Singapore-based Qapita has secured $26.5 million from US-based Charles Schwab Corporation, in a striking cross-border bet on equity management infrastructure for startups.
A US giant backs cap-table software
Qapita builds equity and ESOP management software for startups and investors — the unglamorous but critical plumbing of the private markets. That a brokerage behemoth like Charles Schwab is writing a $26.5 million cheque into the category is a strong signal: cap-table and liquidity infrastructure is becoming strategic, not just administrative.
The deal was one of five growth-stage transactions in a week that saw $219.2 million flow into later-stage Indian and India-adjacent startups, alongside Raise Financial Services' $120 million unicorn round and Intangles' $30 million Series B.
The ESOP economy keeps growing
India's startup ESOP economy has matured fast — insurtech major InsuranceDekho launched a $2 million ESOP liquidity programme this same week, letting around 150 current and former employees partially cash out vested options. Platforms like Qapita sit at the centre of that trend, managing the complexity as startups scale from seed to IPO.
Why it matters for founders
If you are issuing ESOPs, your cap table is now investor-grade infrastructure — and global financial giants are paying attention to who manages it. Clean, professionally managed equity records make every future round and liquidity event dramatically easier. Find these funders and apply in one click at noranow.in/investors — and build your application with the Apply Kit.