Pluto Launches an AI-Powered Lending Platform to Unlock Liquidity in Private Markets, Backed by Leading Credit Investors

The company also announced $8.6 million in seed funding from Motive Ventures, Portage, Apollo, and Hamilton Lane to build AI-powered credit infrastructure that enables financial advisors and their high-net-worth clients to borrow against private equity, venture, and alternative assets without selling.

Pluto Financial Technologies, Inc. has launched the first AI-powered lending platform purpose built for private markets, backed by Motive Ventures, Portage, Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO), Hamilton Lane (NASDAQ:HLNE), Tectonic Ventures, and Broadhaven Ventures. Pluto has raised $8.6 million in equity and secured hundreds of millions in lending capacity.

Private markets are booming, with total AUM projected to grow 1.5x in the next five years. Yet these assets largely remain locked up for years, burdened by unpredictable capital calls, scarce secondary options, and steep discounts for sellers. Additionally, borrowing against them has historically been slow, costly, and accessible only to the ultra-wealthy.

Pluto offers a modern solution by transforming illiquid private market assets into instant financial flexibility.

As an AI-powered lending platform purpose built for private markets, Pluto connects directly to portfolios so investors can access credit on demand, without selling positions or waiting months for intermediaries.

"Pluto is the bridge between alternative asset ownership and everyday financial freedom," said Neel Ganu, CFA, CEO and co-founder of Pluto. "Our mission is simple: make liquidity accessible to all investors, without forcing early exits."

Introducing the Wealth Equity Line of Credit (WELOC)

Pluto's flagship Wealth Equity Line of Credit (WELOC) is designed to let investors borrow against private market assets at competitive rates, with repayment from future fund distributions and no monthly interest payments, keeping their capital working while unlocking liquidity.

Through two major distribution partners, Allocate and Moonfare, Pluto provides access to thousands of investors managing over $6 billion in alternative assets, enabling smarter liquidity decisions. Supported by institutional balance sheet partners, Pluto has secured hundreds of millions in lending capacity to meet this demand.

"Liquidity constraints have limited wealth advisor participation in private markets. Our partnership with Pluto allows us to offer flexible liquidity solutions in real-time through our platform, removing a critical barrier for advisors and their clients," said Samir Kaji, CEO, Allocate.

"As a leader in private markets, we're focused on enabling better, more seamless, technology-enabled access for all investors. We are excited to be partnering with Pluto, whose modern, scalable platform aims to unlock liquidity where it's traditionally been out of reach and seeks to empower investors with speed, security and control," said Griff Norville, Head of Technology Solutions at Hamilton Lane.

Pluto's team brings experience from Fidelity, Canoe, Unqork, Paul Weiss, and Citi, combining institutional credit, technology, and AI expertise. This background enables Pluto to underwrite and scale credit against complex private market portfolios. Pluto is redefining how capital moves in private markets, making liquidity as seamless as investing.

About Pluto Financial Technologies

Pluto is a next-generation embedded lending platform unlocking liquidity for investors using their portfolios, including alternative assets, as collateral. Headquartered in New York, Pluto partners with leading wealth platforms and asset managers to offer AI-powered credit products that are fast, flexible, and built for modern investors.

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