River Markets, a startup building infrastructure for prediction markets, has raised $8.5 million in a seed funding round led by Haun Ventures. The company, founded by former professional traders, is focused on improving execution and risk management for professional traders in the prediction market space.
The seed round
Haun Ventures led the round, according to the company. Other investors were not disclosed. The fresh capital will go toward developing the platform, which is still in its early stages.
River Markets is entering a niche but growing corner of finance. Prediction markets let traders bet on the likelihood of future events, from election outcomes to interest rate decisions. The infrastructure behind these markets, however, has lagged what professional traders expect from traditional exchanges.
What River Markets builds
The startup is building tools designed specifically for professional traders. That means better execution — getting orders filled at the right price, quickly — and stronger risk management, so traders can size positions and hedge without guesswork.
The company hasn't released a public product yet. Its focus is on the backend plumbing that powers trading, rather than a consumer-facing app.
The founders' background
Oscar Levy, one of the founders, came from a professional trading background. His co-founder, who wasn't named, also spent years on the trading floor. That experience shapes how the company approaches the problems it's trying to solve.
Levy and his co-founder saw firsthand how prediction markets often suffer from clunky interfaces, slow fills, and unclear risk exposure. They started River Markets to address those gaps, aiming to bring institutional-grade infrastructure to a market that has mostly been the domain of retail speculators.
Prediction markets have drawn more attention in recent years, but the tools available to serious traders remain underdeveloped. Most platforms are built for casual users, not for professionals who need speed, precision, and reliable risk controls.
River Markets is betting that a trader-focused infrastructure layer will unlock more sophisticated participation. The company's goal is to make prediction markets a viable venue for professionals who currently stick to traditional assets.
The seed round gives the startup enough runway to build and test its platform. What comes next will depend on execution — and on whether the market's infrastructure can keep up with its growing ambitions.
