Upcomers: Information and detailed review

The company

Upcomers is a proprietary trading firm established in 2023, operating within the forex and CFD sector. The firm is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, specifically at the IFZA Business Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis. The executive leadership is headed by Jakub Zeliska, who serves as the CEO.

The firm operates with Royal Flow - FZCO as its primary broker partner. A notable aspect of its business profile is its status on review platforms; while it has accumulated several hundred reviews, its Trustpilot profile is currently blocked. This is an important detail for traders performing due diligence on the firm’s transparency and public standing.

Evaluation models

Upcomers offers a diverse range of paths to capital allocation, categorized into three main branches: Evaluation Challenges, Turbo Evaluations, and Instant Funding.

Evaluation Challenges (Classic and Legacy)

These follow the traditional industry standard of proving performance before receiving a funded account.

• One-Step (Ash and Thunderbolt Classic): Designed for traders who prefer a single-phase evaluation. These accounts feature low profit targets (2% to 5%) but are governed by the Dynamic Risk Shield™ system.
• Two-Step (Phoenix Classic and Legacy): These require passing two distinct phases. The "Legacy" version offers a higher maximum drawdown (10% static) and higher daily limits compared to the "Classic" version.
• Limited Drops (Ignite and Surge): Periodic programs that often feature static drawdown rules, providing an alternative for those who do not wish to trade under trailing drawdown conditions.

Turbo Evaluation

The Turbo model uses a "50/50" payment structure, where the trader pays 50% of the fee upfront and the remaining 50% only after passing the challenge. These are high-pressure accounts with a 30-calendar-day limit and a maximum of 7 trading days to reach the target. They are aimed at experienced traders who can achieve targets quickly within a constrained timeframe.

Instant Funding and Timed Sessions

Upcomers provides immediate access to simulated funded accounts without an evaluation phase, though these come with specific payout requirements.

• Continuous Accounts (Vanguard, Oracle, Ember): These accounts have no profit targets to "pass," but they require a minimum number of profitable trading days before a withdrawal can be requested.
• Timed Instant Sessions (Supernova, Hypernova, Ultranova): These are unique, short-duration sessions lasting between 1 hour and 24 hours. Traders must reach a profit target and execute a minimum number of trades within the allotted time to qualify for payouts.

Drawdown and risk management

The firm employs three distinct drawdown calculation methods. Understanding which one applies to a specific plan is critical, as it dictates how much "breathing room" an account actually has.

Dynamic Risk Shield™

Used in Ash, Thunderbolt, and Vanguard accounts, this is a trailing drawdown system. It follows the high-water mark of the account's equity. However, unlike some trailing drawdowns that move indefinitely, this shield locks at the initial balance once the trader has achieved a certain level of profit (as specified in the program details). This protects the initial capital while allowing the drawdown to trail during the early stages of growth.

Static Maximum Loss

Found in Phoenix, Ignite, and Surge programs, this is the most trader-friendly model. The loss limit is calculated based on the initial balance and remains fixed at that "floor" regardless of how much profit is made. This allows traders to "bank" their profits and increase their effective drawdown buffer over time.

Nonstop Dynamic Risk Shield™

This is the most restrictive model, applied to the timed sessions (Supernova, Hypernova, Ultranova). The drawdown trails continuously based on equity and never locks. This means that if an account grows, the "floor" moves up with it, and a subsequent retracement can breach the limit even if the account is still in profit relative to the starting balance.

Trading rules and restrictions

Upcomers maintains a strict regulatory environment regarding how trades are executed. Violations of these rules often result in hard breaches (account closure) or permanent penalties.

Prohibited Strategies and Automation

The firm has a zero-tolerance policy toward automation.

• No Expert Advisors (EAs): All forms of automated trading, bots, or emulators are prohibited. This includes partial automation for entry/exit or trade management.
• No Copy Trading: Traders cannot use signals or copy trades from external sources.
• No HFT or Tick Scalping: High-frequency trading and trades held for less than 2 minutes (on specific accounts like Oracle/Supernova) are banned.
• Strategic Restrictions: Martingale, grid trading, news straddling (bracket orders during economic releases), and group hedging are all prohibited.

