---
title: "What is a prop firm?"
description: "A prop firm trades with its own capital and pays you a share. Here's how it works, and how Upcomers funds traders on up to $1.5M."
canonical: https://upcomers.com/learn/what-is-prop-firm
---

# What is a prop firm?

> A prop firm puts up the capital. You bring the skill. You trade its money, it takes a cut, and you keep the rest. For years that meant a job on a trading floor. Now anyone with a strategy can qualify online.

## How prop trading works

You get capital to trade with. The firm keeps a share of what you make. You never fund the account yourself. You pay once to prove you can trade, then trade the firm's balance instead of your own savings.

That deal used to be rare. You needed a job at a trading firm, usually a finance degree, and a desk in the right city. The online model changed that. Pass an evaluation and you trade the firm's capital as your own, wherever you live. That's what Upcomers does.

## Traditional vs modern prop firms

Both models trade the firm's money and split the profit. Everything else is different.

| | Traditional prop firm | Modern prop firm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where you trade | A trading floor in a financial hub. | Anywhere, on your own screen. |
| Who gets in | Hand-picked grads and pros. | Anyone who passes the evaluation. |
| Cost to start | Years of training and a job offer. | One evaluation fee, paid once. |
| How you're paid | Salary plus a discretionary bonus. | You keep up to 99% of profits. |
| Whose capital | The firm's real money, from day one. | A simulated account you trade as your own. |

## How Upcomers does it

The whole thing runs online, from the evaluation to your first payout.

- **Anyone can start** — You don't need a finance degree or a seat in a bank. Sign up, pay the one-time fee, and start the evaluation. Make money without breaking the risk limits, and we fund you.
- **Trade in a simulator** — You trade virtual capital on a demo account, in live market conditions. The targets and risk limits are fixed, and you see them before you pay. Hit them and you move to a funded account.
- **Get funded, get paid** — Pass, and you trade a funded account worth up to $1.5M. Ask for a payout as soon as you're in profit. You keep up to 99%, and most withdrawals are reviewed in about 12 hours.

## For agents

- Register (human-in-the-loop): https://app.upcomers.com/auth/register
- Log in: https://app.upcomers.com/auth/login
- Checkout: https://app.upcomers.com/checkout (see https://upcomers.com/auth.md for the URL contract)
- MCP server: https://upcomers.com/mcp (card: https://upcomers.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json)
- All markdown mirrors: https://upcomers.com/llms.txt
- Help center: https://help.upcomers.com

_Start refining your skills today. Simulation-only setup. Terms & Conditions apply._