Stonks is a technology company.
Stonks has raised $5K across 1 funding round.
Stonks has raised $5K in total across 1 funding round.
Stonks has raised $5K in total across 1 funding round.
Stonks's investors include Cathay Innovation, D.F.A. Capital, Draper Associates, Haun Ventures, Khosla Ventures, LAUNCH, LombardStreet Ventures, Peak State Ventures, Point Nine Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, #SecretFund, Shkuri Ventures.
Stonks is a fintech startup founded in 2020 in San Francisco that originally built a crowdfunding platform to democratize access to startup investments for retail and accredited investors, putting "Silicon Valley in your pocket."[1][4][6] It has evolved into a platform helping creators—particularly YouTubers—turn hobbies into businesses by advancing YouTube payouts early, setting up DBAs, EINs, bank accounts, expense tracking, and issuing Visa cards for immediate spending from unlocked balances.[5] Serving creators and small businesses, Stonks solves cash flow delays in creator economies and barriers to private market investing, with early growth including $200M in investments facilitated in five months and backing from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Vibranium VC, and Naval Ravikant.[1][4][6] Now operating as or rebranded toward Sandhill Markets in some contexts, it has raised $22M total, targeting fintech innovation in private markets and creator finance.[4]
Stonks was founded in 2020 in San Francisco by Ali Moiz (co-founder, previously involved in Streamlabs with over $1B in creator payouts) and Murti Hussain (CEO/co-founder), building on the team's experience from Streamlabs and Peanut Labs, which achieved $200M+ in venture-funded exits.[1][5][6] Led initially by an experienced founder with 18 years in tech startups (including Adam Hardej, a Princeton grad and second-time founder), the idea emerged to solve VC access problems for founders and investors alike, hosting the "largest demo day on Earth" and scaling to $200M in investments within five months.[1][6] Pivotal early traction came from Tier-1 backers like Andreessen Horowitz and MVP Ventures, transitioning from pure crowdfunding to creator tools amid rising demand for democratized dealflow.[1][4][6]
Stonks rides the creator economy boom (40M+ creators, $1B+ payouts via Streamlabs heritage) and retail investing surge post-2021 meme stock era, timing perfectly with platforms like Robinhood lowering barriers to private markets.[4][5][6] Market forces favoring it include regulatory shifts toward fractional shares/SPVs for accredited investors, rising demand for early liquidity in illiquid startup assets, and YouTube's delayed payout cycles creating unmet creator needs.[4][5] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing dealflow—solving founders' capital access via crowd-investing and empowering "little guys" against Wall Street, as seen in secondary share returns and demo days.[3][4][6]
Stonks is poised to expand in the $100B+ creator finance and private market investing spaces, potentially deepening YouTube integrations, launching more creator cards, or scaling Sandhill Markets' SPVs amid tokenized assets trends.[4][5] Regulatory tailwinds (e.g., easier crowdfunding) and AI-driven deal sourcing could accelerate growth, evolving its influence from niche demo days to a full-stack retail VC gateway. As it puts Silicon Valley—and creator cash—in users' pockets, Stonks exemplifies fintech's shift toward inclusive capitalism.[1][6]
Stonks has raised $5K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5K Seed in January 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2022 | $5K Seed | Cathay Innovation, D.F.A. Capital, Draper Associates, Haun Ventures, Khosla Ventures, LAUNCH, LombardStreet Ventures, Peak State Ventures, Point Nine Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, #SecretFund, Shkuri Ventures, SMOK Ventures, Supercharge Capital, Kurt Bilafer, Ron Pragides, Stephen Garden, Zack Kanter |