Revolut is preparing to add a new layer to its app's growing financial infrastructure: access to investments in private technology companies. What makes this plan stand out is that users could gain exposure to these firms before they ever list on a public stock exchange.
The fintech giant has announced the formation of Revolut Ventures, developed in partnership with Carne Group, one of the world's leading independent third-party fund managers. The platform will focus exclusively on pre-IPO companies, with a launch currently scheduled for 2027. If it delivers on its ambition, Revolut Ventures could open a segment of the market that has historically been reserved for institutional players.
TL;DR: Revolut has announced Revolut Ventures, a new platform built with Carne Group to let eligible users invest in private tech companies before their IPO. The launch is targeted for 2027, though key details like fees, minimum investment, and eligible markets have not yet been disclosed.
An Ambitious Project with Significant Unknowns
According to the project outline, eligible customers would be able to invest in unlisted companies alongside the stocks, ETFs, and other instruments already available in the Revolut app. The initiative was first reported by Verslo žinios, a Lithuanian business daily that closely tracks Revolut, which is headquartered in the Baltic republic. The focus sits squarely within the venture capital space, a sector that demands a high risk tolerance: investors commit capital to companies with strong growth potential but no guaranteed returns.
The announcement describes the service's structure and Revolut's intention to build it. What it does not do is equally telling: no target companies are named, no fee structure is disclosed, no minimum investment is set, and no precise eligibility criteria are explained. Revolut has not confirmed which countries will have access to Ventures at launch. The fact that Revolut currently operates in the UK and across the EU does not automatically mean Ventures will be available in all those markets from day one.
An Evolution of What Revolut Already Offers
Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky has repeatedly stated his goal of building a single financial platform capable of competing with the world's largest banks from one lean, smartphone-accessible infrastructure.
On July 27, 2026, Revolut introduced Private Markets for eligible clients in select European markets, offering access to funds managed by Apollo, Ares, Hamilton Lane, and Partners Group. That offering covers private equity, private credit, and infrastructure. It sits within the European ELTIF regulatory framework, designed for long-horizon investors. Ventures is conceived as a distinct product, focused specifically on private technology companies rather than the broader alternatives universe.
Revolut argues that tech companies are staying private for longer than they used to. Investors who rely solely on public markets can therefore only access these firms' capital after substantial growth has already occurred. The commercial pitch is straightforward: let users back these startups from an earlier stage, accepting the higher risk that comes with no guarantee of future returns.
How the Fund Management Structure Works
Revolut Ventures will not operate as a solo effort. According to the announcement reported by Verslo žinios, Carne Group will act as the alternative investment fund manager; Alter Domus will handle fund administration; and BNY will serve as custodian and depositary. Several institutional stakeholders are already part of the structure.
App-based access will not change the underlying nature of the investment. Stakes in unlisted companies are considerably harder to sell than publicly traded shares, and they carry a substantial risk of capital loss. Retail investors in the UK and EU should bear in mind that unlisted investments are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or equivalent EU deposit guarantee protections.
To understand exactly how Ventures will function in practice, several key conditions still need to be clarified: how long capital could remain locked in; how holdings will be valued over time; and what exit options will be available to investors ahead of a potential IPO or company sale, should they wish to leave early. These are not minor details, they are the terms that will determine whether this product is genuinely accessible to retail investors or remains, in practice, a niche for wealthy clients.
The open questions around Ventures remain numerous. The fund could represent a compelling opportunity for investors with available capital who are prepared to hold an aggressive position in the tech sector, accepting strong growth potential alongside the reality that many startups never break through. The 2027 launch date, the choice of institutional partners like BNY and Alter Domus, and the ELTIF-adjacent framing all suggest Revolut is building something with serious structural backing. Watch for fee disclosures and country-by-country rollout announcements as the clearest signals of how ambitious Revolut Ventures actually intends to be.
