Smart Friend Fintech Albert Hopes to Stand Out in Crowded Field

Albert is a personal financial management app that allows users to text in questions that are answered by human advisors; “I envisioned Albert being like having access to your ‘smart friend’ to ask any money question,” Yinon Ravid, who cofounded the app in 2015 with his college friend Andrzej Baraniak, recently told Business Insider. “You think about someone intelligent when you hear the name Albert.”; they company recently raised a $50mn Series B round that closed in December 2019 led by CapitalG, Google parent Alphabet’s private-equity arm; the company allows users to pay what they like between $4 and $14 a month; Albert believes their 28 genius financial advisors is what can help to set the company apart from competitors; the most common questions range from reducing monthly bills to paying off debt; “We wanted to keep it clear, simple, and honest from the beginning. You’re getting a team of advisers. You’re getting these services. They do cost money,” Ravid said. “We’re just going to make them cost a lot less money than people did in the past.” Business Insider.

  • Todd Anderson

    Todd is the host of PitchIt: the fintech startups podcast, a weekly interview show featuring emerging fintech founders and leading venture capitalists. He is responsible for leading the content team which covers fintech through daily & weekly email newsletters, editorial, virtual events, and in-person conferences. He has been covering fintech, banking, and venture capital for more than 15 years, including speaking regularly at industry events.