Public.com becomes Aston Martin F1 team sponsor, with Aston Martin taking equity stake in return

Summary

Public.com has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, with Aston Martin taking an equity stake in Public in return. Co-founders Leif Abraham and Jannick Malling describe it as the first time Aston Martin has structured a sponsorship as a part-equity arrangement — a signal that the team was looking for alignment rather than just another cheque.

The deal came together through a shared investor on Public's cap table who also has ties to the Aston Martin team, with no agencies involved. Public's logo will appear on the halo and side of the car, with more prominent placement during US races. The partnership kicks off at the Miami Grand Prix in a few weeks.

Why F1, why now

Public started six years ago as one of the first fractional-shares platforms. The pitch has since expanded to multi-asset investing, multiple account types, and embedded AI research tools, with customers now depositing hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. The awareness problem, as the founders frame it, is that the product has matured faster than the brand has followed. F1's US footprint — the only country hosting three races on the calendar — and its affluent, financially engaged audience make it a better demographic fit than most mass-market sponsorships.

Aston Martin also saw the logic. The team's existing sponsors pay significant sums, so a small cash deal from a startup wasn't the draw. The appeal was the overlap between Public's audience and the wealth-transfer macro trend the team believes in, combined with US market growth for the sport.

Replacing the free-stock referral

Public is using the partnership to rebuild its referral mechanic for a wealthier customer base. Free fractional shares don't move people who already have real money. The new model is experiential: users who find three hidden F1 cars inside the app — a scavenger hunt active now — are entered to win paddock access at the Las Vegas Grand Prix later this year, including pit lane passes and driver meet-and-greets.

International expansion via Alpha

Public has already launched a separate product called Alpha in several European markets as its first international move. The app is essentially an AI-powered stock watchlist — users photograph their existing watchlist and the AI tracks movements and explains them in real time. Investing services come later, once regulatory approvals are in place. The F1 sponsorship, given the sport's global footprint, fits the international brand-building timeline.

The Aston Martin bet

Public is deliberately attaching to a team that is still ascending rather than dominant. A former Red Bull engineer has joined Aston Martin, and the founders see the current period of driver reshuffles and team-building as the right moment to get in. Lawrence Stroll's dual role running both the F1 team and the Aston Martin manufacturer gives the partnership an unusual degree of brand coherence — and, the founders argue, signals real competitive intent over the next few seasons.