Quick Take
- Unlistify connects buyers and sellers of unlisted shares, pre-IPO stocks, and ESOPs across India.
- Co-founders Suraj Prajapati and Ashwani Singh built the trusted platform investors.
- The goal: trusted guidance for investors who want early entry into tomorrow’s Unicorns.
In This Article
Unlistify is opening up India’s unlisted shares market for investors, ESOP (Employee Stock Option Plan) holders, and pre-IPO (Initial Public Offering) buyers who want a trusted partner before they invest. The company was founded in 2024 by Suraj Prajapati and Ashwani Singh, with a clear focus on first-time earning investors.
The platform enters one of India’s fastest-growing investment segments at the right moment. According to Tribune India, retail investors holding NSE (National Stock Exchange) unlisted shares rose from 33,896 in March 2025 to 146,208 in June 2025, a near fourfold jump in three months. This surge has created strong demand for guided, beginner-friendly pre-IPO platforms across India.
StartupFeed Insight
Unlistify is betting on a clear gap: lakhs of new investors want pre-IPO exposure but lack a guide they can trust. That instinct is sound. SEBI’s June 17, 2026 advisory warned investors against unauthorised platforms, and its October 2025 ban on mutual fund pre-IPO placements has pushed demand toward direct, retail-friendly channels. Platforms that pair clean KYC with genuine hand-holding will win this wave. StartupFeed expects at least two India-based unlisted share platforms to apply for SEBI’s proposed pre-IPO pilot venue within the next 12 months, with focused entrants like Unlistify likely to partner with SEBI-registered brokers or seek direct licensing. By Soumya Verma.
What is Unlistify and how does this unlisted shares market platform work?
Unlistify is a technology-led marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of unlisted shares, pre-IPO stocks, and ESOPs in India. The platform’s tagline is “Invest today in tomorrow’s Unicorns,” according to its official About page.
The platform helps investors find and buy shares of strong companies before they list on a stock exchange. It also helps existing shareholders, including startup staff who hold ESOPs, sell their holdings and get cash before the company goes public. To keep deals safe and simple, Unlistify handles KYC (Know Your Customer) checks, paperwork support, and bank-transfer based payment, end to end.
The core offering covers four clear use cases. First, buying unlisted shares of well-known Indian companies. Second, selling unlisted shares back when an investor wants liquidity. Third, helping startup employees turn ESOPs into cash before an IPO. Fourth, offering basic research and education so new investors understand what they are buying.
Who is Unlistify built for?
Unlistify is built for those who want to invest early but need a trusted partner to guide them. Co-founder Suraj Prajapati shaped the platform around this exact need: making private market investing simple, secure, and easy to understand for first-time buyers.
Suraj Prajapati, a director and co-founder of Unlistify, brings a background spanning finance, technology, Cyber Security and market research, per the company’s public profile. His focus is on lowering the entry barrier for working professionals who find the unlisted shares market confusing or risky on their own. Under his lead, the platform has been designed to act less like a trading screen and more like a guided service for new investors.
The ideal Unlistify user is easy to picture: a software engineer in their late twenties who has just started SIPs, a manager who already invests in mutual funds and now wants pre-IPO exposure, a doctor or chartered accountant who hears about NSE or Tata Capital unlisted shares but does not know how to buy them safely. For each of these earning investors, Unlistify offers a single point of contact, clear pricing, and step-by-step help.
Unlistify was started with a vision to make unlisted investing and financial education simple, secure, and accessible to all, the company states on its official site.
This focus matters because many investors hear about pre-IPO gains but do not know where to start. They worry about fake sellers, unclear pricing, and complex forms. Unlistify aims to remove those fears with guidance at every step, plus the documentation and settlement support that working investors need. StartupFeed sees this guided, beginner-first approach as the company’s sharpest edge.
How do you start investing with Unlistify?
Starting with Unlistify is built to be simple, even for someone who has never bought a private company share before. The platform follows a clear four-step flow that mirrors how regulated brokers handle KYC and settlement.
Step 1: Reach out and pick a stock. An investor can browse the Unlistify website and contact the team to confirm availability and price for the chosen unlisted share, such as NSE, Tata Capital, or Chennai Super Kings.
