Unest
“Can a custodial investment app become the financial planning OS for parents by bundling investments, crypto, and insurance into a single family-focused platform?”
Founded2018
HQLos Angeles, CA, USA
Total raised$40M
Latest roundSeries B, November 2021
IndustryFintech / Investment
The story
UNest launched as a child-savings and investment app, using custodial UTMA/UGMA accounts powered by Apex Clearing to let parents invest on behalf of their children. After raising a $26M Series B in 2021, the company expanded beyond simple index-fund investing toward individual stocks and cryptocurrency (via Bakkt), broadening from a savings wrapper to a family financial planning platform. More recently UNest added embedded term life insurance via Ladder, positioning itself as a one-stop financial wellness app for parents rather than a pure investment tool.
Product timeline
2018
UNest founded as a fintech app enabling parents to open UTMA/UGMA custodial investment accounts for children.· banking
2021
Raised $26M Series B led by The Artemis Fund; announced plans for UNest Legacy to allow individual stocks and crypto purchases.· acquisition
2021
Integrated Apex Clearing Corporation as the clearing and custody partner powering investment accounts.· banking
2022
Integrated Bakkt for crypto/digital asset capabilities within the UNest platform.· banking
2025
Added term life insurance product in partnership with Ladder, offering embedded coverage to families.· banking
Regulated entities
3
regulatory licences held by Unest
Licence types, jurisdictions and registered entities are in the Embedded Finance Index report.
The stack
2 layers disclosed in Unest’s embedded-finance stack
Banking / BaaS
Apex Clearing Corporation
Crypto
in the full report
Accounting gap: none
1 more provider across 1 layer, with confidence-scored evidence and source URLs, are in the Embedded Finance Index report.