Pretty Progressive
It’s no secret that East Asia is a hotbed of innovative startups, particularly in the finance industry. From artificial intelligence to fintech, these startups are revolutionizing the way we manage, analyze, and think about money. They’re also breaking apart traditional metrics of success and introducing a new generation of leaders. Let’s take a closer look at some of these trailblazing firms helmed by East Asian founders.
In this article, we at Pretty Progressive are excited to spotlight East Asian Founded startups disrupting the Finance industry. We zero in on the startups’ innovative approaches, baking them into the financial world, and diversifying the industry’s landscape. Dig in and explore the wonder these startups do!
Here is a list of some of the top East Asian founded startups in the Finance industry that are making a real difference in the world:
Enya.ai
Enya.ai, based in Palo Alto, California, integrates artificial intelligence, analytics, and information technology. Founded by Stanford team members Alan Chiu and Jan Liphardt, Enya.ai operates a secure computation platform specially tailored for edge devices. Learn more about their work on their LinkedIn and Facebook pages.
Finvar Capnote
The New York-based company Finvar Capnote is revolutionizing the finance industry by offering powerful tools to aggregate, interpret and analyze financial data. Founded by Ikenna Ene, Kenneth Huynh, and Pedro Martins, Finvar Capnote focuses on helping investors make financial decisions quickly through the use of big data. Check them out on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Symphoni
Symphoni, based in Seattle, Washington, provides the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) powered platform intended for the development and growth of small and medium-sized businesses. Using a combination of machine and deep learning technology, bots, and other tools, Symphoni aims to help organizations grow sales, reduce costs, and minimize risks.
Cogni
Cogni is a New York-based startup that combines the worlds of banking, finance, fintech, and mobile apps. Founded by Archie Ravishankar, Cogni is creating a forward-thinking platform that brings banking, commerce, and lifestyle to a single application. Stay updated on their journey through their LinkedIn and Facebook pages.
Figure
Figure, founded by Alana Ackerson, Cynthia Chen, June Ou, and Michael Cagney, is a San Francisco-based startup that provides consumer financial solutions for home improvement, debt consolidation, and retirement planning. Utilizing blockchain, AI, and advanced analytics, Figure offers home equity lines of credit, home improvement loans, and home buy-lease back offerings for retirement.
MaxRewards
MaxRewards is the number one app for managing your credit card accounts and maximizing your rewards. Founded by Anik Khan and David Gao in Atlanta, Georgia, MaxRewards provides tracking for credit card rewards, bills, credit scores, and transactions, along with personalized recommendations for card usage.
TomoCredit
TomoCredit is a San Francisco-based startup that strives to provide credit cards to millennials with no credit history or score. Founded by Dmitry Kashlev and Kristy Kim, TomoCredit uses its proprietary algorithm to analyze alternative data sources.
Backer
Backer is a social savings platform that makes it easy to invest tax-free for education with a 529 Savings Plan. Founded by Abby Chao and Jordan Lee in San Francisco, Backer allows families to avoid student debt and combines the assistance of relatives and friends with robust financial support.
BeyondTrucks
BeyondTrucks, headquartered in San Mateo, California, offers smart processes and payment automation to assist small transportation firms. Founded by Hans Galland and Paul Xie, BeyondTrucks helps transportation companies achieve growth.
Endeavor Catalyst
Endeavor Catalyst, located in New York, is a rules-based, co-investment fund of Endeavor. Founded by Linda Rottenberg, Endeavor Catalyst aims to invest exclusively in Endeavor Entrepreneur-led companies to sustain Endeavor’s long-term operations in a mission-aligned way.
Upside
Upside helps registered investment advisors beat the “robo-advisors” by leveraging technology and algorithms to advise, manage, and service clients who want next-generation investment services. Founded by Juney Ham and Tom Kimberly in San Francisco, Upside offers a fully-automated, white-labeled managed account platform that includes paperless account opening, portfolio selection, and automated trading and rebalancing.
