Pre-seed funding for app empowering women to become financially independent
Financielle, a female focused financial wellness app launched by sisters Laura Pomfret and Holly Holland, is set for growth after raising pre-seed funding.
Led by Haatch Ventures, the roster of angel investors include Anthony Morrow, co-founder of Open Money, Tony Prestedge, former COO of Nationwide and CEO of Santander UK, Mark Hartley Founder and CEO of Bankifi, Dalia Aga-Shaw and Lois Day of 3 Sisters Ventures and Rupert Wingate-Saul, MD of FWS Advisory.
Financielle was founded in 2018 on Instagram and the sisters have since bootstrapped the business which now has a 40,000-strong global community.
Financielle aims to share simple money strategies that inspire and empower people to take control of their money and build strong financial foundations for their future.
Co-founder Laura Pomfret said “There are many personal finance apps helping people to manage money, but no-one is combining that with specifically addressing the underserved needs of women and the amazing power of community.
“With the health and wellbeing market really blowing up and the ongoing cost of living crisis, there has never been a better time to focus on the financial wellbeing of women.”
She added: “We’ve been conscious about the investors we’ve brought on board. Haatch especially has a purpose-driven portfolio, along with the expertise of our angel contingent, who all understood our vision from the beginning and wanted to be a part of something special.”
Laura founded Financielle after being frustrated when it came to managing money and the systemic issues that impact women such as the gender investment gap and the aggressive targeting of women with finance.
Co-founder of Open Money, Anthony Morrow said: “Anything that can help more people make better financial decisions and get more confident about money is only a good thing. It’s fantastic to find two founders who are both bright and ambitious. I’m looking forward to seeing them grow very quickly.”
Former Nationwide Deputy-CEO, Tony Prestedge, added: “There has not been a more important time in recent history to find ways to help people to better manage their money, budgeting approach and savings, investment and borrowing considerations.
“The current cost of living increases, rising interest rates and recession risk is really scary for most people.
“Add this to the injustice of the gender investment gap, and we all need to find solutions to help and educate.”
Financielle’s hero product is its app, which houses The Financielle Playbook: a step by step guide to being financially well. The programme helps women to ditch debt, build emergency savings, buy their first home and grow investments for a financially well future.
The investment will be used to improve the product experience and test out growth levers ahead of a seed raise in early 2023.
