These 10 early-stage wealth startups are on the brink of breaking out, according to top VCs

DriveWealth

Cited by: Route 66 Ventures, an investor in DriveWealth 

Total raised: $54.3 million

What it does: DriveWealth, headquartered in Chatham, New Jersey, builds out the underlying technology and infrastructure that serves as the backbone for firms like fintechs, broker-dealers, and registered investment advisers. For instance, it builds tech that powers self-directed trading and investing capabilities on an app.

Why it’s one to watch: “The future of finance is frictionless. Converting consumers into investors requires embedding investing into everyday activities,” said Benjamin Britt, general partner with Route 66 Ventures. “Buy Starbucks coffee, get Starbucks stock. Swipe your card, auto-invest the round-up amount without thinking about it. DriveWealth is building the brokerage infrastructure to make this future possible, enabling its clients to build imaginative trading, advisory, round-up, loyalty reward, and investment savings experiences for their retail customers.” 

Read more: Robinhood, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab are racing to give customers the chance to buy $1 slices of stocks. We talked to a dozen insiders about who wins, who loses, and what it says about trading today.