Robinhood (NASDAQ: $HOOD) is taking another step deeper into private-market investing with a move that ties one of the biggest names in AI to its retail-access pitch. Robinhood Ventures Fund I said it has purchased roughly $75 million of OpenAI common stock, a position the fund plans to use as the underlying asset for venture tokens designed to give investors price exposure to the company. The fund said the investment closed on April 17 and described it as one of its largest positions to date.
The deal gives more shape to how Robinhood wants this product category to be understood. For years, private-company investing has largely stayed behind accreditation rules, institutional vehicles and long lockups. Robinhood is trying to make that market feel more reachable to everyday investors by packaging exposure through a listed closed-end fund rather than asking users to navigate private capital directly. That is a different proposition from conventional stock trading, but it is increasingly central to Robinhood’s broader effort to widen what retail access looks like on its platform.
The investment also adds another high-profile name to a portfolio that already includes Airwallex, Databricks, ElevenLabs, Mercor, Oura, Ramp, Revolut and Stripe. Robinhood said the fund began trading on the NYSE last March under the symbol RVI (NYSE: $RVI), and pitched it as a vehicle with no accreditation requirements, no investment minimums and no performance fees. Sarah Pinto, president of the fund, said the OpenAI investment reflects Robinhood’s mission to give everyday investors access to companies “shaping the future.”
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The market reaction suggests investors were paying attention. Shares of the fund were trading more than 14% higher on Wednesday, according to market data cited in the report. The larger takeaway, though, sits beyond a one-day move.
Robinhood is not just trying to add another private company name to a portfolio. It is pushing the idea that retail investors should have a clearer lane into the private markets where more of today’s highest-profile growth companies now stay for longer.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) stock is currently trading at $87.67 U.S. per share.
