat Available: USD
- Deposit Methods: Uphold, ACH transfer, and international wire transfer
Linqto Review: Our Opinion
After our detailed analysis and use of this private equity investment platform, we discovered that, unlike regular neobanks, Linqto doesn’t offer money management services. However, it makes the private securities asset class accessible to accredited investors.
It is a private investment platform for private market investing. It enables you to purchase shares in high-growth private companies focusing on technology.
The private investing platform isn’t for users looking for neobanks like Wise or Revolut.
However, it stands out for its zero management fees, brokerage fees, administrative fees, and full company selection control. Linqto opens the door to investment opportunities which are typically only available to very high wealth individuals or institutional investment firms. The minimum investment sizes makes this platform ideal for diversification and opportunities in multiple private equity companies.
Linqto Review: What is Linqto?
Linqto is an investment service with the mission to make investing in private companies as accessible and seamless as investing in the open stock market.
The Linqto platform offers investors investment opportunities in mega-growth technology-focused companies that they believe will go public or be purchased in a space of 5 years.
For example, Linqto allowed its investors to invest in tech companies like Coinbase, Robinhood, and SoFi before they underwent an IPO or were traded publicly.
Currently, Linqto features pre-IPO companies like Polysign, Ripple, Circle, Zipline, Epic Game, etc. allowing users to invest in them before they go public.
An Overview of Linqto
Launched in 2009, Linqto was founded by Bill Sarris, who is the current CEO of the private investing company.
The mission of the company is to democratize pre-IPO investing and make it easy to purchase shares in pre-IPO companies before they go public.
These pre-IPO companies are vetted by Linqto’s team of experts before being featured on the platform.
The private companies investment platform currently hosts more than 300,000 registered users and over $275.2 million in total investments.
There are also more than 45 companies featured that investors can purchase shares in.
Pros
- More than 45 pre-IPO companies are available
- Supports blockchain brands
- Zero management fees
- Low minimum investment
- Fast private equity investing
Cons
- Doesn't offer cryptocurrency investments directly
- No money management services
Unique Features of Linqto
Linqto Bucks
Linqto Bucks are discount dollars that Linqto users can use to lower their cost basis when investing.
These Linqto bucks are primarily obtained by referring people to Linqto. Linqto offers accredited investors $500 for every referral that signs up and $1,000 for Linqto Bucks when your referral purchases Linqto. Linqto Bucks are used towards your next investment.
When an accredited investor places an order on Linqto, they will be given the option to use their Linqto Bucks towards their investment.
You can use Linqto Bucks for up to 10% of your order but it cannot be combined with other promotions.
For instance, if you are making a $20,000 investment and you applied $2,000, Linqto Bucks, you will only pay $18,000 when you place the order but will receive the equivalent shares worth $20,000.
There is no limit to the amount of Linqto Bucks you can earn as an accredited investor.
The more referrals an accredited investor brings to the platform, the more Linqto Bucks they earn. Linqto gives investors a unique referral link to share with their audience.
The referral program is only available to accredited investors. To participate in the Linqto referral program and earn Linqto bucks, you need to have a valid Linqto account.
Joining the referral program is simple. If you meet the requirements you will be able to access the program via your account dashboard or an email invitation from Linqto.
Once you enrol in the program, no additional action is required to start earning.
You can track your Linqto Bucks by visiting the “Rewards” section of your account. Your Linqto buck balance is displayed alongside your fiat balance.
If you are new to the referral program, you have 60 days to claim your Linqto Bucks by making a first investment on the platform before they expire.
If you are an existing Linqto account holder, your Bucks will be automatically applied against your next investment.
Your Linqto Bucks can be used at a maximum as a credit towards 50% of your overall investment in Linqto.
If there are any errors or omissions in the amount of Bucks posted to your account, you must immediately report the inaccuracy to the Linqto team within one month of the applicable date.
Any report filed after the specified time frame will not be considered.
Linqto Bucks are not transferable nor does Linqto support its sale or barter. Unused Linqto Bucks will expire 18 months after they are granted.
Linqto Review: How to Buy Crypto with Linqto?
