New York (CNNMoney) -- Alternative investing marketplace SecondMarket has raised $15 million -- the latest sign of the healthy demand for private tech companies.
SecondMarket raised the money from The Social+Capital Partnership, a Palo Alto based venture fund created by former Facebook executive, Chamath Palihapitiya.
The round values SecondMarket, which allows investors to trade shares in private companies, at $200 million.
The company had previously raised $15 million in February, 2010 from the charity foundation of Li Ka-shing, one of Hong Kong's richest men and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek. In 2007, the New York Based company raised $3.8 million from FirstMark Capital.
The funding will go towards internal hiring. SecondMarket is looking to hire more engineers and employees on the business side. The company also says it will spend on "strategic growth and potential acquisitions."
SecondMarket also announced that Palihapitiya, who helped launch the Facebook platform and worked to expand the social network for four years, will join SecondMarket's board of directors.
"SecondMarket is a clear game-changer. It has become the preeminent platform for private company shares enabling companies to meet their liquidity needs, help retain and reward talent, and provide start-ups with an opportunity to monetize and grow their businesses," Palihapitiya said in a press release.
"SecondMarket is a compelling alternative to companies that are not ready to navigate the public markets," Palihapitiya.
Much of SecondMarket's success has reflected the fast-growing tech boom - with investors eager to get a hand in companies like Facebook and Zynga before they go public.
The company will be looking to maintain momentum as a host of companies go public. Daily deals site Groupon, for example, is widely expected to make its debut as a public company later this week. 
