In this edition of the Wealthtech Roundup, we speak with the President of Technology Tools for Today (T3), Joel Bruckenstein, our Wealthtech Leader of the Month, who discusses the T3 Technology Conference, now entering its third decade.
Other entries include Orion’s real-time data sharing with Snowflake, Sycamore’s compliance-focused surveillance platform, OneVest’s funding with Salesforce, Orion’s advisor and investor surveys, Jump raises capital, Syntax Data’s partnership with FTSE Russell, Snappy Kraken’s new marketing tools, Wealth.com’s legal team expansion, Datalign’s funding for AI solutions, BetaNXT’s DataXChange platform, Zocks’ partnership with Carson Group and Compound Planning’s new tax tools.
Larry’s Take
In this month’s Wealthtech Roundup, we bring you news of three seed funding rounds. This corner of our industry is exciting, fast-paced, drawing attention and attracting cash. Driven by AI advancements and fueled by cash from private equity and venture capital, our industry’s technology space is booming.
Tech booms turn out well for industries and productivity as a whole, but each startup within the boom has a broad range of potential outcomes, from being the next juggernaut, to being absorbed by the juggernaut or a mid-sized player, to fading away.
The large and mid-sized players in wealthtech can’t afford to rest, either. Get comfortable in a dominant position and you will turn into Kodak. Again, this is great for the industry as a whole, but if you are in wealthtech, you must stay alert and innovative at all times, get the resources you need quickly and show advisors you have what it takes to continue to serve them.
If you would like to discuss this Larry’s Take further, including how these trends might impact your business, please contact me at larry.roth@rlrstrategicpartners.com.
Joel Bruckenstein Discusses Upcoming T3 Conference
The annual T3 Technology Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas on March 3 to 6. Its theme for 2025 is organic growth. The conference will explore how automation, workflow improvements and time efficiency can help advisors boost their revenue.
The conference was co-founded by Joel Bruckenstein in 2003. He leads Technology Tools for Today, the organization that hosts the conference. We caught up with Bruckenstein to find out what the conference has in store for 2025.
WSR: What unique offerings does the T3 Technology Conference bring to the wealth management space?
Bruckenstein: The T3 Conference is the only conference in the industry devoted entirely to wealthtech for the independent advisor community. It is the place for advisory and broker-dealer firms to do their due diligence, learn about the product roadmap of leading tech firms, network with the tech-forward RIA firms in the industry, and educate yourself on everything wealthtech.
Whether you want to learn the latest on AI from firms like Google and Microsoft, or about the latest in portfolio management software, CRM, financial planning software and the like, T3 is the place to be.
WSR: Your conference theme this year is organic growth. Give us a quick preview of wealthtech solutions to solve for organic growth that will be discussed at the conference.
Bruckenstein: You cannot grow organically without leveraging technology. We will have information and vendors that can help you prospect digitally with proven results, automate everything from client onboarding to meeting preparation, and automate portfolio construction and portfolio management.
WSR: How would you describe the evolution of T3 over the past two decades, and what comes next?
Bruckenstein: Technology is evolving at the fastest pace in human history. If you are not updating your technology tools annually, you are falling behind. When T3 started, most advisors did not have a website. Email was not being used by many advisors. The iPhone did not exist. Twenty years ago, if you were a late adopter of tech, you were not at much of a disadvantage because the entire industry were late adopters. That is no longer the case. You have to constantly evolve to compete because your competitors are evolving.
Orion Bolsters Data-Sharing Capabilities With Snowflake Integration
Orion announced a collaboration with cloud-based data platform Snowflake to enhance data access for financial advisors by introducing near-real-time data streams and centralizing both structured and unstructured data. The firms anticipate making the technology available for a beta group of Orion clients in Q2.
The partnership is designed to expand cross-cloud compatibility for client firms, to allow advisors to securely access and analyze real-time data within their own preferred systems. Snowflake’s scalability and advanced security measures are intended to support performance and compliance as data workloads increase.
“Through further collaboration between Snowflake and Orion, we’re enabling advisors to more efficiently access data via a near-real-time data stream, as well as centralize both structured and unstructured data in a single location, enabling deeper portfolio analytics, faster insights and more informed decision-making,” said Rinesh Patel, Global Head of Financial Services at Snowflake.
