Gen Z-friendly fintech platform Alinea Invest has raised $10.4 million in a Series A funding round announced on Wednesday. The investment was led by Play Ventures with participation from GFR Fund, Y Combinator, Gaingels, FoundersX, F7 and Visible Ventures.
This startup, which was founded by Anam Lakhani and Eve Halimi, stands out for the demographics of its user base. Among Alinea Invest’s one million users, 92% are women and 70% are Gen Z. The average user age for the platform — which has a loyal user base — is just 22.
The co-founders met at Barnard College and started building Alinea in 2021 after earlier stints at Goldman Sachs and Citi. They belong to the Gen Z demographic themselves, which appears to have contributed to their understanding of that target demographic’s needs. “We are the customer,” Lakhani said in a interview with Forbes.
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“From day one, we were designing for ourselves—and our friends. What we realized is that beginner investors want both guidance and freedom. They want to be told what to do, but they also want autonomy. At Alinea, we call it the salad and the fries.” This has paid off with Alinea achieving six times year-over-year revenue growth in 2024, reaching a $6 million net revenue run rate with a team of just 10.Alinea heavily relies on founder-led storytelling as part of its marketing strategy. “Our marketing is really about telling a story,” says Halimi. “It resonates deeply because it’s authentic. We’re not just selling a product—we’re building a brand, and people—especially young women—see themselves in us.”
Alinea’s latest innovation comes in the form of AI Allie, an AI-powered financial coach that acts as a “money best friend,” according to Lakhani. The founders claim that Allie can recommend next best actions, align users with cause-based investments, and personalize guidance based on a user’s income, goals, and experience level.