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Smartkarma

Singapore-based independent investment research platform (finance-focused, no clear U.S. partisan lean)

Owned byPrivately held by Smartkarma Innovations Pte Ltd (Singapore). Co-founders include CEO Raghav Kapoor, and venture investors hold stakes, including Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India), Wavemaker Partners, Jungle Ventures and Singapore Exchange. The company acquired the commodities data firm Helixtap in September 2024.
FundingSubscription fees from institutional investors, plus corporate-facing services. About US$21 million in venture capital through a 2019 Series B led by Sequoia India. One database lists a further small round of about $1.5 million in May 2026, which I could not confirm elsewhere. Independent analysts publish on the platform and are paid from its subscription revenue.
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

Smartkarma was founded in 2014 in Singapore by Raghav Kapoor and co-founders including Jon Foster and Lee Mitchell. It runs a marketplace model in which vetted independent analysts, called Insight Providers, publish research. Many are former sell-side bank or research-firm analysts, and investors pay one subscription for access. It raised a Series B of about US$21 million in 2019, led by Sequoia India, bringing in investors such as Wavemaker and Jungle Ventures. In September 2024 it acquired Helixtap, a commodities alternative-data platform, to add proprietary data. Because content comes from many independent contributors, views vary by author and the platform does not have a single editorial line. Its perspective is market- and investor-oriented, with a focus on Asia-Pacific equities and events. It also sells corporate services, and some of its research is commissioned or sponsored by companies, which readers should keep in mind. I found no notable controversies, and much of the detail comes from company and startup-database profiles rather than independent reporting.

Sources

  1. Smartkarma - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding
  2. Smartkarma Raises Series B Round Led by Sequoia - Fintech Singapore
  3. Smartkarma Raises $21M to Revamp Investment Research Sector
  4. Smartkarma: Who We Are
  5. Smartkarma Innovations 2026 Company Profile (PitchBook)
  6. Helixtap Technologies 2026 Company Profile (PitchBook)
  7. Smartkarma Press Kit

Profile compiled 2026-10-13; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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