Sycamore Announces Surveillance Platform For Broker-Dealers
Sycamore Financial Solutions launched a cloud-native surveillance platform designed to help broker-dealers more effectively monitor advisor activity, surface insights and aggregate relevant data. The platform aims to enhance accuracy and efficiency for compliance teams.
The platform expands Sycamore’s existing compliance offerings that capture online interactions and workflows to optimize supervision and anti-money laundering capabilities. It also looks to help firms better manage interactions with advisors, prospects and clients while keeping data consolidated and organized.
“From severe fines to reputational damage, there are serious consequences for broker-dealers that fail to establish and maintain effective surveillance systems,” said Mike Overdorf, President and Founder of Sycamore. “It has never been more critical for broker-dealers to deploy a highly capable system that can mitigate those risks.”
OneVest Raises $20 Million In Funding Led By Salesforce
OneVest raised $20 million USD in a Series B funding round. The firm provides a wealth management platform including client onboarding, portfolio management and analytics. Its software was designed to be modular to allow firms to fill gaps in their process according to need.
The funding was led by Salesforce Ventures, with new investors Allianz Life Ventures and TIAA Ventures and returning investors OMERS Ventures, Deloitte Ventures, Fin Capital, Luge Capital and Pivot Investment Partners.
“We are tackling massive challenges in an industry that’s been traditionally slow to adopt new technologies,” said Amar Ahluwalia, CEO of OneVest. “Having such esteemed investors solidifies our position to reimagine wealth management technology for enterprises across the U.S. and Canada. With this new funding, we are poised to achieve our goal of becoming the leading wealth management platform in North America.”
Over 50% Of Advisors Boosting Client-Facing Tech Investments, Orion Study Finds
A recent Orion study reveals that over 50% of financial advisors are increasing investments in client-facing technology to meet the demands of investors amid economic policy and market uncertainties in 2025. Orion released survey results from both advisors and investors during its recent Orion Ascent conference.
Although most investors surveyed said they were satisfied with their advisors, many said they were open to searching for a new one if they should inherit a significant amount of money. The investor survey also showed there are significant generational differences between advisors’ clients that present opportunities for advisors to tailor their approaches.
“As we navigate the largest generational wealth transfer in history, it’s crucial for financial advisors to be proactive with clients who anticipate receiving a sizable inheritance,” said Chris Shutler, Orion’s Head of Strategy. “This is the time for advisors to increase communication, engage in comprehensive planning, and build trust to better serve their clients during these pivotal moments.”
Jump Secures $20 Million Series A To Transform Advisor Workflows With AI
Jump, an AI solutions provider for advisors, closed a $20 million Series A funding round led by Battery Ventures, with participation from Citi Ventures, as well as returning investors Sorenson Capital and Pelion Ventures Partners, bringing its total capital raised to $24.6 million. The firm plans to use the funds to accelerate product innovation, expand its AI workflow and agentic AI products, and strengthen sales and support.
Since its public launch in January 2024, Jump says its average monthly growth rate has exceeded 35%. It has partnered with LPL Financial, Sanctuary Wealth, Integrated Partners and Mission Wealth.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jump and lead this Series A round,” said Dharmesh Thakker, General Partner at Battery Ventures. “We were impressed by Jump’s leading product and market position, the quality of their team, their rapid growth and the positive reviews they’ve received from their customers.”
Syntax Data Adds FTSE Russell Indexes To Platform
Syntax Data partnered with FTSE Russell to integrate its indexes into the Syntax Direct platform, enabling financial advisors to customize major industry benchmarks for the needs and preferences of mass affluent clients. The integration allows advisors to use the benchmarks when creating custom indexes that focus on key data, such as quantitative and fundamental factors, as well as emerging investing themes.
The Syntax Direct platform lets advisors tailor personalized portfolios at scale, reducing the costs of serving a larger number of clients.
“The addition of the preeminent U.S. institutional benchmarks to our platform provides FTSE Russell with direct access to the rapidly expanding wealth management segment,” said Patrick Shaddow, CEO of Syntax Data. “Advisors can now utilize the full suite of FTSE Russell indices to deliver institutional-quality solutions, including portfolio customization, back-testing, and reporting to clients across various wealth levels.”
Snappy Kraken Launches AI-Driven Enterprise Hub To Boost Advisor Growth
Snappy Kraken introduced two platform enhancements: the Enterprise Hub, designed for mid-market and enterprise firms, and a revamped Campaigns App for individual advisors, both leveraging AI with the aim of streamlining marketing and driving organic growth.
