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Alternative Investing Has Long Been Inequitable. Alto Is Changing That.

It used to be that if you wanted to invest in startups or other private investments in an IRA, you were pretty much on your own. Then you had to pay a custodian to file the paperwork you likely spent weeks completing—if you could find a custodian willing to consider it.

That was the situation Alto founder and CEO Eric Satz was in nearly a decade ago. At the time, he was managing a venture capital fund and wanted to personally invest in a business alongside the fund. But it wasn’t until he noticed his IRA statement lying on the kitchen counter that he wondered, “Can I use my IRA funds to make this investment?”

The answer was yes, but the process was anything but easy. Buried in a mountain of paperwork, with little guidance, he realized just how inequitable alternative investing was and set out on a mission to make it accessible for all. 

In 2018, Alto launched its first-of-its-kind digital platform, Alto IRA, which streamlines the self-directed IRA process, enabling individuals to use their tax-advantaged retirement funds to invest in alternative assets.  Alto CryptoIRA, self-directed IRA just for crypto, was introduced two years later.

Now everyone can access the benefits of investing in alternatives like art, crypto, private equity, real estate, and venture capital. And we’re just getting started.