Alpaca Secures $52M in Series C Funding to Boost Global Stock and Crypto Trading API Platform

Alpaca, a U.S.-based API platform specializing in stock, options, and cryptocurrency trading, has successfully raised $52 million in its Series C funding round, according to an official announcement. The round saw participation from a mix of new and returning investors, including 850 Management, Derayah Financial, National Investments Company (NIC), Portage Ventures, and Unbound. This latest capital injection brings Alpaca’s total funding to over $170 million, reinforcing its position as a key player in the fintech infrastructure space.

Founded in 2015 by Yoshi Yokokawa, a former investment banker in the U.S. and Japan and Hitoshi Harada (CPO), Alpaca operates as a self-clearing broker-dealer, offering a developer-first platform that powers trading for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies. The company’s modern APIs enable businesses and fintechs worldwide to embed commission-free trading into their applications, serving over 200 partners across 40 countries and supporting more than 5 million brokerage accounts. The platform’s crypto offering, launched in 2021, supports trading of assets like BTC, ETH, and DOGE through Alpaca Crypto LLC, a FinCEN-registered entity, though it remains a smaller revenue driver compared to its stock and options business. Previous backers of Alpaca includes Spark Capital, Tribe Capital, Social Leverage, Horizons Ventures, SBI Group, Elefund, and Y Combinator.

The Series C round follows a standout year for Alpaca in 2024, during which it achieved full self-clearing status with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and rolled out significant features like U.S. options trading, High-Yield Cash accounts, IRA accounts, and FIX API support. These developments have solidified Alpaca’s infrastructure, enabling it to handle trade execution, custody, and settlement in-house.

Alpaca positions itself against competitors like Interactive Brokers by emphasizing modern, developer-friendly APIs and a focus on embedded finance. “When new banks want to improve their products for their customers, they prefer to work with modern partners because their customers want modern solutions. So that is how we are currently winning the market share over them. We are growing faster, but I do see them as our competition in that sense,” Yokokawa told TechCrunch in an interview, underscoring Alpaca’s edge in a crowded market.

The fresh capital will fuel Alpaca’s plans to introduce non-U.S. products, such as European and Asian equities, and support 24/5 trading for U.S. stocks. “We have always been focused on enabling access and opportunity for everyone on the planet. This new chapter allows us to expand our efforts globally, supporting our partners and customers with the tools and infrastructure they need to thrive in modern financial markets,” said by Yokokawa.