Trends with Benefits #132: Unlocking the VC Secondary Market
March 04, 2025
Listen Time 39:42 MIN
This episode’s guest is Javier Avalos, CEO of Caplight, who discusses the VC secondaries market and its evolution alongside public markets. He shares insights on the Elon Musk Crossover Index, which tracks the performance of Musk-led companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Javier also explains how secondary markets offer investors access to high-growth private companies before they go public. As the IPO market remains sluggish and private markets expand, Caplight is helping investors by providing data and insights to navigate the complex world of pre-IPO investing.
Show Notes:
2:10 Tracking the Elon Musk Crossover Index
5:34 What’s happening in public markets
7:57 Defining the VC secondary market
10:30 What’s fueling the secondary market
18:00 Trends in types of shares coming to market
21:20 Features of Caplight
28:16 Exciting companies in 2025
32:38 Long-term trend
34:44 Trend or fad
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IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
Please note that Van Eck may offer investment products that invest in the asset class(es) discussed in this blog.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and are current as of the video’s posting date, and are not necessarily those of VanEck or its other employees. Video commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. References to specific securities and their issuers or sectors are for illustrative purposes only. This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities, financial instruments or digital assets mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, tax advice, or any call to action. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward-looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are for illustrative purposes only, are valid as of the date of this communication, and are subject to change without notice. Actual future performance of any assets or industries mentioned are unknown. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of third party data.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
A prospective private fund investor should only commit to such an investment if he or she understands the nature of the investment and can bear the economic risk of the investment. Private investments are often highly speculative and typically involve a significant degree of risk, volatility and illiquidity. A prospective investor should thoroughly review the private placement memorandum (PPM) and all offering documents carefully and consider whether the investment is suitable to the investor’s financial situation and goals.
All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. As with any investment strategy, there is no guarantee that investment objectives will be met and investors may lose money. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Associates Corporation.
© 2025 Van Eck Associates Corporation.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES
Please note that Van Eck may offer investment products that invest in the asset class(es) discussed in this blog.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and are current as of the video’s posting date, and are not necessarily those of VanEck or its other employees. Video commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. References to specific securities and their issuers or sectors are for illustrative purposes only. This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities, financial instruments or digital assets mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, tax advice, or any call to action. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward-looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are for illustrative purposes only, are valid as of the date of this communication, and are subject to change without notice. Actual future performance of any assets or industries mentioned are unknown. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of third party data.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
A prospective private fund investor should only commit to such an investment if he or she understands the nature of the investment and can bear the economic risk of the investment. Private investments are often highly speculative and typically involve a significant degree of risk, volatility and illiquidity. A prospective investor should thoroughly review the private placement memorandum (PPM) and all offering documents carefully and consider whether the investment is suitable to the investor’s financial situation and goals.
All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. As with any investment strategy, there is no guarantee that investment objectives will be met and investors may lose money. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Associates Corporation.
© 2025 Van Eck Associates Corporation.