Maximum Risk per Trade

A critical rule for funded accounts is the Maximum Risk Limit. This is not a total account limit, but a limit on the realized or potential loss of a single trade (all positions on the same instrument and direction).

• For Classic accounts, the limit is 3%.
• For Legacy and Vanguard, it is 2%.
• For Turbo and Limited Drops, it is 1.5%.
• For Timed sessions, it can be as low as 0.5%. Exceeding these limits is considered a hard breach.

Inactivity and Consistency

Accounts are closed automatically after 35 consecutive calendar days without a trade. During the payout stage, a Best Day Rule applies (20% or 30% depending on the plan). This means no single trading day can account for more than the specified percentage of the total profit. If it does, the payout is not denied, but the account is reviewed, and the excess profit may be adjusted.

Payouts

The payout structure at Upcomers is designed to reward long-term consistency through a tiered progression system and specific fee structures.

The Payout Cap Progression

Traders do not have unlimited withdrawal access immediately. The maximum amount you can withdraw is capped based on the number of successful payouts on that specific account:

• Payout #1: 1% of the initial balance.
• Payout #2: 2%.
• Payout #3: 3%.
• This continues until Payout #7, after which the account is reset to the initial balance, and all subsequent payouts (#8 onwards) are unlimited. This progression encourages traders to stay with the firm longer rather than attempting to "withdraw and run" after one large trade.

Profit Split and Refunds

The standard profit split is 90%, though traders can choose 80% or 100% at checkout, which adjusts the purchase price. For evaluation accounts (Ash, Thunderbolt, Phoenix), there is a 200% fee refund available after the 3rd fully approved payout. This does not apply to Instant Funding.

Fees and Methods

Payouts can be requested via Bank Transfer or Cryptocurrency. However, there is a significant cost difference:

• Bank Transfer: $19.90 + 2.49% fee.
• Cryptocurrency: $19.90 + 30% fee. The 30% crypto fee is exceptionally high and is attributed by the firm to limited liquidity for digital assets within the UAE. Traders should factor this into their cost-benefit analysis when choosing a withdrawal method.

Platforms, assets and limitations

Upcomers provides a wide array of technical options, although it enforces strict geographical and verification boundaries.

Technical Environment

Traders can choose from five different platforms: TradeLocker, MetaTrader 5, MatchTrader, cTrader, and DX. The available assets include Forex, Commodities, Indices, Stocks, and Crypto. A significant advantage is that all accounts are swap-free by default, making them suitable for swing traders or those following Sharia-compliant practices. Leverage varies by asset, with Forex at 1:100 and most other assets (Metals, Stocks, Indices) at 1:30.

Account Resets and Penalties

If a trader violates a rule, the firm may offer an Account Reset instead of total suspension. However, this comes with a heavy permanent penalty: all future payouts on that account are capped at 50% of the approved amount. This penalty is permanent and carries over even if the account is scaled.

Regional Restrictions

Due to KYC/AML and jurisdictional policies, residents of several countries are prohibited from using the service. This list includes, among others, the United States (implied by typical UAE/MT5 restrictions, though not explicitly in the "banned" list of the document, traders should verify), Russia, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela. The use of VPNs or VPSs during the verification process is strictly prohibited and can lead to account closure.

Summary: who this firm suits

Upcomers offers a highly structured environment that shifts away from the "get rich quick" model of prop trading toward a more controlled, long-term progression.

Key Considerations

• The 30% Crypto Fee: This is a major hurdle for traders who prefer decentralized withdrawals.
• Trailing Drawdown: The Dynamic Risk Shield™ requires careful equity management in the early stages of an account.
• Manual Trading Only: The total ban on EAs and any form of automation makes this firm suitable only for discretionary traders.
• Payout Caps: The initial 1% and 2% caps mean that traders will not see significant capital returns until their 4th or 5th month of consistent performance.

Ideal Trader Profile

This firm is best suited for discretionary, manual traders who prioritize swap-free environments and are looking for high-balance accounts (up to $1.5M). It appeals to those who are confident in their ability to remain profitable over a 6-to-8-month period to unlock the unlimited payout stage. It is less suitable for scalpers (due to the 2-minute rule on some accounts) or anyone relying on algorithmic assistance.