Key Takeaways
- • Aqua, an alternatives infrastructure company, launched what it describes as the industry's first turnkey alternative investments platform (TAIP), disclosing $18.8 million in total funding.
- • The funding comprises a $3.8 million seed round backed by Google's AI Fund, Y Combinator and others, followed by a $15 million Series A led by Arthur Ventures with participation from Alumni Ventures.
- • The platform targets wealth managers, RIAs, banks, trust companies and fund sponsors, consolidating fund creation, investment lifecycle management, marketplace access, document intelligence and investor servicing into one environment.
- • Aqua positions itself as a replacement for disconnected marketplaces, manual workflows and spreadsheets that most firms currently use to offer alternatives.
- • The company says demand is accelerating and that additional partnerships with major firms will be announced in the coming weeks.
Summary
Aqua has launched what it calls the industry's first turnkey alternative investments platform (TAIP), alongside disclosure of $18.8 million in total funding, according to a PR Newswire release dated September 9, 2026. The company raised a $3.8 million seed round backed by Google's AI Fund, Y Combinator and other investors, followed by a $15 million Series A led by Arthur Ventures, with participation from Alumni Ventures. Aqua said it will use the capital to accelerate business and platform development, expand its engineering and partnership teams, and deepen integrations across custodians and fund sponsors.
The platform is designed for wealth managers, RIAs, banks, trust companies and fund sponsors that want to build, manage and scale institutional-quality alternatives programs. Aqua positions the product as a replacement for the disconnected marketplaces, manual workflows and spreadsheets that most firms rely on today. The platform combines fund creation, operational workflows, investment lifecycle management, marketplace access, document intelligence and investor servicing in a single environment.
Co-Founder and CEO Rohan Marwaha said demand for alternatives has grown quickly while firms still rely on spreadsheets and fragmented processes. Head of Growth David Coyle argued that a marketplace is not the same as an alternatives strategy, and that advisors need a repeatable way to educate clients, manage operations and deliver alternatives as part of a broader wealth strategy. The company said its leadership team includes Marwaha, who previously built technology and alternative investment solutions for major alternative asset managers; Coyle, who has spent more than 25 years driving technology adoption at advisory firms; and Joe Ujobai, Head of Growth Partnerships, with more than 35 years in financial services and technology.
Aqua said demand is already accelerating for its integrated solution and that additional partnerships with major firms will be announced in the coming weeks. A live webinar is scheduled for September 23. The release is company-issued, and the funding and product claims have not been independently verified.
The platform is designed for wealth managers, RIAs, banks, trust companies and fund sponsors that want to build, manage and scale institutional-quality alternatives programs. Aqua positions the product as a replacement for the disconnected marketplaces, manual workflows and spreadsheets that most firms rely on today. The platform combines fund creation, operational workflows, investment lifecycle management, marketplace access, document intelligence and investor servicing in a single environment.
Co-Founder and CEO Rohan Marwaha said demand for alternatives has grown quickly while firms still rely on spreadsheets and fragmented processes. Head of Growth David Coyle argued that a marketplace is not the same as an alternatives strategy, and that advisors need a repeatable way to educate clients, manage operations and deliver alternatives as part of a broader wealth strategy. The company said its leadership team includes Marwaha, who previously built technology and alternative investment solutions for major alternative asset managers; Coyle, who has spent more than 25 years driving technology adoption at advisory firms; and Joe Ujobai, Head of Growth Partnerships, with more than 35 years in financial services and technology.
Aqua said demand is already accelerating for its integrated solution and that additional partnerships with major firms will be announced in the coming weeks. A live webinar is scheduled for September 23. The release is company-issued, and the funding and product claims have not been independently verified.
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