Investa, which claims to be the UK’s first zero-commission options trading app, has officially launched to the public following a successful soft rollout.
The launch coincides with the company’s second fundraising campaign on Crowdcube, building on its record-breaking 2024 round that drew just under 500 participants, the highest engagement for a UK FinTech raise on the platform that year.
Developed by a team of former Citi options brokers and Freetrade co-founder Ian Fuller, the Investa app is currently available on iOS, with an Android version planned in the coming months.
The team set out to address the lack of accessibility in the UK’s options market, where fewer than 2% of retail investors have traded options compared with around 20% in the US. They argue that high costs, confusing platforms and limited access have prevented wider adoption.
Options are contracts that allow buyers the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell an asset at a fixed price by a given date, in exchange for a premium. The two primary categories are call options, which give investors the right to buy, and put options, which give them the right to sell.
The app facilitated more than 1,400 trades during its soft launch, with early favourites including Nvidia, Tesla, Apple and Nike. Nvidia alone accounted for over 20% of trading activity.
Investa has designed its product around clarity and accessibility, introducing features such as jargon-free explanations, simplified options cards, and a clean interface. Its offer includes zero-commission trading (with other fees applying), access to over 200 stocks and ETFs with more than 100,000 options contracts, and cash accounts only, with no margin.
Investa co-founder and CEO Alec Beasley said, “Our goal is to make the options market more accessible to savvy UK investors, as we believe it offers huge untapped opportunities. There is not a lack of interest in options trading, but rather a lack of access. High fees, confusing platforms and limited availability have kept UK investors out and we are directly addressing that gap.
“The feedback from our soft launch was invaluable and has directly influenced the features and interface that are live today. We’re also enabling investors to join us on our journey through our second Crowdcube round as we strongly believe in community ownership.
“Options trading has traditionally been an exclusive market, and we want to change that not only through the product but also through how we fund the company. Crowdfunding allows our early adopters to become shareholders and grow with us.”
As the company embarks on its second Crowdcube raise, it is targeting at least £1m. The funds will be used to expand the platform’s features, scale marketing efforts, grow its customer base and launch the Android version of the app.
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