Investor Profile: Hiive - Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

If you are learning how to get funding from Hiive, start with a key distinction: Hiive is not a venture fund writing primary cheques. It is a secondary marketplace where shareholders in late stage, venture backed companies can buy and sell shares before an IPO or acquisition. For founders and early employees, it is mainly a route to liquidity, not a route to a first seed round.

What Hiive is

Hiive was founded in Vancouver in 2021 by chief executive Sim Desai, with co-founders Prab Rattan, Sarah Huggins and Stuart Eccles. The idea was to replace opaque, broker led dealing with a visible order book showing bids, asks and traded prices for private stock. In October 2023, GeekWire reported a $4.2 million raise at a $77 million post money valuation, led by Uncorrelated Ventures, with Splash Capital, Harmony Venture Partners, Hack VC and Agmen Capital also participating.

There is an important change of status to note. Hiive has rebranded as Clarity, and its former domain now redirects to the new brand. The rebranded site, last updated on 27 August 2026 in the version read here, reports more than $6 billion in closed transaction volume since inception, more than $300 million in monthly volume on a six month rolling average, and activity across more than 147 unicorns. Those are platform totals, not a fund size, and Hiive publishes no venture fund size because it is not a fund.

Thesis, sectors and stages

The thesis is simple: companies stay private for longer, so employees, early investors and funds need a credible way to realise value without waiting for an exit. Hiive, now Clarity, therefore focuses on late stage, venture backed technology and growth companies, not pre seed startups. Listings reported in 2023 included Outreach, Icertis and Convoy. Trades are built around company approved transfers, so the private company remains central to whether a sale can complete, and any right of first refusal can add weeks to a deal.

How it works and what to watch

Buyers and sellers register, complete identity and accreditation checks, and view live orders for named companies. Securities are offered by Hiive Markets Limited, a member of FINRA and SIPC and a registered exempt market dealer in several Canadian provinces. For a founder, the practical uses are a structured liquidity programme for employees, a market based price signal, and a managed exit route for early angels or funds. There is no standard cheque size, because each trade depends on the block sold and the price agreed, so a cheque figure for Hiive itself is not publicly disclosed in that sense. Hiive runs no accelerator or grant programme; its product is the marketplace, price discovery and settlement.

How to apply for funding

Register on the official Hiive site, now operating as Clarity, choose a buyer or seller account, and complete identity and accreditation verification. Companies wanting a managed liquidity programme should contact the platform team through the official site, because transfers normally need company approval. Do not treat a listing price as a guaranteed sale price: a live order book still needs a counterparty and company consent.