We are thrilled to announce that Uprise has raised a $3.3 million Seed round led by Hannah Chelkowski and Abhi Tiwari at Blank Ventures! 🎉 Alongside Blank, we’re grateful for the support of Pathlight Ventures, TruStage Ventures, Dash Fund, Contrary Capital, Phenomenal Ventures, Hustle Fund, Graham & Walker, and other incredible fintech leaders.
The vision that drives us
When Chris, Nantha, and I founded Uprise, we set out with a vision that has held strong from the beginning: we believe in a future where financial decision-making is stunningly simple. Back then, we didn’t have all the answers, but we were committed to learning, iterating, and staying true to that core mission.
Today, that mission has evolved into something incredibly powerful. We’ve been quietly working with key partners to bring embedded financial advisory into the platforms small business owners are already using every day.
Why small business owners?
While building our early product, we noticed that a lot of the customers coming in were small business owners – freelancers, creators, doctors. What we heard from them was consistent: managing finances is a nightmare. Handling both their business and personal finances simultaneously was overwhelming, and it was pulling them away from what they do best – running their business.
The traditional financial system is not designed for them. Small business owners’ personal and business finances are deeply intertwined, and navigating that complexity with tools that treat them separately just doesn’t work. We knew there had to be a better way.
How Uprise is changing the game
This is why we’ve built Uprise to serve small business owners with both their business and personal finances in mind. From the ground up, we’ve created an advisory system powered by AI that simplifies financial decision-making in a way that’s accessible, affordable, and tailored to each business owner’s unique needs.
But what’s even more game-changing is how we deliver this solution. Uprise is an embedded financial advisory platform, which means we partner with SMB platforms like NerdWallet Small Business, Heard, and Carry, and seamlessly integrate financial advice directly into their products. This approach allows small business owners to access expert financial guidance at the exact moments they need it, and with all the context of their existing relationships with the partner platform. We are a seamless extension of our partners’ teams.
The value of embedded financial advisory
For our partners, embedding Uprise into their platforms has been transformative. They’ve seen increased customer engagement and retention, as well as significant revenue growth. Customers are no longer overwhelmed by the array of financial products available – they are empowered to take action, confident in the financial decisions they’re making.
For example, Carry, a platform that helps small business owners optimize their taxes and save for retirement, has seen millions of dollars in assets added to their platform since integrating Uprise.Â
We’re enabling SMB platforms to deliver premium, differentiated experiences that used to only be available to the largest institutions.
What’s next for Uprise?
This is just the beginning. With the support of our investors and partners, we’re excited to continue building innovative solutions for small business owners, helping them lay strong financial foundations for their businesses and personal lives.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Uprise can help your small business owner customers navigate complex financial decisions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can solve financial decision-making for all.
Yours,
Jess
