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• Two companies that were long competing against one another are now coming together to boost the odds that they can survive and maybe thrive against the others.
• Pending regulatory approval, Forge, founded as Equidate in 2014, and Sharespost, founded in 2009, will join forces under the Forge brand, after agreeing to a $160 million cash-and-stock deal.
• Forge’s CEO, Kelly Rodrigues, will run the combined company, while Sharespost’s founder and CEO, Greg Brogger, becomes an advisor to the company and joins its board of directors.
• Forge has raised $109 million to date, including an expansion of its Series B round that helped pay for the acquisition.
• SharesPost has raised $38 million from investors over the years. The combined company will have close to 200 employees across five offices, including New York, San Carlos, San Francisco, South Dakota, and Hong Kong.

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