How Small Shareholders Can Cause Good Trouble

The global pandemic’s wrenching disruptions have had an array of unforeseen economic and social consequences, from gluts of office space to developmental challenges for children. Not many forecasters are likely to have had “revived shareholder democracy” on their bingo cards. Bravo to anyone who did.

The part that lockdown boredom played in inspiring the meme-stock craze is acknowledged. Less appreciated may be its role in a shift to greater exercise of investor voting rights. UK startups Tulipshare Ltd. and Tumelo are at the forefront of a movement to bridge the gap between ultimate shareholders and the companies they collectively own. This may not generate quite the same viral buzz as the GameStop Corp. frenzy, but it’s a trend with potentially longer-lasting and more profound effects on the investing landscape.