Private company holdings represent ownership in a company that isn’t listed on a public stock exchange (like the NZX or Nasdaq). Because these companies are private, their shares aren’t traded openly everyday, and their value doesn’t fluctuate second-by-second like the public market.
Getting started with Sharesies Private
Sharesies Private allows you to view your private company shareholdings and Employee Share Option Plans (ESOP) directly alongside your public investments in the Sharesies app.
How to connect your Sharesies Private account to the Sharesies app
To view your private holdings in the Sharesies app, you first need to link your Sharesies Private account to your main Sharesies profile.
The below actions 1 -6 need to occur in the Sharesies app:
Open Settings in the Sharesies app.
Tap Account connections.
Tap Connect under Sharesies Private.
Log in on the Sharesies Private login page you are redirected to.
Select the entity you want to display, if you are asked to. Only individual entities can be connected at this stage. Most people hold only one entity and skip this step automatically.
Tap Confirm to finish the connection.
Your private holdings appear in your main Portfolio view once the connection is complete.
Where private company holdings appear in your Sharesies app portfolio
Once you have successfully connected your Private holdings to the Sharesies app, the private company holdings appear in your main Portfolio view.
If you hold shares in one private company, that company appears as a single line item in your portfolio.
If you hold shares in more than one private company, those holdings are grouped together under Investments (Private).
Understanding how private company shares are valued
The Sharesies app shows an estimated investment value for private company holdings in your portfolio balance. How this value is calculated depends on whether the company has published a share price.
If a share price is published: Sharesies calculates the total value based on the most recently published share price from your company.
If no share price is published: You will see a status of No price published. No price published, is not an error; it simply means the company you have holdings in has not yet set a share price on the platform.
You will also see a breakdown of your investment history detailing how many shares have been issued to you over time.
Employee share option plans (ESOP) in the Sharesies app
If you have an ESOP, tapping into your company holding will display your Employee Share Options Plan page. This is split into two sections: Your Shares and Your Options.
What the option statuses mean
Exercised: Options you have already converted into shares. This number can differ from your current total shareholding if you have sold shares previously.
Available: Vested options you can exercise now.
Upcoming: Unvested options that will become available in the future.
You can tap View all upcoming to see a timeline of when your future grants will vest.
How to exercise your options
An action bar appears at the bottom of the screen when you have options available to exercise.
Tap Exercise.
Enter the number of options you want to exercise.
Select the grant you want to exercise from, if you are asked to. You are asked to choose a grant when your grants have different exercise prices - for example, if one grant costs $0.01 per option and another costs $5.00 per option.
Review the total exercise cost shown on screen.
Tap Confirm application to submit your request.
Important: Submitting this application does not automatically deduct money from your Sharesies Wallet. It sends a request to your company admin. You must arrange payment directly with your employer.
Your options stay in the Available status until your company admin approves and processes your application. Your options move to the Exercised status only after your company admin has processed the application.
Tax estimates
When viewing available options, you may see an estimate of your taxable income. This is calculated by taking the current share value minus your exercise cost. This helps you estimate potential tax obligations upon exercising.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see different prices for the same company?
If your company has multiple share classes (e.g., Ordinary Shares vs. Preferential Shares), they may have different values. You can toggle between these classes in the Share Price History chart to view the specific value for each class.
Can I sell my private shares on Sharesies?
No. Private company shares are generally illiquid, which means they cannot be sold instantly the way public shares can. Selling usually requires a liquidity event, such as a share buyback, that your company initiates.
Why can't I see my private holdings in my portfolio?
Private holdings only appear in your Sharesies portfolio after you connect your Sharesies Private account in Settings → Account connections. If you have connected your account and still cannot see your holdings, check that you are using a Sharesies New Zealand individual account, as other regions and entity types are not supported at this stage.
What does "No price published" mean?
No price published means the private company you hold shares in has not yet set a share price in Sharesies Private. It is not an error, and it does not mean your holding has no value. A value will appear once the company publishes a share price.
Can I connect my Sharesies Private holdings to the Sharesies app in Australia?
No. Connecting a Sharesies Private account is not available in Australia at this stage. Sharesies Private connections are currently available only to Sharesies New Zealand customers.
Can I connect Sharesies Private to a Company, Trust, or Kids account?
No. Only individual accounts can connect to Sharesies Private at this stage. Company, Trust, Kids, and other entity types are not supported yet.