Plug and Play

Plug and Play, founded in 2006 and based in Sunnyvale, California, operates as a business accelerator and venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage and seed investments in technology startups. The firm runs 12 industry-specific accelerator programs annually, connecting startups with corporate partners and investors to foster collaboration and growth. Plug and Play's investment strategy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including fintech, health and wellness, travel, cybersecurity, and sustainability, allowing it to support diverse startups from any country. The firm provides various resources, including funding, mentorship, office space, and networking opportunities, and has a global presence with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Plug and Play has a strong track record, having helped numerous startups secure over $9 billion in funding since its inception. Its programs aim to refine business models and facilitate introductions to potential investors, ultimately contributing to the growth of the startup ecosystem.

Saeed Amidi

Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Kiswana Browne

Associate

Gabriela Dow

Co-Founder and Partner

Matt Helmers

Director of Strategy and Innovation

Alex Roudi

Managing Partner, San Diego

Marc Steiner

General Counsel

Jupe Tan

Managing Partner, Asia Pacific & Senior Vice President, Global Operations

Phillip Vincent

Managing Partner, East Asia

Chen Zhao

Managing Partner, China

Past deals in Personal Finance

Unifimoney

Seed Round in 2022
Optimizing your personal finance is hard, complex and boring. The conventional banking industry has become used to consumer inertia and to an extent relies on it for their massive profits. Unifimoney (www.unifi.money) has been created to solve this by integrating and automating money management so you don’t have to. Unifimoney is a single account accessed via mobile that integrated a high-interest checking account, a credit card and Robo investment platform. By doing absolutely nothing more customers model best practices in personal finance — effortlessly. Maximizing daily passive income and building a long term investment fund. Unifimoney will launch in early 2020 you can join the waitlist at www.unifi.money

NewRetirement

Series A in 2022
NewRetirement develops a retirement planning tool offering a combination of automated financial and retirement planning services. NewRetirement acts as a virtual financial advisor focused on retirement planning to help people generate retirement income, get healthcare, lower taxes, and manage fees. The system will help users optimize across Social Security, Medicare, Taxes, Home Equity, Income, Asset drawdown, Relocation, Work, and Estate Planning. Users can also access fee-only advice on-demand for collaborative planning to help them make and act on better decisions about their future.

Jerry

Series A in 2021
Jerry is an AI financial service startup that negotiates loans and insurances for american families. The company constantly looks for savings on your fixed costs (subscriptions like insurance, loans, etc) and does all the work to negotiate better rates and paperwork to switch and save money automatically. Like all best things in life, Jerry is completely free for members!

Bankly

Seed Round in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

Qwil

Convertible Note in 2021
Qwil PBC operates a payment management platform tailored for independent contractors, freelancers, and small businesses, founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform offers financial tools that allow users to track, collect, and manage their earnings efficiently. It features an application that enables users to access their funds before receiving payment for their services, facilitating early cash access through an advance on earned amounts. By providing these financial solutions, Qwil helps freelancers and small enterprises manage their cash flow effectively, enhancing workforce recruitment and retention without placing additional strain on the client's financial resources.

Bankly

Convertible Note in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

Quo Finance

Seed Round in 2020
Nillify employs powerful data analytics to allow users to build a financial backup plan with just their data.

NowPay

Seed Round in 2020
NowPay, Inc. is a fintech company based in Cairo, Egypt, founded in 2018. It operates an online platform designed to enhance the financial wellness of corporate employees. The platform offers personal finance management services, allowing users to track savings, spending, budgeting, and borrowing. Additionally, NowPay provides a mobile application that offers detailed insights into employees' salaries, balances, and eligible loan amounts. The company partners with employers to facilitate advance salary payments, enabling employees to access their earnings at any time during the month without incurring liabilities, and to repay these advances over multiple months.

NowPay

Seed Round in 2020
NowPay, Inc. is a fintech company based in Cairo, Egypt, founded in 2018. It operates an online platform designed to enhance the financial wellness of corporate employees. The platform offers personal finance management services, allowing users to track savings, spending, budgeting, and borrowing. Additionally, NowPay provides a mobile application that offers detailed insights into employees' salaries, balances, and eligible loan amounts. The company partners with employers to facilitate advance salary payments, enabling employees to access their earnings at any time during the month without incurring liabilities, and to repay these advances over multiple months.

