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Robinhood Markets, Inc.
Robinhood was founded in 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, both former Stanford math graduates who previously built high-frequency trading software.
Robinhood Markets, Inc.
Robinhood was founded in 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, both former Stanford math graduates who previously built high-frequency trading software. The company launched its commission-free trading app in 2015, disrupting a brokerage industry that still charged per-trade fees. Initial funding came from venture capital, including Index Ventures and Ribbit Capital. Robinhood generates revenue primarily through payment for order flow (PFOF), net interest income from margin and cash balances, and premium subscriptions like Robinhood Gold. The platform has expanded from equities to include ETFs, options, mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Notable investments include an early stake in the company by Sequoia Capital (per The Wall Street Journal, 2020). The firm operates in the United States and, via Robinhood Crypto, serves customers in the European Union and the United Kingdom. By 2025, Robinhood reported over 23 million funded accounts and assets under custody exceeding $150 billion (per Robinhood Q1 2025 earnings). The company employs roughly 3,800 people globally. In May 2024, Robinhood acquired Bitstamp, a Europe-based cryptocurrency exchange, for $200 million (per The Block, May 2024). Adjacent entities include the Robinhood Foundation, a philanthropic arm. Robinhood's structure is that of a public corporation (ticker: HOOD) rather than a family office, asset manager, or foundation. Its regulatory posture includes oversight by the SEC and FINRA, and it has faced multiple enforcement actions, including a $70 million penalty from FINRA in 2021 (per FINRA, June 2021). The firm's legal status as a broker-dealer separates it from the private investment vehicles typically tracked by Altss.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Menlo Park
Corporate office
Menlo Park, CA, United States
Additional offices
New York, NY · Denver, CO · London, UK
Principals
Vlad Tenev
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Baiju Bhatt
Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer (former)
Jason Warnick
Chief Financial Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Robinhood?
Vlad Tenev serves as CEO and co-founded the company. Day-to-day investment and product strategy is executed by a management team including CFO Jason Warnick and chief risk officers. Robinhood is a public company (HOOD) governed by a board of directors.
How does Robinhood generate revenue?
The company earns revenue from payment for order flow (PFOF), net interest on customer cash and margin accounts, subscription fees for Robinhood Gold, and transaction fees from cryptocurrency trading. PFOF, paid by market makers like Citadel Securities, accounted for roughly 27% of total revenue in Q1 2025 (per Robinhood earnings).
Is Robinhood a broker-dealer or a family office?
Robinhood is a publicly traded broker-dealer and not a family office, asset manager, or foundation. It is regulated by the SEC and FINRA and operates as Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Crypto LLC.
Does Robinhood have a philanthropic arm?
Robinhood launched the Robinhood Foundation in 2021 to support financial literacy and community development. The foundation is a separate entity from the for-profit brokerage, as is standard for corporate foundations.
What investment stages or asset classes does Robinhood offer?
Robinhood offers commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds, plus cryptocurrency trading. It does not offer direct private equity, venture capital, or fixed-income products outside of a cash sweep.
How is Robinhood related to the meme stock phenomenon?
Robinhood was a primary platform used by retail traders during the GameStop short squeeze in January 2021. The company temporarily restricted purchases of certain stocks, leading to congressional hearings and a $70 million FINRA fine.
Where does Robinhood's backing come from?
Robinhood's early investors include Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Ribbit Capital, and DST Global. It went public via an IPO in July 2021, raising $2.1 billion (per Robinhood SEC filing, 2021).
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