Online finance start-up SoFi announced recently that it is offering retail investors a way to invest in initial public offerings (IPO) for companies going public, breaking the tradition for IPOs to be saved exclusively for institutions and ultra-wealthy investors.

For these deals, SoFi will act as the underwriter, meaning that it will work with companies planning to go public to determine a share price, buy the securities, and then sell them to the retail investor. SoFi will be offering this service to all SoFi Active Invest account holders with at least $3,000 in total account value across all SoFi accounts.

Before SoFi's new service, retail traders would have to wait to invest in newly listed companies after shares began publicly trading on a stock exchange. By that time, the share price is often much higher than the IPO.

Separately, trading app Robinhood, which is also popular among amatuer investors, is working on a similar trading platform to offer users access to IPO investing, according to Reuters.

Speaking of IPOs, the week ahead is sparse, with only two traditional IPOs looking to price amid the shortened holiday week.

Online education platfrom Coursera, Inc (COUR  ) plans to raise nearly $597 million from 15.73 million shares offered between $30 to $33 in its debut. The company offers courses on a broad range of subjects through its partnerships with over 200 leading educational institutions.

Biotech Achilles Therapeutics plc (ACHL  ) plans to raise more than $213 million from 9.75 million shares priced in the range of $17 to $19 each. The U.K.-based immune-oncology biopharmaceutical company's lead candidate, ATL001, is currently in a Phase 1/2a clinical trials for for advanced NSCLC and metastatic or recurrent melanoma, using T cell therapies for the treatment of these solid tumors. Top-line data for the trials are expected by the second half of 2022.