Understanding the Private Market Index

Howe NgSVP, Head of Analytics & Investment Solutions

The Forge Private Market Index seeks to solve a number of challenges with private market investing.

Valuation staleness:

Company valuations are often tracked to last primary funding rounds. Using secondary data allows us to have a more up-to-date view on valuation.

Asset class performance through underlying companies:

Most private indices are comprised of funds instead of company level performances.

An index built with underlying constituents brings more insights and transparencies to investors.

Standardization and adoption:

Unlike companies in the public market, a private company's valuation is generally measured and quoted as a premium or discount to its last funding round. This introduces a level of noise for those who want to find out about the valuation of a group or basket of companies, as companies do not all have the same last funding round dates.

For public market investors, interested in allocating to privates, the lack of standardization creates potential friction in their investment processes and might slow down asset class adoption. A private market index that is built with a mark-to-market approach would help solve the problem.

The Forge Private Market Index includes U.S. companies that have raised at least one round of primary funding and have robust secondary liquidity in the past 12 months.

The index incorporates key pricing and liquidity information like closed trade prices, volume, and bid/ask pricing indications. The index is also equally weighted and is reconstituted and rebalanced every quarter.

The Forge Private Market Index is the benchmark for actively traded private companies.

All rights reserved. The Forge Private Market Index is calculated and disseminated by Forge Data LLC (“Forge Data”) and is a mark of Forge Data. The Forge Private Market Index is solely for informational purposes and is based upon information from sources believed to be reliable. It is not possible to invest in the Forge Private Market Index, and Forge Data makes no assurance that any investment products based on or underlying the Forge Private Market Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. Forge Data is not an investment adviser and makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any asset classes or investment vehicles. Private company securities are highly illiquid, and the Forge Private Market Index may rely on a very limited number of trade and/or IOI inputs in its calculation. Brokerage products and services are offered by Forge Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Please see this page for other important disclaimers, disclosures and restrictions related to the Forge Private Market Index that you acknowledge by using this website and/or continuing to access this content and to which you are subject. Additionally, if you are accessing this content away from forgeglobal.com, you are subject to Forge’s Terms of Use with respect to use and distribution of information as if you were accessing this content on forgeglobal.com.

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Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors. An investment in private company securities is highly speculative, involving a high degree of risk, and investors should be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities. Each investment also carries its own specific risks and investors should conduct their own, independent due diligence regarding the investment, including obtaining additional information about the company, opinions, financial projections and legal or investment advice. Accordingly, investing in private company securities is appropriate only for those investors who can tolerate a high degree of risk and do not require a liquid investment. Past performance Is not indicative of future results.

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