A subscription investing app that rebuilt itself around a generative-AI adviser: Money Coach AI replaced human-scale advice for beginner investors, carried a $146 million raise in 2025, and became the asset Grab bought in 2026.
How is Stash using AI?
Stash's AI strategy is Money Coach AI, a generative-AI adviser built into its $12-a-month investing app that had logged 2.2 million user interactions by May 2025, with one in four users taking a positive action such as investing or depositing within 10 minutes. Launched in beta in October 2024 when co-founders Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson returned as co-CEOs, it anchored a $146 million Series H in May 2025 (1.3 million subscribers, $4.3 billion AUM) and Grab Holdings' 2026 purchase of Stash at a $425 million enterprise value.
Category
Brokerage
Founded
2015
Headquarters
New York, United States
Licence and supervision
Not a bank. Stash Investments LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and Stash Capital LLC an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member, with Apex Clearing as custodian; Stash Banking accounts and the Stock-Back debit card are provided by Stride Bank, N.A. (FDIC member). Stash Financial, Inc. has been a subsidiary of Grab Holdings since a two-tranche acquisition agreed February 2026.
Scale
about $5 billion of assets under management and over 1 million paying subscribers (February 2026); 1.3 million subscribers and $4.3 billion AUM in May 2025
Flagship platform
Money Coach AI
AI leadership
Brandon Krieg · Ed Robinson · Joel Parrish
- Money Coach AI, developed over a year by co-founder Brandon Krieg and Head of AI and Innovation Joel Parrish, went live in beta on October 8, 2024, the day the co-founders returned as co-CEOs; Krieg said 'The future of money and financial guidance is in generative AI'. It ships with an end-to-end compliance supervision and training system.
- By May 12, 2025 Money Coach AI had 2.2 million user interactions and Stash reported that one in four customers who interact with it take a positive action within 10 minutes; Stash raised $146 million in an oversubscribed Series H led by Goodwater Capital with T. Rowe Price-advised funds, citing 1.3 million paying subscribers and $4.3 billion of assets under management.
- Co-CEO Ed Robinson told Banking Dive in February 2025 that Money Coach had helped deposits surpass withdrawals, that Stash had become free-cash-flow positive for the first time, that 86% of customers are first-time or beginner investors, and that the share of users acting within 15 minutes of a Money Coach interaction was up 116% since September.
- The AI pivot followed a retrenchment: Stash laid off 25% of staff in March 2024 and a further 40% of about 220 employees in October 2024 after CEO Liza Landsman left, rejected acquisition offers including one from eToro below its $1.4 billion 2021 valuation, and reached monthly positive cash flow in November 2024.
- On February 12, 2026 Grab Holdings agreed to acquire 100% of Stash Financial, paying for 50.1% at a $425 million enterprise value in cash and stock and the rest at fair market value within three years; Grab cited Stash's 'artificial intelligence (AI)-powered investing app', about $5 billion AUM and over 1 million subscribers, and expects over $60 million of adjusted EBITDA from Stash by 2028.
- Stash's Form CRS effective August 14, 2026 describes Stash Financial as a subsidiary of Grab Holdings Limited, a single $12-a-month wrap-fee programme offering non-discretionary advice or discretionary managed accounts, Stash Capital as introducing broker and Apex Clearing as custodian; banking services come from Stride Bank, N.A.
- Stash acquired Stockpile's kids' investing accounts in March 2026 as Stockpile wound down, extending the platform to family accounts.
What is Money Coach AI?
A generative-AI financial-guidance platform developed over 2023-24 by co-founder Brandon Krieg and Head of AI and Innovation Joel Parrish, launched in beta in October 2024 with an end-to-end compliance supervision and training system. It answers questions such as whether to pay down debt or invest and recommends next steps inside the app; by May 2025 it had logged 2.2 million user interactions and Stash said one in four users who interact with it take a positive action (investing, depositing, diversifying or turning on Auto-Stash) within 10 minutes. Stash plans Money Coach agents on both the customer-facing and back-end sides of the platform.[1][4][3]
What has Stash done on AI, and when?
