The app, available on iOS, has been built by a team of former Citi options brokers and the co-founder of Freetrade, Ian Fuller. It was created to address the access gap in options trading for UK investors. It will be launched on Android in the months ahead.
An option is a contract between two parties that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a set price on or before a specified date. In exchange for this right, the buyer pays a premium.
There are two main types of listed, tradeable options:
- Call option: Gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation) to buy an asset at a set price on or before a specified date.
- Put option: Gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation) to sell an asset at a set price on or before a specified date.
Under 2% of UK retail investors have traded an option, compared with nearly 20% in the US, a gap Investa believes is driven by high costs, complex platforms and limited access.
Addressing these challenges, the Investa app offers a streamlined experience designed around education, clarity, accessibility and transparency. Early feedback from the soft launch has been built into the app’s final features and interface.
Key app features include:
- Zero commission (other fees apply)
- Access to over 200 stocks and ETFs with over 100,000 options contracts to trade
- No margin, cash accounts only
- Clear, jargon-free terminology
- Intuitively designed options cards that strip back complexity
During the soft launch, trading favourites included Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), and Nike (NKE), with Nvidia alone representing over 20% of options activity.
Alec Beasley, Co‑founder and CEO of Investa, commented:
“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.”
The public launch of the app coincides with Investa’s second fundraising campaign on Crowdcube, following its record-breaking 2024 round that attracted just shy of 500 investors — the most participated-in UK fintech raise on Crowdcube that year. In its second Crowdcube raise, Investa is on a mission to target at least £1m, which will be used to develop and launch an Android app, scale its marketing operations, expand its product features, and grow the customer base following the public launch of the iOS app.
Marios Syrimis - Associate Director - Investor and User
“I had tried options trading on other platforms but it was difficult to get set up and their hidden fees were frustrating. I've traded on Investa several times now and have found the execution incredibly smooth. The user interface makes the options experience really intuitive, which made it easy for me to get started. As both an investor and a customer, it’s refreshing to finally find a platform that really cares about making options accessible to UK investors.”