AI-powered investment advisory startup connects brokerage accounts to chat-based financial guidance for everyday investors

A new AI financial advice startup, Astor, is aiming to change how everyday people manage their money by offering automated investment guidance through text and voice messaging. The company recently raised a $5 million seed funding round as it looks to expand its AI-driven platform for retail investors.

From Brazil to Silicon Valley: The Idea Behind Astor

Astor was founded by Bruno Koba and former Stripe engineer Daniel Tulha, who noticed a major difference in financial services between Brazil and the United States.

In Brazil, brokerage accounts typically include a built-in financial advisor, even for small investors. However, after moving to the U.S., the founders were surprised to find that professional financial advice is often reserved for wealthy clients, leaving most everyday investors to manage their own portfolios with limited guidance.

This gap inspired them to build Astor—a Y Combinator-backed startup designed to make financial advice more accessible using artificial intelligence.

AI Chat-Based Investing Through Brokerage Integration

Astor connects directly to a user’s brokerage account, allowing the AI system to analyze portfolios and provide personalized investment recommendations.

Instead of traditional consultations, users receive advice through a chat interface or voice messages, making financial guidance more conversational and accessible.

The platform also goes beyond investing, offering insights that consider a user’s broader financial life, including:

  • Credit card spending management
  • Savings planning
  • Major life events such as weddings or large purchases

According to Koba, many users already try to use tools like ChatGPT and Claude for financial questions, but those systems are not specifically optimized for investing decisions.

Astor uses a multi-agent AI architecture powered by Anthropic models to deliver more focused financial analysis.

Growing Competition in AI Financial Advice

Astor enters a rapidly growing and highly competitive market for AI-powered investing tools.

Robo-advisors have existed for years, and major platforms like Robinhood are now building more advanced AI systems to offer personalized financial insights. Traditional wealth management firms are also integrating AI tools to assist high-net-worth clients.

Despite this crowded space, Astor believes its advantage lies in its simple, chat-based experience and its focus on everyday investors rather than wealthy clients.

The startup currently charges:

  • $15 per month for basic access
  • $40 per month for an unlimited Pro plan

It reports around 4,000 active customers.

Regulation and Trust in AI Financial Advice

Financial advice is heavily regulated, requiring companies to act in the best interest of their users.

To comply, co-founder Koba obtained a Series 65 financial advisor license, and the company says all AI-generated recommendations are carefully reviewed and fact-checked by internal systems and agents.

This hybrid model is designed to balance automation with accountability, an important requirement in financial services.

Strong Investor Backing and Future Plans

Astor’s $5 million seed round was led by venture capital firm Monashees, with additional support from:

  • Y Combinator
  • Goodwater Capital
  • Executives from Stripe and OpenAI

Investors believe the startup is addressing a key gap in the market.

As Monashees partner Fabiola Quinzaños explained, many users do not just need investment products—they need personal financial guidance and confidence to make decisions.

The Future of AI Financial Advice

With the rise of AI-driven personal finance tools, Astor is betting that investors want more than dashboards and data—they want real-time, conversational guidance that helps them make decisions with confidence.

If successful, the startup could help redefine how AI financial advice is delivered to everyday investors worldwide.