- Forge Global, a marketplace for pre-IPO securities providing trading services, announced it named Jose Cobos as CRO
Forge Global — a marketplace for pre-IPO securities that provides a range of trading services and products to investors, financial institutions, and private innovation companies — announced that it has named former head of technology capital markets for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Jose Cobos as its first chief revenue officer.
Cobos is joining the company at a pivotal time of momentum and will play a major role in growing revenue across Forge’s expanding product and partner portfolio that serves stakeholders in the private market ecosystem, including private companies, venture capitalists, hedge funds and wealth managers.
“Forge witnessed major growth and marketplace adoption this year as more investors, financial institutions, and private companies took advantage of our expanding capital innovation product suite and service portfolio,” said Forge CEO Kelly Rodriques. “Heading into 2020, as demand for private securities intensifies and as companies stay private longer, Jose’s unique experience working with late-stage growth private companies and their venture capital investors will help us better meet the needs of stakeholders.”
Cobos is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with over 15 years of experience in finance and technology. Before Forge, he worked at the NYSE as head of technology capital markets where he advised and managed relationships with technology IPO prospects as well as venture capital, private equity, investment banking, and legal communities. Before the NYSE, Cobos led the internet investment banking practices at Cowen and Piper Jaffray.
“As companies stay private longer, early investors increasingly look to Forge’s technology, data, and global relationships to gain new access to capital in the private markets,” added Cobos. “I look forward to joining the Forge team during this critical time of industry transformation and bringing my own expertise creating new opportunities within and between the finance and technology sectors to accelerate even more growth for the company. I am also thrilled to be able to help deliver on its mission of enabling more secure and transparent access to the private markets in order to build an even stronger economy.”
This year, Forge had expanded its customer and product portfolio as marketplace demand grew within the investor community, private market, and financial services sector. And the company launched Capital Systems for private innovation companies — which is an industry-first equity product with leading European provider of banking and financial services BNP Paribas and acquired a custody services provider that gives Forge the ability to help people hold and move their investments into and out of private securities easily. Going forward, Cobos will play a critical role in helping drive more momentum for Forge within the venture capital community as well as the private market economy.