Linqto doesn’t offer an investment into particular digital assets but digital asset focussed companies like Ripple and Polysign, pre-IPO.
To do so, you need to add funds to your account using ACH transfer, wire transfer, or Uphold.
After adding funds go to https://app.linqto.com/products.
Next, in the filter select Digital Assets.
You’ll then see pre-IPO companies in the digital asset private markets like Bitpay, Figment, Blockdaemon, Ledger, Chainalyis, Circle, and many more.
Choose the pre-IPO companies you want to invest in.
Next, select how much you want to invest by moving the bar then tap on Begin Order.
That’s it!
Linqto Review: Fees
Linqto is a zero-fee investment platform as it does not charge continuing management fees or any form of brokerage fees. It also doesn’t charge carried interest.
This makes Linqto a great choice for private equity investors who don’t want their investments cut down by various fees.
Security: Is Linqto Safe?
Our meticulous research on this service indicates that Linqto is safe to use. It is regulated by SIPC and FINRA.
All of Linqto users’ investments exist in bankruptcy-remote vehicles and are shielded from claims by any creditor in the event of a liquidation of the company. Even if Linqto goes bankrupt, your Linqto investments will continue to exist.
Linqto has several security measures in place to ensure the security of users’ data and the platform.
All emails and communications sent to and from Linqto’s corporate email systems are retained monitored and/or reviewed.
The Linqto Mobile app is secured with password protection and multi-factor authentication, which includes email authentication and SMS authentication. You can set up your authentication app and email authentication in the “Security” section of the mobile app.
Staking Rewards and Cashbacks
Linqto does not offer any cashback rewards to investors.
Supported Countries
Linqto is available to users in over 223 countries.
Supported countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Austria, Algeria, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, Canada, Cameron, the United States of America, Chad, China, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Nigeria, Greece, Germany, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, etc.
Linqto Licenses/Regulated by
Linqto Capital LLC a subsidiary of Linqto Inc. holds a broker-dealer license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
It is also regulated by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
Opening a Linqto Account
To open a Linqto accredited investor account and gain access to private companies’ shares, go to https://www.linqto.com.
Next, tap on the Get Started button at the center of your screen.
Enter your first and last name, and email address, and select a password.
Tap on the Start Investing button to log in.
You’ll be sent a verification email.
Open your inbox and tap on the Verify Email button in the message.
This will redirect you to the Linqto Profile page where you’ll need to undergo Identity Verification.
To do so, tap on the Complete Profile button and then choose your country of residence.
Next, select your preferred Identity Document. Follow the onscreen prompts to finish the verification.
That’s it! You’ve created your Linqto account and are now an accredited investor.
Linqto Mobile App
The Linqto mobile app gives you access to private market investments on the Linqto investment platform on the go. With the mobile app, you get access to all Linqto features available on the web platform.
As an accredited investor, you can identify, evaluate, invest in, and make liquid investments in world-leading platforms and private companies.
It features companies across different sectors including aerospace and defense, digital assets, artificial intelligence, social media, Fintech, Quantum Computing, Fusion Energy, Cybersecurity, Gaming, Health Tech, HR Tech, Logistics Tech, Fitness Wearables, 3D printing, Productivity Software, and Food Tech.
Some available companies you can invest in as an accredited investor on Linqto, include iTrust Capital, Ripple, Circle, Discord, Cerebras, Axiom Space, Polysign, H20.ai, Samba Nova System, PSi Quantum, Tanium, SnapLogic, Uphold, Flint, Chainalysis, Cooper.Co, BIGID, Ledger, Epic Games, Acorns, Dune Analytic, Cityblock, Optorro, Bitpay, Carbon, Figment, Alloy, Alto Pharmacy, etc.
Getting started with a private market investment in the Linqto Mobile app is easy. All you need to do is sign up, complete your profile, add funds, and start investing. You need to have a brokerage account to make investments. This is because once you purchase the private company shares, Linqto will transfer them to your brokerage account.
The homepage of the mobile app displays all the available companies you can invest in. The top sellers are located at the top of the list and labeled with a blue “Top Seller” badge.
