Build Your Own Unicorn Portfolio in Minutes With Only $10,000

Heron Finance's new pre-IPO company investing strategies offer diversified exposure to 50+ private companies with $5B+ valuations, all with end-to-end portfolio management and a $10,000 investment minimum.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Heron Finance announced the launch of its automated pre-IPO company investing strategy, giving individual accredited investors streamlined exposure to shares of high-growth potential private companies that were previously available almost exclusively to institutional buyers.

The new platform allows investors to build a portfolio of pre-IPO unicorn companies in minutes, choosing from pre-built strategies or creating a custom allocation from more than 50 private companies—all with current valuations exceeding $5 billion and backed by a leading venture capital firm (firms with $10 billion or more in AUM and 15-plus years of experience).

"For far too long, pre-IPO investing has been defined by an unnecessary tradeoff: you either settled for the 'one-size-fits-all' nature of fund-style products or navigated the complex, high-barrier world of secondary marketplaces," said Heron CEO Mike Sall. "With our new pre-IPO company strategies, Heron bridges that divide. We've built an investing experience that combines the freedom to pick-and-choose individual unicorn companies or invest in curated themes with the ability to customize—all delivered through an automated platform with accessible minimums."

A Streamlined Approach to Pre-IPO Company Investing

Heron's platform simplifies what has traditionally been a fragmented, opaque, and institutionally gatekept process.

Investors choose from three customizable strategies:

1. Blue Chip: A diversified portfolio targeting private companies with valuations over $15 billion, backed by leading venture capital firms.
2. AI Focus: A sector-specific strategy targeting artificial intelligence companies with valuations over $5 billion.
3. Build Your Own: A fully customizable strategy allowing investors to hand-pick from the full roster of 50+ private companies.

How Pre-IPO Company Investing Works at Heron Finance

Once a strategy is selected, Heron monitors the private secondary market, purchases available shares through the firm's institutional access, and provides exposure to the client. The curated strategies are rebalanced as new high-growth companies are added. When investors are ready to exit, Heron facilitates the process.

Unlike purchasing individual pre-IPO shares—which often requires navigating complex private transactions and significant investment minimums—or pre-IPO ETFs and funds that lack personalization, Heron's platform offers a distinct combination of advantages:

• Low entry point: $10,000 minimum investment to access a diversified pre-IPO investing portfolio.
• End-to-end management: Heron handles sourcing, purchasing, rebalancing, and exit facilitation.
• Automated diversification: Pre-built thematic strategies spread exposure across leading private companies with current valuations exceeding $5 billion.
• Pick and choose your companies: Heron allows investors to build their own portfolio or add and remove companies from pre-built strategies.
• Institutional access: Heron leverages its institutional standing as a qualified purchaser to source shares in a competitive market.
• Reduced public market volatility: Pre-IPO exposures are not subject to daily public market fluctuations.

To learn more, visit heronfinance.com/pre-ipo or read Heron Finance's pre-IPO company investing FAQs.

Keep in mind that pre-IPO investing carries several risks including illiquidity, valuation opacity, concentration risk, and limited due diligence. This strategy suits investors comfortable with an asymmetric, higher-risk/higher-reward profile and a longer, less predictable path to liquidity.

About Heron Finance

Heron Finance provides individual investors, RIAs, and family offices with diversified private market investment portfolios, offering exposure to 25+ funds and more than 10,000 underlying private credit, private equity, private infrastructure, and private real estate investments.

Through a fully digital investing experience, Heron Finance enables access to private markets with low minimums, monthly subscriptions with no capital calls, no multi-year lockups, favorable share class, and a single consolidated tax form.

Individual investors can invest with Heron Finance in three steps: receive a personalized portfolio recommendation, fund an investment through a standard or IRA account, and monitor returns and portfolio composition on an ongoing basis.

Learn how to invest in private markets at heronfinance.com.

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Disclosure:

Investing in private, pre-IPO companies involves significant risk and is not suitable for all investors. These investments are generally illiquid, may be difficult to value, may be subject to transfer restrictions, and may result in the loss of some or all of your investment. Examples are provided for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as investment, legal, or tax advice or as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Past performance, estimated valuations, company growth, or secondary market pricing are not indicative of future results. Pre-IPO companies are privately owned and not all private companies will experience an IPO or other liquidity event.

SOURCE Heron Finance