- Oct 15, 2026
Banking arrangement as published[9]
Stash's banking FAQ states that Stash Banking services and the Stock-Back debit card are provided by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.
- Aug 14, 2026
Form CRS: a Grab subsidiary with one $12 wrap programme[8]
The client relationship summary names Stash Financial a subsidiary of Grab Holdings Limited, consolidates its wrap programmes into a single $12-a-month plan with non-discretionary or discretionary managed accounts, and confirms Stash Capital as introducing broker and Apex Clearing as custodian.
- Mar 19, 2026
Stash takes on Stockpile's kids' accounts[7]
Stockpile, founded in 2010, is winding down; its family investing accounts transition to Stash's platform and guidance tools.
- Feb 12, 2026
Grab Holdings agrees to buy Stash[5][6]
Two-tranche cash-and-stock deal: 50.1% at a $425 million enterprise value, the remainder at fair market value within three years, expected to close in Q3 2026; Grab's CEO Anthony Tan said the deal brings Stash's AI-powered investing app and recurring subscription revenue, and Grab plans to take Money Coach to South-east Asia.
- May 12, 2025
$146 million Series H to expand Money Coach AI[4]
Led by Goodwater Capital with Union Square Ventures, StepStone, Serengeti, the University of Illinois Foundation and T. Rowe Price-advised funds; Money Coach AI at 2.2 million interactions with one in four users taking a positive action within 10 minutes.
- Feb 19, 2025
Robinson: Money Coach lifting deposits and conversion[3]
Deposits now exceed withdrawals, Stash is free-cash-flow positive, 1.3 million subscribers and nearly $4.3 billion AUM; nearly one in four users acts within 15 minutes of a Money Coach interaction, up 116% since September. 'We don't see [Money Coach] as the savior of the world of AI.'
- Dec 4, 2024
Fortune reveals 40% layoffs alongside the leadership change[2]
About 40% of roughly 220 staff, including at least three executives, were let go in October 2024 after a 25% cut in March; the board rejected acquisition offers, including from eToro, in favour of a funding round, and Robinson said November was the first cash-flow-positive month in Stash's history.
- Oct 8, 2024
Co-founders return as co-CEOs; Money Coach AI enters beta[1]
Krieg and Robinson replaced Liza Landsman; the release presents Money Coach, developed over the prior year with compliance supervision built in, as the company's 'latest tech achievement' and says subscribers using it showed higher engagement with Auto-Stash and Smart Portfolio.
Where does Stash use AI today?
| System | What it does | Status | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money Coach AI guidance[4][3] | Generative-AI adviser answering money questions and recommending next steps in the app; 2.2 million interactions by May 2025, one in four users acting within 10 minutes. | In production | Customer-facing chatbots |
| Money Coach agents on front and back end[1] | Stash said in October 2024 it would add Money Coach agents to both the customer-facing and the operational side of the platform for employees and subscribers. | Announced | Generative & agentic AI |
| Compliance supervision of AI advice[1][8] | Money Coach was built with an end-to-end compliance supervision and training system 'to deliver continuous improvement and oversight', relevant because Stash Investments is an SEC-registered adviser giving personalised recommendations. | In production | AI governance (general) |
| Personalised messaging and advice[3] | Robinson said AI would touch the whole business, from how Stash messages customers to how advice is personalised and how leaders interact with employees. | Rolling out | Generative & agentic AI |
| Smart Portfolio and Auto-Stash[8][1] | Discretionary managed accounts with target allocations, rebalancing and automated investing, the actions Money Coach steers users toward; the managed account was named a top-performing robo-adviser. | In production | Trading & capital markets |
| Partner-bank and clearing stack[9][8][1] | Banking through Stride Bank, N.A., custody at Apex Clearing and Stash's own Stash Core infrastructure (2022) underpin the app that Money Coach sits on. | In production | Third-party & vendor AI |
Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.
