Equidate Names Fintech Executive, Kelly Rodriques, as Chief Executive Officer

Equidate, the leading stock market for private companies, today announced that Kelly Rodriques has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. This announcement follows Equidate’s $50 million Series B capital raise last month. The Company’s co-Founders, Sohail Prasad and Samvit Ramadurgam, will be leading the company with Kelly as co-Presidents.

Rodriques has more than 26 years of Fintech experience and has been an investor in more than 25 venture-backed firms. He was a founding investor of mFoundry, the leading provider of mobile banking, which was acquired by Fidelity Information Systems in 2013. Most recently, he served as CEO of PENSCO, one of the nation’s leading alternative asset custodians, which was sold to Opus Bank in 2017. Prior, Rodriques was an Operating Partner of Ignition Capital and CEO and Chairman of Totality, acquired by Verizon in 2006.

Rodriques has also been Managing Partner of Operative Capital, a Fintech venture firm based in San Francisco. Operative Capital co-led Equidate’s recently announced $50 million Series B financing, along with Financial Technology Partners (“FT Partners”) and Panorama Point Partners.

“I am honored to be a part of such an accomplished team and am thrilled to partner with Sohail and Samvit. The company is already achieving impressive growth, and its significant balance sheet will help propel our expansion,” states Rodriques. “Equidate has a unique opportunity to lead an emerging market with its technology-first approach, and is now meaningfully penetrating the global marketplace. In the coming months, we will launch new products aimed at serving large global institutions and highly valued private companies.”

“Samvit and I have known Kelly for over two years, and are incredibly excited to welcome him to the team,” said Sohail Prasad, Founder and co-President of Equidate. “Kelly’s extensive expertise in the space will be invaluable as we continue to grow Equidate.”

“I have known and worked with Kelly over the years,” said Steve McLaughlin, Founder and CEO of FT Partners. “He is an exceptional leader, and I am confident that the Board of Directors has backed the right person with proven experience scaling high velocity businesses.”

“Having worked with Kelly Rodriques as a PENSCO investor and board member, we have great confidence in his proven industry experience, entrepreneurial and leadership talents, and rare ability to optimize businesses that lie at the exciting nexus of financial services and innovative technology,” said Stephen George, Founder and Managing Partner of Panorama Point Partners. “We’re truly excited to be a lead investor in his next venture, and look forward to our partnership to build Equidate into the clear industry leading platform.“