QuadFi

Convertible Note in 2020
Student lending and refinancing platform

Unifimoney

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Optimizing your personal finance is hard, complex and boring. The conventional banking industry has become used to consumer inertia and to an extent relies on it for their massive profits. Unifimoney (www.unifi.money) has been created to solve this by integrating and automating money management so you don’t have to. Unifimoney is a single account accessed via mobile that integrated a high-interest checking account, a credit card and Robo investment platform. By doing absolutely nothing more customers model best practices in personal finance — effortlessly. Maximizing daily passive income and building a long term investment fund. Unifimoney will launch in early 2020 you can join the waitlist at www.unifi.money

Everyday Life

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Everyday Life Insurance uses technology to redefine financial security for middle income families. Its first product, Predictive Protection, saves consumers money by automatically adjusting coverage based on predictable life events like kids growing up or retirement. It was founded in 2018 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bizz

Seed Round in 2019
Bizz provides financial insights.

Penfold

Seed Round in 2019
Penfold operates a digital pension platform that simplifies pension saving for individuals, including the self-employed, freelancers, and contractors. The platform is managed entirely through mobile devices, offering users complete transparency to track their pensions in real time. It demystifies pensions and retirement planning, making the information accessible and engaging. Additionally, Penfold provides an auto-enrolment solution for employers, designed to be faster, easier, and more cost-effective than traditional options. By integrating these features, Penfold helps users avoid accumulating multiple small pension pots as they change jobs, ultimately promoting a more streamlined approach to retirement savings.

Quo Finance

Convertible Note in 2019
Nillify employs powerful data analytics to allow users to build a financial backup plan with just their data.

Albert

Series A in 2018
Albert Corporation, founded in 2015 and based in Culver City, California, provides accessible and affordable financial advisory services through its mobile application. The company offers a range of services including loans, saving policies, credit cards with rewards, retirement plans, and insurance services. A key feature is Albert Genius, which allows customers to communicate directly with financial experts for personalized advice and planning. In addition, users benefit from automated investing through Portfolio by Genius at no extra cost. Albert's free features encompass automatic savings, financial health monitoring, budgeting tools, and detailed spending reports. The platform also includes Albert Instant, providing cash advances against paychecks to help customers avoid overdraft fees.

Even Financial

Series A in 2018
Founded in 2015, Even Financial is an NYC based fintech company focused on evolving how financial institutions connect with consumers and provide them the best product recommendations at the right moment, facilitating an on-demand and personalized customer acquisition experience across the entire financial services ecosystem. The Even platform serves as a trusted intermediary for financial institutions - including Prosper, Lending Club, and Marcus by Goldman Sachs - that helps find consumers and distribute their products digitally. Even’s industry-leading search, comparison, and recommendation API is an infrastructure layer that enables hundreds of diverse partners - including Credit.com, Transunion, Money Under 30, Credit Sesame, and The Penny Hoarder - to power comprehensive personal finance websites, mobile apps, and other offerings with a modern platform that is proven to accelerate customer acquisition through optimal product recommendations, lowering cost of acquisition and maximizing monetization. Even Financial is based in New York.

Grove

Series A in 2018
Grove is a personal trainer for the client's moneyThe company assesses where you are today and create a plan to make the client confident about their money. Through proprietary software combined with a team of Certified Financial Planners, Grove is able to offer personalized advice at a fraction of the price of traditional financial advisors.

Albert

Seed Round in 2018
Albert Corporation, founded in 2015 and based in Culver City, California, provides accessible and affordable financial advisory services through its mobile application. The company offers a range of services including loans, saving policies, credit cards with rewards, retirement plans, and insurance services. A key feature is Albert Genius, which allows customers to communicate directly with financial experts for personalized advice and planning. In addition, users benefit from automated investing through Portfolio by Genius at no extra cost. Albert's free features encompass automatic savings, financial health monitoring, budgeting tools, and detailed spending reports. The platform also includes Albert Instant, providing cash advances against paychecks to help customers avoid overdraft fees.

Blueprint Income

Seed Round in 2018
Blueprint Income, Inc. operates a digital platform that connects pension planners with insurance companies, providing a marketplace for retirement income products such as annuities. Founded in 2014 and based in New York, the company aims to simplify the retirement planning process, allowing users to compare and purchase various annuity options tailored to their personal circumstances. By offering easy access to fixed, income, and index annuities, Blueprint Income empowers individuals, regardless of their employer, age, or wealth, to secure guaranteed, lifelong income for retirement. The platform not only facilitates the selection and purchase of these financial products but also enhances consumer understanding of annuities, enabling users to make informed decisions about their financial futures.