What has Stash disclosed in numbers?
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Money Coach AI interactions | 2.2 million; 1 in 4 users take a positive action within 10 minutes[4] | May 12, 2025 |
| Subscribers and assets under management | 1.3 million paying subscribers; $4.3 billion AUM[4] | May 12, 2025 |
| Scale at acquisition | about $5 billion AUM; over 1 million paying subscribers[5][6] | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Series H | $146 million, led by Goodwater Capital[4] | May 12, 2025 |
| Grab acquisition | 50.1% at a $425 million enterprise value, remainder within three years; over $60 million adjusted EBITDA expected by 2028[5] | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Workforce cuts | 25% in March 2024 (about 80 people) and 40% of about 220 in October 2024; 500 at peak[2] | Dec 4, 2024 |
| Beginner share of customers | about 86% first-time or beginner investors; average deposit $45 a week[3] | Feb 19, 2025 |
| Subscription price | $12 a month, single wrap-fee programme[8] | Aug 14, 2026 |
“The future of money and financial guidance is in generative AI, and what’s on the horizon for Stash is a new way of building and modernizing Stash that starts at onboarding and continues through every customer touchpoint to serve our growing base.”[1]
Brandon Krieg · Co-Founder and Co-CEO · Oct 8, 2024
“We don’t see [Money Coach] as the savior of the world of AI. We see it as a tool that can help drive really efficient and smart decisioning for our customers within our ecosystem.”[3]
Ed Robinson · Co-Founder and Co-CEO · Feb 19, 2025
“Now, we're doubling down—transforming how people save, invest, and build long-term wealth with AI-powered intelligence at the core. We're just getting started.”[4]
Ed Robinson · Co-Founder and Co-CEO · May 12, 2025
“This acquisition brings more than just recurring, high-margin subscription revenue”[5]
Anthony Tan · CEO and co-founder, Grab Holdings · Feb 12, 2026
Who runs AI at Stash?
Which regulators govern Stash's AI?
| Authority | Why it matters here | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | Stash Investments LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and Stash Capital LLC an SEC-registered broker-dealer; Money Coach AI delivers personalised investment guidance inside a wrap-fee advisory programme, which is where the SEC's examination focus on AI-driven advice and its AI-disclosure recommendations apply. | Division of Examinations FY2026 Priorities Investor Advisory Committee AI disclosure recommendation SEC withdrawal of proposed rules (33-11377) |
| FINRA | Stash Capital LLC, the introducing broker, is a FINRA member; FINRA's Regulatory Notice 24-09 on generative AI governs how a member firm supervises AI tools that interact with customers. | FINRA Regulatory Notice 24-09 |
| OCC | Stash Banking accounts and the Stock-Back debit card are issued by Stride Bank, N.A., a national bank, so the OCC's third-party relationship guidance governs the bank's oversight of Stash's programme. | OCC Bulletin 2023-17 |
| MAS | Since the 2026 acquisition Stash's ultimate parent is Singapore-based Grab Holdings, which says it will explore bringing Money Coach to South-east Asia; MAS's AI risk-management guidelines would apply to any such deployment through Grab's financial entities. | MAS Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence Risk Management |
Linked authorities have a page in the AI Regulation Tracker; the others are named for completeness and not yet tracked.
What does the public record suggest about Stash's AI strategy?
Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.
01
The AI product is measured by behaviour, not accuracy
Stash's disclosed Money Coach metrics are interactions (2.2 million) and the share of users who invest, deposit or diversify within 10 minutes (one in four); it does not publish advice-quality or error measures, which are what a registered adviser's supervisors would examine.
02
Generative advice sits inside a registered advisory programme
Unlike neobank chatbots, Money Coach operates within an SEC-registered wrap-fee programme with discretionary accounts, so the compliance supervision system Stash built alongside it is a regulatory necessity rather than an option.
