Otis joins Public to empower fractional investing in art and collectibles
We believe a modern, diversified portfolio is made up of more than just stocks, funds, and crypto — it’s also made of cultural assets.
Today, we’re excited to announce the acquisition of Otis, a pioneer in fractional investing in art, sneakers, and collectibles. With Otis joining Public, the Public platform will soon be the only place in the world where people can invest in — and build a modern portfolio with — any fractional asset. That means art, collectibles, real estate, crypto, funds, stocks, and more — all in one place.
Two pioneers join forces
In 2019, Public pioneered real-time fractional investing in stocks. In 2021, we added crypto investing with more than 25 cryptos on the app and counting.¹
Otis launched in 2019 to make it possible to own and invest in cultural assets, bringing the same rigor in accessibility and empowerment as we’ve brought to investing in stocks, funds, and crypto. Otis has empowered thousands of investors to buy slices of assets like a Banksy painting, a pair of iconic sneakers worn by Michael Jordan, and trading cards of athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams.
Unlocking new asset classes for everyone
Investing in art and collectibles is a key aspect of the portfolio diversification strategy for many affluent investors. While alternative investing may seem niche, these opportunities can come with strong return profiles. Contemporary art, for example, has offered an average annual return of 14% (Source: CNBC, 2021).² Collectibles like high-end handbags have averaged an annual increase in value of 14.2% (Source: Baghunter, 2016).²
Historically, the opportunities to diversify with alternative investments have been limited to a small pool of investors. They are often locked behind exclusive art galleries and connections to other collectors, in addition to commanding price tags that are out of reach for the average investor. Turning these physical assets into fractional investable securities has been the great unlock of the past few years, and it has, in turn, created a whole new asset class for people to consider.
And the exciting part is that fractional investing in alternative assets is still very young; it’s estimated that less than a million people have ever signed up for any of the available fractional alternative investing platforms in the market to date. The number of actual active investors is even smaller.
With Public’s community of more than three million members and growing, we’re bringing the scale of our platform together with the innovation and curation of Otis to make this new asset class work for more people than ever before.
We’re excited. We hope you are, too.
*Content is provided for informational purposes only, is neither investment advice nor an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC.
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- Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC, not affiliated with Public Holdings, Inc.
- Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Historical performance may not reflect future performance.
