Finnest
About this raise
Finnest is here to change the game when it comes to financial literacy. They are providing the tools the next generation needs to understand what responsible money management. They’ve created a mobile banking application and FDIC insured debit card account that can be used by kids and teens and allows them to manage their money, set goals for budgets and savings, and understand the power of compound interest in a secured environment. The account is anchored by parental controls to avoid truly costly mistakes -- but still opens up a dialogue with kids about what good money management looks like. So far, Finnest has developed a go-to-market strategy, built a waitlist of over 500 people, partnered with several high schools in Rhode Island for testing opportunities and distribution, and closed their first deal with a financial services provider. Finnest has also been given several awards, including the 2018 Rhode Island “50 on Fire” awardee and overall winner of the “Technology” category. With this campaign, they will cover all costs to complete the set-up and launch a public beta.
Investment Overview
Invested $106,983 :
Deal Terms
Company & Team
Company
- Year Founded
- 2017
- Industry
- Financial & Insurance Products & Services
- Tech Sector
- Location
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Company Website
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Team
- Employees
- 1
Financials
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Summary
At time of publication, April 2, FInnest had raised $49K surpassing its $10K minimum
Problem
Did you know that almost half of Americans don’t even have enough money in savings to cover a $400 emergency expense, according to the Federal Reserve? It’s not surprising when you consider that over 57% of Americans aren’t considered financially literate. Which begs the question, “If we don’t teach our children how to be financially literate, how can we ever expect them to be responsible with their money?” That is the question several startup are beginning to try and answer honestly.
The answer is, “We can’t.” The solution is to start engaging children in a financial dialogue and empowering them to learn how to spend their own money from an early age. It’s a $6 BILLION dollar opportunity to help service 10 million families that represent over 24 million potential cardholding children on a yearly basis, with a solution tailored for the parent-child money management relationship.
Solution
The digital age of money is obviously upon us, and cash allowances are dying. Parents who experienced the financial recession first hand know that teaching their kids how to manage their money sooner rather than later is incredibly important. That’s why they are turning to mobile app empowered bank and debit card accounts that engage parents and children in financial discussions to teach good spending behavior.
They are essentially gamifying the banking experience for children, so they can quickly learn about spending habits, how to save, and how to manage a budget. These types of fundamentals are incredibly valuable, and powerful for teaching children between 8 and 18 years old how to be smart with their money. And on a more basic level, the allowance which has existed since the 50’s, can now be managed via mobile banking like the rest of our financial lives. This empowers children to be a part of the new age of banking, rather than be stuck in the pre-mobile banking age.
Why We Like it
- Strong Early Market Signals: Two startups are already showing that there is an immense pent up demand for a solution to engage children in building their financial lives from an early age.
- Those two startups are, Current, which has raised $6M to date from investors including the likes of QED investors, and Fifth Third Capital. Greenlight,has raised $23M to date including a $16M Series A in February 2018, that included the likes of NEA and Social Capital. This was after posting a strong year of growth where they went from 10K to 75K paying customers.
- Differentiated: Finnest is focused on differentiating by focusing not only on the facilitation of spending, but also on building financial literacy knowhow. By providing tools to help children and teens save and set savings goals, they are gamifying the financial management experience for children.
- Early entrant: Finnest is entering a budding industry that is only in its infancy as our banking lives become mobile. With just 2 other startups to date in the space the opportunity to build a $6 BILLION industry is wide open. With a product that has received approval from their issuing bank, and a growing waitlist, Finnest is ready for market liftoff.
- 2 pronged monetization: Finnest charges $5 per family per month. In the age of subscriptions, this is a no brainer for parents. At a low cost they can provide an allowance, monitor / control their children’s spending habits, and teach them how to be money savvy. In addition, Finnest will also charge industry standard card fees. Needless to say, the dollars add up on this opportunity.
The Leadership
Clemens Grave, has an intriguing background having worked in the automobile industry for a handful of years after graduating from university in Vienna. Since then he has been at Brown University getting a Master’s degree, and honing his entrepreneurial focus, where he is an entrepreneur in residence. Joe St.
Germain is the CFO and 20 year vet, having worked across the startup ecosystem in finance and accounting positions. He is also joined by Andi Pollinger, Interim CMO who has 30+ years experience working for some of the largest financial institutions, including Fidelity and Cambridge Associates.
Company Funding & Growth
Funding history
Close Date | Platform | Valuation | Total Raised | Security Type | Status | Reg Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
05/22/2018 | Netcapital | $2,536,200 | $106,983 | Equity - Common | Funded | RegCF |
Founder Profile
Founder Profile: The 27 Year Old Reinventing The Way Parents and Kids Learn About Money
Imagine yourself as an 8 year old once again, trying to understand the new realities of our financial system. It’s no longer just about the few dollars you’ve made from your lemonade stand though; foreign concepts like credit cards, Venmo, and Bitcoin seem like pits of money that adults use to transfer some arbitrary values from a piece of plastic or their smartphones. From where do we actually derive this value?Part of this, of course, is just the first chapter in personal finance education that kids will learn and develop with practice. It is true, however, that we are becoming increasingly disconnected from the real value of our money as we develop more convenient ways of spending it. This, then, is not just a learning opportunity for the 2nd grader wanting a new bike, but for every participant in our consumer economy.
Clemens Grave, CEO and founder of Finnest, saw this opportunity a mile away. His app allows parents to financially connect with their kids—they can add allowances, track purchases, and maintain card security completely remotely. It has its practical benefits, clearly, but developing healthy personal finance habits, both for kids and parents alike, seems to be Finnest’s top priority.