03
AI was the recovery story after a near-sale
Two rounds of layoffs, a CEO exit and rejected takeover offers in 2024 preceded the Money Coach launch; within seven months the same product headlined a $146 million raise, and within sixteen it was the stated rationale for Grab's purchase.
04
Ownership moved to a Southeast Asian superapp
Grab's stated plan is to export Money Coach to its markets, which would take a US-trained advice model built around US products into jurisdictions with different investor-protection rules.
05
Scale is modest and disclosure is thin
Stash does not publish revenue; the public numbers are subscribers (1.3 million in 2025, over 1 million in 2026), AUM ($4.3 to $5 billion) and Grab's EBITDA expectation ($60 million by 2028), so AI's financial effect can only be inferred.
What is Stash's Money Coach AI?
Money Coach AI is a generative-AI financial adviser built into the Stash app. Developed over a year by co-founder Brandon Krieg and Head of AI and Innovation Joel Parrish and launched in beta in October 2024, it answers questions such as whether to pay down debt or invest and recommends next steps like diversifying or turning on Auto-Stash. By May 2025 it had 2.2 million user interactions, and Stash says one in four users who interact with it take a positive action within 10 minutes.
Who owns Stash?
Grab Holdings (NASDAQ: GRAB), the Singapore-based superapp, agreed on February 12, 2026 to acquire 100% of Stash Financial, paying for 50.1% at a $425 million enterprise value in cash and stock and the remainder at fair market value within three years. Stash's Form CRS effective August 14, 2026 describes Stash Financial as a Grab subsidiary. Before the deal Stash was venture-backed, last valued at $1.4 billion in 2021, and raised $146 million in May 2025.
Is Stash a bank?
No. Stash Investments LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and Stash Capital LLC is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member, with Apex Clearing as custodian. Stash Banking accounts and the Stock-Back debit card are provided by Stride Bank, N.A., an FDIC member. Stash charges $12 a month for its wrap-fee programme.
Who regulates Stash's AI advice?
Money Coach AI delivers personalised guidance inside an SEC-registered advisory programme, so the SEC supervises it as part of Stash Investments' adviser obligations, and FINRA's generative-AI notice applies to Stash Capital, the broker-dealer. Stash says Money Coach was built with an end-to-end compliance supervision and training system. The bank products are overseen through Stride Bank's regulator, the OCC.
Did Stash cut staff when it moved to AI?
Stash cut 25% of its workforce in March 2024 and a further 40% of about 220 employees in October 2024, the month Money Coach entered beta and the co-founders returned as co-CEOs, according to Fortune; co-CEO Ed Robinson said the cuts removed management layers and that no products were eliminated. Stash had about 500 employees at its peak and reached monthly positive cash flow in November 2024.
How big is Stash?
In May 2025 Stash reported 1.3 million paying subscribers and $4.3 billion of assets under management; when Grab agreed to buy it in February 2026 it had about $5 billion AUM and over 1 million subscribers. About 86% of customers are first-time or beginner investors with an average deposit of $45 a week. Grab expects Stash to generate over $60 million of adjusted EBITDA by 2028.
- Co-Founders Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson Return as Stash Co-CEOs
- Exclusive: Fintech unicorn Stash laid off 40% of its workforce after CEO left
- Fintech Stash gets a boost from its AI assistant
- With $4.3B Under Management, Stash Secures $146M Series H To Lead the Next Era of AI-Driven Financial Guidance
- Grab Buys Investment App Stash At $425 Million Valuation After Posting First Full-Year Profit
- Grab buys a US investment app as it achieves profitability
- Stash Agrees to Acquire Stockpile Kids' Accounts
- Stash Investments LLC and Stash Capital LLC Form CRS: Client Relationship Summary (effective August 14, 2026)
- FAQ: Stash Banking (retrieved October 15, 2026)
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