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Ex-HQ Capital co-head joins private securities platform – exclusive

Christian Munafo has become chief investment officer of the private equity marketplace's investment arm.

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The former co-head of HQ Capital‘s secondaries business has resurfaced at the investment arm of a private securities marketplace.

Christian Munafo joined SharesPost in the newly created role of chief investment officer of its investment management unit on 1 August, he confirmed to Secondaries Investor. He will be based in New York and will focus on working with GPs, LPs and shareholders of private companies in the VC and growth-equity sector to provide liquidity.

“There’s an interesting opportunity to explore how technology innovation can be incorporated into various liquidity solutions offered to general partners, limited partners and private company shareholders within this private market ecosystem,” Munafo said.

The plan is to explore how technology innovation can be used to serve the liquidity needs of GPs, LPs and company shareholders, he added. He plans to build SharesPost’s investment product offerings via registered and non-registered products.

San Francisco-headquartered SharesPost built the first private equity marketplace in 2009, according to its website. It connects buyers and sellers of private securities and digital assets through its trading platform and provides broker-dealer services for the sale of privately-held company shares.

Its products include SharesPost 100 Fund, a closed-end interval fund that offers individuals and family offices access to venture capital at a minimum $2,500.

Munafo and fellow co-head Chris Lawrence left HQ Capital in June, as Secondaries Investor reported. Munafo had joined the firm in 2015 when fund of funds manager Auda International – which rebranded as HQ Capital that year – took over three secondaries funds from asset manager Thomas Weisel Partners. He had previously led San Francisco-based Thomas Weisel’s secondaries programme.

SharesPost has a presence in four locations and opened a New York office this year.

Several companies have launched online platforms for trading direct and limited partnership private equity stakes in recent years, such as Nasdaq Private Market and Liquid Stock.