Stash launched in 2015 with the idea that investing shouldn’t require financial expertise. Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson built a platform that lets people start investing with as little as $1 and emphasizes education alongside the actual investing experience.
The platform offers fractional shares of both individual stocks and ETFs, organized into themed categories with plain-English names. Instead of tickers and financial jargon, users browse options like “Delicious Dividends” or “Clean and Green.” It’s a deliberate design choice to make stock picking less intimidating for beginners.
Stash runs on a subscription model. Growth costs $3/month and includes a personal investment account, banking, and Stock-Back rewards (earn fractional stock instead of cash back on debit card purchases). Stash+ at $9/month adds custodial accounts for kids, metal card, and higher Stock-Back rates. Both tiers include access to thousands of single stocks and ETFs.
Smart Portfolio is Stash’s automated investing option, similar to what Wealthfront and Betterment offer. It builds a diversified portfolio based on risk tolerance and rebalances automatically. The banking side is powered by Green Dot Bank and includes early direct deposit, no overdraft fees, and budgeting tools.
Stash has served over 10 million users and manages billions in assets. Total funding exceeds $600 million, with investors including Union Square Ventures and Breyer Capital. The company targets people who feel locked out of traditional investing — underbanked demographics, younger users, and those with limited savings.