Tomorrow Ideas

Seed Round in 2018
Tomorrow Ideas, Inc. specializes in developing an application aimed at safeguarding families' financial futures. The app offers a range of features, including tools for creating a last will and testament, establishing a revocable living trust, and setting up guardianship for children and pets. Additionally, it includes calculators for net worth and life insurance, a comparison of term life insurance options, and provides a complimentary insurance policy. The application is accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tomorrow Ideas is committed to helping families navigate important financial decisions.

Even Financial

Series A in 2018
Founded in 2015, Even Financial is an NYC based fintech company focused on evolving how financial institutions connect with consumers and provide them the best product recommendations at the right moment, facilitating an on-demand and personalized customer acquisition experience across the entire financial services ecosystem. The Even platform serves as a trusted intermediary for financial institutions - including Prosper, Lending Club, and Marcus by Goldman Sachs - that helps find consumers and distribute their products digitally. Even’s industry-leading search, comparison, and recommendation API is an infrastructure layer that enables hundreds of diverse partners - including Credit.com, Transunion, Money Under 30, Credit Sesame, and The Penny Hoarder - to power comprehensive personal finance websites, mobile apps, and other offerings with a modern platform that is proven to accelerate customer acquisition through optimal product recommendations, lowering cost of acquisition and maximizing monetization. Even Financial is based in New York.

Ledgie

Seed Round in 2017
Ledgie is an upcoming website where cryptocurrency users can manage their finances.

Tomorrow Ideas

Seed Round in 2017
Tomorrow Ideas, Inc. specializes in developing an application aimed at safeguarding families' financial futures. The app offers a range of features, including tools for creating a last will and testament, establishing a revocable living trust, and setting up guardianship for children and pets. Additionally, it includes calculators for net worth and life insurance, a comparison of term life insurance options, and provides a complimentary insurance policy. The application is accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Tomorrow Ideas is committed to helping families navigate important financial decisions.

Jerry

Seed Round in 2017
Jerry is an AI financial service startup that negotiates loans and insurances for american families. The company constantly looks for savings on your fixed costs (subscriptions like insurance, loans, etc) and does all the work to negotiate better rates and paperwork to switch and save money automatically. Like all best things in life, Jerry is completely free for members!

Planejei

Seed Round in 2016
Planejei is a financial services company based in São Paulo, Brazil, that specializes in developing a mobile application designed for financial planning. The application employs advanced algorithms to analyze users' finances and provide tailored financial tips, aimed at helping young individuals achieve their goals and dreams. By offering proactive financial advice directly to users' mobile devices, Planejei seeks to alleviate the stress and anxiety associated with everyday financial management.

Qwil

Convertible Note in 2015
Qwil PBC operates a payment management platform tailored for independent contractors, freelancers, and small businesses, founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform offers financial tools that allow users to track, collect, and manage their earnings efficiently. It features an application that enables users to access their funds before receiving payment for their services, facilitating early cash access through an advance on earned amounts. By providing these financial solutions, Qwil helps freelancers and small enterprises manage their cash flow effectively, enhancing workforce recruitment and retention without placing additional strain on the client's financial resources.

Grain

Convertible Note in 2015
Grain helps new investors take their first steps in building their own portfolio. Our vision is to be the place where you go to take complete control of your investments, without feeling overwhelmed by piles of data and confusing reports. First, learn how to build a diversified portfolio by easily comparing the best investments (U.S. listed stocks and ETFs) at-a-glance. Second, personalize your portfolio by finding investments that define your values and beliefs. Grain’s search tool powered by IBM Watson allows you to discover investments by searching any concept or keyword. Lastly, invest with your friends and family (think Venmo-style activity feed). You’re not in this alone, so you shouldn’t feel that way! You can open your own investing account in less than 2 minutes (powered by Third Party Trade LLC, member FINRA & SIPC), or simply link a pre-existing account with a major U.S. broker.

Float

Convertible Note in 2015
Float is a mobile-first financial service that helps young consumers access, manage, and proactively build credit. We offer thin-file consumers instant access to an affordable line of credit, direct from any smartphone, no FICO required.

TraderMob

Seed Round in 2014
TraderMob, Inc. provides investment education services to businesses, universities and individuals. The company is dedicated to enhancing the financial literacy of its clientele through comprehensive investment courseware and application of skills on our proprietary trading platform. The company currently operates competitive challenges, offering portfolios of $10k to users, allowing them keep profits made with the portfolio.