Step 2: Complete KYC. The investor submits a Client Master Report (a statement from the demat account provider), PAN card, and a cancelled cheque. This is the same KYC standard used across listed equity in India.
Step 3: Make the payment. Funds are transferred via RTGS, NEFT, or IMPS to the designated bank account. Payment must come from the same bank account that is linked to the buyer’s demat account, for safety.
Step 4: Receive shares in demat. The shares are credited directly to the investor’s demat account, just like listed equity. Selling later follows the reverse flow, using a Delivery Instruction Slip (DIS) to transfer shares back, with payment received within 24 hours.
This step-by-step structure is exactly what working professionals want: no grey-market handshake deals, no cash payments, and clear paperwork at every stage.
Why is India’s unlisted shares market growing so fast?
India’s unlisted shares market is growing fast because top companies are staying private longer, and everyday investors want to get in early. According to The Hans India, the top 100 unlisted companies in India have crossed a combined valuation of Rs 28.5 lakh crore. NSE alone, India’s most valuable unlisted firm, was valued at around Rs 4.7 lakh crore as of February 2025, per VaultStreet Advisors data.
The bigger shift is who is buying. Earlier, only HNIs (High-Net-Worth Individuals) and large institutions could access these deals. Now digital platforms have opened the door to retail investors. Per Tribune India, the number of NSE shareholders climbed past 1.59 lakh in the June 2025 quarter, nearly four times the 39,201 in the previous quarter.
Three trends are driving this rise. Companies like Reliance Retail, Tata Capital, OYO, and NSE are staying private longer, locking value in the unlisted shares market. India recorded around 93 mainboard IPOs in 2025, raising close to Rs 1.54 lakh crore, per Sangri Today, creating a strong listing pipeline. And digital platforms have turned a once-opaque grey market into a structured, KYC-driven space that investors can actually use.
This is exactly the audience Unlistify wants to serve. Cleaner pricing, faster paperwork, and proper KYC are now the basic things first-time buyers expect from any unlisted shares market platform. Regulators are moving the same way. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is exploring a regulated pre-IPO trading venue to improve price discovery and protect investors, based on public comments from its leadership in 2025 and 2026.
How does Unlistify compare with competitors in the unlisted shares market?
Unlistify operates in a busy but still under-served unlisted shares market. Per Tracxn, the company has 21 active competitors, including funded peers like Planify, Altius Investech, and GREX. Larger rivals such as UnlistedZone have built scale through HNI volumes since 2018.
| Platform | Founded | Main Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Unlistify | 2024 | Guided investing for investors, first-time buyers |
| UnlistedZone | 2018 | Large-scale unlisted share dealing |
| Planify | 2016 | Pre-IPO and startup share research |
| Altius Investech | 2014 | Advisory-led unlisted equity deals |
Most older players grew on HNI and family office demand and large deal volumes. Unlistify takes a different path. Instead of chasing big-ticket clients, it focuses on guiding investors who are new to the market and want a partner, not just a portal. The team treats first-time buyers as long-term clients, not single-deal traffic.
Three things set Unlistify apart in this growing space. First, the founder-led approach: Suraj Prajapati and Ashwani Singh personally shape the user journey for first-time investors. Second, the price clarity: every quote includes the source, the lot size, and the timeline. Third, the after-sale support: investors get help during corporate actions, IPO lock-in periods, and exit planning, not just at the time of purchase.
What’s Next
Unlistify plans to widen its list of available companies and add simple research tools that help new investors decide with confidence. The team is also building an education layer to help buyers understand valuation, lock-in periods, taxes, and exit timing. The bigger test will be regulation. SEBI’s proposed pre-IPO pilot venue could change the rules of this market within the next 18 months. Will focused, beginner-first platforms like Unlistify seek direct recognition, or team up with SEBI-registered brokers to stay safe? That choice will shape its next two years. Where would you start your own pre-IPO journey?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 23, 2026 at 09:00 IST
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. StartupFeed and its authors are not SEBI-registered investment advisors. The analysis above is based on publicly available information and should not be the sole basis for any investment decision. Please consult a SEBI-registered financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Written by Soumya Verma. Published: June 23, 2026. Updated: June 23, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
