When I first met Brandon and Ed, Co-Founders of Stash, in 2016 it was clear that they were approaching the consumer fintech whirlwind with a different perspective. At the time an early app and idea, the goal was to build a financial platform that spoke to the bulk of Americans, often left behind by traditional banks and investing opportunities. Rather than encouraging customers to trade for quick wins, Stash’s value proposition would be about helping people take easy actions methodically, and teaching Americans about finances in a productized way and in clear English. The product centered on the idea that small investing and savings decisions change individual financial profiles in big ways over time. When I joined USV in the fall of 2017, we articulated a thesis around partnering with trusted brands that broaden access to knowledge, capital, and well being by leveraging platforms. It was hard to think of a business more aligned with that goal than Stash and we were excited to invest.
At the time, Stash was a consumer investing application. Now, it is a trusted holistic financial subscription platform–investing, savings, banking, and more–trusted by more than 2 million Americans and continuing to scale quickly. This past year, Stash launched its own banking infrastructure, Stash Core. Brandon, Ed, and their team have built a tremendous business that surpassed $100M in revenue last year through serving exactly who they set out to find. Stash customers make around $58K and the largest known employers of Stash customers are Walmart, Amazon, and the US Army. In aggregate, Stashers have saved nearly $3B on the platform. Many were first time savers and did so through regularly setting aside an average of $30 at a time.
Now, Stash is entering a new chapter as we welcome Liza Landsman as the new CEO. Liza is one of a kind. Her experience is uniquely spot on for the Stash experience with leadership stints at Citigroup, Jet, E*Trade and Blackrock. She is spoken about as a catalyst of growth and a talent magnet. As we’ve gotten to know her as an advisor and Board Member, her user-first mentality, deep customer empathy, and ability to see to the heart of the opportunity has shone through. In each conversation, I’ve been struck by how she consistently starts with the customer experience first and speaks about Stash fluently at multiple elevations–the big dream and the details of today. The business, product, and fantastic community will be in great hands with her leadership and we are excited to enter this chapter. Luckily, Brandon and Ed aren’t going anywhere. Ed will continue the same role as President, driving execution, and Brandon will take on being Co-Founder and Head of Business Development.
The Stash story is still in its earliest stages. Welcome, Liza, to Stash!