Freetrade Acquisition and Share Buyback by Molten Ventures

Molten Ventures plc has announced the acquisition of Freetrade by FTSE 250 company IG Group. Molten, a notable venture capital firm, first invested in the investment platform during its Series A in 2019. The deal values Molten's stake 30% higher than the September 2024 holding, offering a 1.6x return on invested capital, pending regulatory approvals.

With expected proceeds, Molten's realisations for the fiscal year exceed £150 million, surpassing earlier £100 million guidance. This delivers an average 2.5x return on invested capital. The firm plans to reinvest proceeds into new investment opportunities and initiate a £5 million share repurchase program, aligning with their strategy to deploy at least 10% of realisation proceeds for buybacks. CEO Ben Wilkinson emphasized the strength and success of Freetrade, marking a positive start to 2025.