To view details about any of the companies displayed on the private share market, simply click on the company name. When you do this the investment page will open with details about the company.
The page displays various information about the company including the following: About the company, Availability status, Implied Valuation, Share Price, Estimated number of Shares, Amount in USD, and Tiered Pricing Savings.
As already stated, you need to complete your profile to be able to invest as an accredited investor.
If your profile is incomplete the “Begin Order” button will be unclickable.
Linqto offers affordable entry points with low minimums and no added fees.
Unlike its competitors, Linqto doesn’t keep you waiting for an exit event like an IPO or acquisition. With Linqto, you can buy and sell your shares directly on the platform.
You can also manage and monitor your portfolio to optimize your investment strategy.
The mobile app has a portfolio page that displays your account balance, and current investment. You can keep track of all your investments from this page. It also has a History section where you can check investments you made in the past.
The app gives you access to the Linqto wallet page where you can view your linked accounts and manage your funds. This wallet features both your cash balance and Linqto Bucks balance.
Linqto Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
Linqto supports several options to fund your private investment including Uphold, wire transfer, and ACH transfer.
If you an accredited investor in the United States you can instantly connect your bank account via Plaid and then submit deposit requests via an ACH transfer.
Note that Linqto states that ACH transfers are received and processed within 1 to 3 business days, but may take up to 5 business days.
On the other hand, wire transfers are typically received and processed in 1 day and can take up to 3 business days.
For Uphold deposits, supported digital assets on the platform like cryptocurrencies, US dollars, and commodities can be used to fund your Linqto individual cash account.
That said, to fund your account, log into your account, then go to the Wallet page and select Add Funds.
This will open a menu where you can select your payment method, choose from linked bank accounts, or view instructions for wire transfers.
Withdrawals are processed via bank transfer.
Customer Service
Linqto users can contact the customer support team by submitting a support request on the support page.
It also has a FAQ page where users can find answers to common questions.
Based on our team’s firsthand trials with this neobank type of service, we can confirm that despite the limited support channels, it offers great customer service.
The support team is responsive and offers helpful support.
Linqto Compared with its main 2 Competitors
The 2 main competitors to Linqto include Robinhood and EquityZen.
Just like Linqto, EquityZen allows investors to invest in pre-IPO companies. That said, EquityZen offers more private companies to accredited investors than Linqto. It also has a higher minimum investment than Linqto. Unlike Linqto, EquityZen charges sales fees as well as management fees and carries interest on its pre-IPO offerings.
Robinhood, on the other hand, is a trading platform that recently just added IPO access. This allows investors to invest in companies at the IPO price before the stock trades. While Robinhood’s IPO Access isn’t true pre-IPO access, it doesn’t require accredited investors to invest.
What is an Investment Platform?
An investment platform is an online service that allows accredited investors to make private investments (shares, bonds, mutual funds) in global private securities markets in one location. The goal of such platforms is to simplify the investment process.
How to Choose the Right Investment Platform for Your Needs?
To choose the right investment platform you need to consider the following:
Fees: Consider if the platform charges sales fees, brokerage fees, or management fees. And if they do how much?
Pre-IPO Access: Find out if the investment platform features pre-IPO companies or not.
Investment Opportunities: Check on the available private equity firms available.
Usability: The investment platform should be easy to use when adding funds or placing an investment order.
Conclusion
Linqto stands out for being a zero-fee investment platform with very solid support. It is also easy to use.
However, its major con is that it offers a limited selection of pre-IPO companies to accredited investors when compared with its alternatives.
If Linqto hasn’t fully met your expectations, our Acorns review might reveal a Neobank that aligns more with your preferences.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Linqto is a legitimate investment company that has been on the scene since 2009 without any platform-wide problems or hacks. That said, Linqto states in its Privacy Policy that no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure so they cannot guarantee absolute security.
Linqto’s minimum investment is $2,500.
No, Linqto only permits accredited investors to invest in private equity.
Linqto was co-founded by Bill Sarris and Vicki Lawrence.
We always try to provide the most accurate information available, and make sure our team follow through.
If you want to know more about our Crypto Exchanges Review Methodology follow the link below
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