Financial and Business News

Freetrade CEO Leaves After Nine Years This Summer Following IG Acquisition

Tuesday, 17/02/2026 | 09:07 GMT by Tareq Sikder
  • Viktor Nebehaj co-founded Freetrade and held roles including COO, CMO, and Head of Growth.
  • IG Group acquired Freetrade for £160 million, funded from existing capital, last year.
Freetrade

Viktor Nebehaj announced on LinkedIn that he will step down as CEO of Freetrade this summer. He wrote, “After nearly ten years of building, it feels like the right time for me to step back and take a proper break. There’s never a perfect moment, and if I don’t choose one, I’d probably just keep doing this forever.”

Last year, IG Group agreed to acquire Freetrade for £160 million. The deal is funded from IG’s existing capital. Freetrade will continue to operate as a standalone business, with Nebehaj remaining as CEO. The acquisition gives IG access to the UK direct investment market and broadens its existing trading and investment offerings.

Former Freetrade COO, CMO, Growth

Nebehaj has been with Freetrade since its early days, co-founding the company and holding multiple leadership roles. He served as COO for two years and four months, as CMO for three years and seven months, and as Head of Growth for one year and four months.

Before joining Freetrade, Nebehaj worked at Notey as Head of Growth for one year and six months in Hong Kong, and at Cliqz as Head of Assessment for one year and three months in Munich, Germany. He also held roles at iProspect as Regional Digital Operations Manager / Head of SEO for nine months in Hong Kong.

Freetrade Raised $69 Million Capital

He spent seven years at Google in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked as an Online Operations Manager for EMEA for three years and two months, and as a Search Quality Analyst for nearly four years.

Freetrade is a London-based stock trading app that has raised capital, including a $69 million funding round .

Freetrade Faces Investor Backlash After Acquisition

Following the acquisition by IG, Freetrade has faced criticism from early investors, as the £160 million cash deal was more than a quarter below its previous fundraising valuation.

While the company reported that early investors received 15 times their investment on average, questions over valuation gaps have emerged. Freetrade became profitable in the first half of 2024, reporting a £12.3 million gross profit and a small operating profit.

Viktor Nebehaj announced on LinkedIn that he will step down as CEO of Freetrade this summer. He wrote, “After nearly ten years of building, it feels like the right time for me to step back and take a proper break. There’s never a perfect moment, and if I don’t choose one, I’d probably just keep doing this forever.”

Last year, IG Group agreed to acquire Freetrade for £160 million. The deal is funded from IG’s existing capital. Freetrade will continue to operate as a standalone business, with Nebehaj remaining as CEO. The acquisition gives IG access to the UK direct investment market and broadens its existing trading and investment offerings.

Former Freetrade COO, CMO, Growth

Nebehaj has been with Freetrade since its early days, co-founding the company and holding multiple leadership roles. He served as COO for two years and four months, as CMO for three years and seven months, and as Head of Growth for one year and four months.

Before joining Freetrade, Nebehaj worked at Notey as Head of Growth for one year and six months in Hong Kong, and at Cliqz as Head of Assessment for one year and three months in Munich, Germany. He also held roles at iProspect as Regional Digital Operations Manager / Head of SEO for nine months in Hong Kong.

Freetrade Raised $69 Million Capital

He spent seven years at Google in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked as an Online Operations Manager for EMEA for three years and two months, and as a Search Quality Analyst for nearly four years.

Freetrade is a London-based stock trading app that has raised capital, including a $69 million funding round .

Freetrade Faces Investor Backlash After Acquisition

Following the acquisition by IG, Freetrade has faced criticism from early investors, as the £160 million cash deal was more than a quarter below its previous fundraising valuation.

While the company reported that early investors received 15 times their investment on average, questions over valuation gaps have emerged. Freetrade became profitable in the first half of 2024, reporting a £12.3 million gross profit and a small operating profit.

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About the Author: Tareq Sikder
Tareq Sikder
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A Forex technical analyst and writer who has been engaged in financial writing for 12 years.

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