While apps like Bamboo and Risevest often dominate the conversation around Nigerian investment platforms, there is a quieter contender that many serious investors consider the most comprehensive option available: Trove Finance. Co-founded in 2018 by Oluwatomi Solanke, Austin Akagu, Desayo Ajisegiri, and Opeyemi Olanipekun, Trove is a digital investment platform that provides access to over 5,000 listed assets across Nigerian, US, and Chinese markets — including stocks, ETFs, bonds, and ADRs. With over 500,000 app downloads and ₦500 billion in facilitated trades, Trove has quietly built one of the most robust investment platforms in Nigeria. In this review, we break down everything you need to know about Trove Finance in 2026.
Company Background
Trove was born from the frustration of its founding team with the inaccessibility of capital markets for ordinary Nigerians. CEO Oluwatomi Solanke, a serial entrepreneur with a chemical engineering background from the University of Lagos and experience at Harvard Innovation Labs, envisioned a platform that would make investing as simple as sending a text message.
The company launched in 2019 and quickly differentiated itself from competitors by offering one of the widest selections of assets available to Nigerian investors. While most competing platforms focused primarily on US stocks, Trove built a more comprehensive offering that included Nigerian stocks, US stocks, Chinese stocks, government bonds, ETFs, and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).
Trove's funding journey has been modest compared to some competitors. The company has raised approximately $120,000 in seed funding, with participation from Techstars (April 2024). This lean funding approach stands in contrast to competitors like Bamboo ($15M Series A) and Risevest (undisclosed but substantial). Despite the smaller war chest, Trove has managed to build a technically sophisticated platform that competes effectively with much better-funded rivals.
Regulatory Framework
Trove takes regulation seriously, and its compliance structure is one of its strongest selling points:
Nigerian Operations: Trove operates its Nigerian stock trading services through Innova Securities Limited, a broker-dealer licensed and regulated by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Innova Securities has a storied history — it was formerly known as Union Stockbrokers (the brokerage arm of Union Bank of Nigeria) and later UCML Securities Ltd before coming under Trove's ownership. This means that when you trade Nigerian stocks on Trove, your trades are processed through a broker with decades of history in Nigeria's capital market.
US Operations: For US stock trading, Trove partners with SEC-regulated broker-dealers in the United States. Your US stock investments are protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) insurance up to $500,000, with 24/7 account monitoring. This is the same level of protection that American investors enjoy through their domestic brokerages.
This dual regulatory structure — SEC Nigeria through Innova Securities for local trades, and US SEC-regulated partners with SIPC protection for American stocks — makes Trove one of the most comprehensively regulated investment platforms available to Nigerian investors.
What Can You Invest In?
Trove's asset coverage is arguably the widest of any Nigerian investment app. Here is what you can access:
Nigerian Stocks
Full access to stocks listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX). This includes blue-chip names like Dangote Cement, MTN Nigeria, BUA Cement, Airtel Africa, Zenith Bank, and GTBank, as well as smaller-cap opportunities across various sectors. Nigerian stock trades are executed through Innova Securities, ensuring proper settlement and regulatory compliance.
US Stocks
Access to thousands of US-listed stocks including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Google, Meta, Netflix, and many more. Trove supports fractional investing for US stocks, so you can invest with as little as $10 and own a portion of even the most expensive stocks.
ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds)
Trove offers access to a wide range of ETFs, including US index ETFs like the S&P 500 (SPY) and Nasdaq (QQQ), sector-specific funds covering technology, healthcare, energy, and financials, as well as international ETFs for global diversification. ETFs are an excellent option for investors who want broad market exposure without picking individual stocks.
Government Bonds
One of Trove's differentiating features is access to Nigerian government bonds — FGN bonds and treasury bills. These fixed-income instruments provide predictable returns and are backed by the full faith and credit of the Nigerian government. For conservative investors or those looking to balance the volatility of stocks, bonds offer a stable income stream.
Chinese Stocks
Trove is one of the few Nigerian platforms that provides access to Chinese market securities. This includes major companies listed on Chinese exchanges or through ADRs on US exchanges, giving investors exposure to the world's second-largest economy.
ADRs (American Depositary Receipts)
ADRs allow you to invest in foreign companies that are listed on US exchanges. This gives you exposure to major international companies from Europe, Asia, and Latin America without needing to open accounts on foreign exchanges.
How Trove Works
Step 1: Download and Register. Download the Trove app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Create an account and complete KYC verification with your BVN and government-issued ID.
Step 2: Fund Your Account. Add money via bank transfer or debit card. The minimum deposit is ₦1,000 for Nigerian assets or $10 for US assets. Trove handles the currency conversion for dollar investments.
Step 3: Browse and Trade. Explore the extensive catalogue of available assets. Each listing includes price charts, company information, key metrics, and market data. Execute buy and sell orders with a few taps.
Step 4: Monitor Your Portfolio. Track your portfolio performance through Trove's dashboard, which shows holdings, returns, and market movements in real-time.
