Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
LearnVest is a technology company.
LearnVest developed an online financial advisory platform designed to democratize access to personal financial planning. The company provided users with digital tools and resources, alongside certified financial planners, to help them manage budgets, understand investments, and achieve financial goals. Its service model aimed to make professional financial guidance more approachable and affordable for a broad consumer base, emphasizing digital delivery and personalized advice.
The company was founded in 2008 by Alexa von Tobel, who left Harvard Business School at 24 with a clear vision. Her insight stemmed from recognizing a significant gap in the market for accessible financial guidance, particularly in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Von Tobel observed that robust financial planning was largely confined to affluent individuals, prompting her to create a solution that extended these services to a wider audience.
LearnVest's product served everyday consumers seeking to gain control over their finances and plan for their future. The company envisioned a future where expert financial advice was not a luxury but a standard offering, empowering individuals from all economic backgrounds to make informed monetary decisions. Its long-term goal was to redefine how people engaged with and understood their personal wealth management.
LearnVest has raised $118.0M across 8 funding rounds.
LearnVest has raised $118.0M in total across 8 funding rounds.
LearnVest is a technology company that built an online financial planning platform to make personal finance advice accessible, affordable, and easy to understand for everyday people. Founded in 2009, it offered tools like email newsletters, bootcamps, online planners, and premium services starting at $19/month, initially targeting women but expanding to all demographics, solving problems like emergency savings, debt management, home buying, and retirement planning.[1][2][3] With 1.5 million users, 10,000 premium clients, and 25,000 under its workplace program by 2015, LearnVest raised nearly $75 million in funding before being acquired by Northwestern Mutual for a reported $250 million in March 2015, integrating its tech with the insurer's expertise while retaining its brand and leadership.[2][3]
Post-acquisition, LearnVest evolved into an educational resource hub under Northwestern Mutual, providing articles on budgeting, saving, debt payoff, career growth, and financial goals, emphasizing progress through actionable advice rather than full-service planning.[4]
Alexa von Tobel founded LearnVest after personally struggling to navigate her finances during the 2008 recession, realizing a gap in trustworthy, simple personal finance resources. At 23, she wrote a 75-page business plan, attended Harvard Business School, and dropped out at 25 to launch the company in 2009 from New York City, starting with just herself working out of a Starbucks and hiring her first employee.[1] Von Tobel, who became CEO, drew from her vision of "GPS for your money" to address intimidating daily questions like prioritizing debt or building emergency funds, born from necessity to help herself and others feel confident.[1]
The idea gained early traction amid rising demand for digital finance tools, raising $41 million by 2013 from investors like Accel Partners and American Express, and expanding from women-focused services to broader audiences with investment planning.[2] By 2015, with 150 employees across New York and Arizona, it caught Northwestern Mutual's eye for its innovative platform.[3]
LearnVest rode the early 2010s fintech wave, disrupting traditional financial advising by digitizing personalized planning at the dawn of mobile-first consumer finance apps, timed perfectly post-2008 recession when millennials sought affordable alternatives to opaque banking.[1][2][3] Market forces like rising smartphone adoption, demand for transparency, and venture interest in "advice for the masses" propelled its growth, influencing the ecosystem by proving tech could scale human-like planning to millions.[3]
Its acquisition by Northwestern Mutual exemplified insurtech convergence, blending startups' agility with incumbents' trust and distribution, paving the way for hybrid models in wealth tech and inspiring platforms like Betterment or Wealthfront.[2][3]
LearnVest's legacy as a fintech pioneer endures through its educational content, now powering Northwestern Mutual's digital outreach amid ongoing trends like AI-personalized finance and no-fee robo-advisors. Next steps likely involve deeper AI integration for dynamic planning tools and workplace expansions, capitalizing on economic uncertainty to grow user engagement. As von Tobel's influence persists—via her book *Financially Fearless* and CDO role—LearnVest could evolve influence by bridging generational wealth gaps, reinforcing its founding mission to make money management intuitive for all.[1][4]
LearnVest has raised $118.0M in total across 8 funding rounds.
LearnVest's investors include Northwestern Mutual Capital, Adrian Wilson, Mark Gerson, Accel, American Express Ventures, Lazerow Ventures, Outlander Labs, Relay Ventures, Transmedia Capital, Joe Stump, Ed Mathias, Todd Ruppert.
LearnVest has raised $118.0M across 8 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $28.0M Other Equity in April 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2014 | $28.0M Other Equity | Northwestern Mutual Capital | Adrian Wilson, Mark Gerson, Accel |
| Apr 1, 2014 | $28.0M Series D | American Express Ventures, Lazerow Ventures, Outlander Labs, Relay Ventures, Transmedia Capital, Joe Stump | |
| Jul 26, 2013 | $16.5M Other Equity | Ed Mathias, Todd Ruppert, Accel, Harshul Sanghi, Claritas Capital | |
| Jul 1, 2013 | $17.0M Series C | American Express Ventures, Lazerow Ventures, Outlander Labs, Relay Ventures, Transmedia Capital, Joe Stump | |
| Jul 1, 2011 | $19.0M Series B | Richmond Global Ventures | |
| Jul 27, 2010 | $4.5M Seed | Accel | |
| Mar 1, 2010 | $4.0M Series A | 2048 Ventures, Richmond Global Ventures | |
| Aug 1, 2009 | $1.0M Seed | 2048 Ventures, Richmond Global Ventures |