The Enterprise Hub provides organizations with control and visibility over advisors’ marketing activities, offering features including advisor activation tracking, scalable campaign management, scalable marketing, compliance controls, performance analytics and AI-driven insights. The Campaigns App provides advisors with one-click launches for campaigns, AI automation, a templates library, contact management and campaign monitoring.
“Snappy Kraken’s Enterprise Hub is eliminating the chaos of managing fragmented, costly and inefficient tech stacks, introducing a seamless, all-in-one solution,” said Robert Sofia, Founder and CEO of Snappy Kraken. “For the first time, firms can manage prospecting and marketing for hundreds or thousands of advisors across all channels, track performance with AI-driven insights and deliver highly personalized communications at scale.”
Wealth.com Strengthens Legal Team With Kathy Wunderli As Head Of Private Wealth
Wealth.com appointed Kathy Wunderli to its legal team as Head of Private Wealth. She has over 20 years of experience in estate planning, probate trust and tax. Prior to wealth.com, she was a Partner at law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, In her new role, Wunderli will focus on enhancing wealth.com’s offerings in estate planning, tax analysis and wealth transfer strategies for ultra-high net worth families.
Wunderli has earned recognition, including being named to Variety’s 2023 Legal Impact Report, the Hollywood Reporter’s 2022 List of Power Lawyers: Troubleshooters, and
The Los Angeles Times’ Inspirational Award nominees in 2024.
“The legal team at wealth.com is second to none in the digital estate planning space,” said Wunderli. “We have the ability and experience to revolutionize the estate planning experience by blending the best of technology, legal knowledge, and artificial intelligence to benefit clients and their personal planning team. I am excited to be part of this legal team and support wealth.com in transforming the estate planning industry by pushing it into the modern era.”
Datalign Secures $9 Million Seed Funding For AI-Based Advisory Solutions
Datalign Advisory secured an additional $5 million from Link Ventures, bringing their total investment to $9 million. This funding aims to enhance Datalign’s AI and machine learning capabilities, following a year where the platform facilitated referrals of almost $40 billion in assets to RIAs.
Datalign plans to expand its AI expert team and release several AI-focused products this year. In the past six months, it has launched tools for AI lead performance monitoring, a knowledge graph to match potential clients with RIAs, and Geographic Expansion Optimization, a tool that analyzes market data to identify geographic markets where an RIA can offer value to meet existing consumer demand.
“Organic growth has always been a fundamental challenge in wealth management. As we approach an $80 trillion wealth transfer, Datalign has cracked the code on scalable growth for RIAs,” said John Wernz, Executive Director at Datalign. “Their ability to deliver high-quality client relationships at scale is exactly what the industry needs right now.”
BetaNXT Rolls Out Next Phase Of DataXChange Platform After Successful Pilot
BetaNXT declared its DataXChange platform is fully operational and available following a successful pilot with early adopter clients. The launch is three months ahead of schedule. Built on Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud, DataXChange offers wealth management firms a single source for near real-time data. The platform integrates various data sources into one system, with a goal of customized, flexible data management.
The platform includes a common data and governance framework, customized client views, agnostic data aggregation, anytime data access, intelligent automation for workflow efficiency, and a secure environment for innovation.
“One of our core beliefs is that data management is a long game—and the first step is to build the right data foundation that’s secure, nimble, and customizable,” said Don Henderson, CTO of BetaNXT. “DataXChange is enabling us to deliver a better client experience today, that also serves as the foundation for faster innovation and seamless integration of AI and other new capabilities in the future.”
Zocks Partners With Carson Group To Enhance Client Intelligence For RIAs
Zocks, an AI platform that derives insights from client conversations, partnered with Carson Group. The collaboration allows Carson to use Zocks’ technology to build client profiles, draft meeting notes, assist with client emails and automate advisor workflows. It allows Carson and its advisors to gain client insights from across conversations, emails and CRM data.
In the two months since launch, over 280 Carson users actively use the platform to drive strategic insights and enhance client relationships. The active weekly usage rate for the program is 97%.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Carson Group, a true innovator in the wealth management space,” said Mark Gilbert, CEO and Co-Founder of Zocks. “The rapid adoption we’ve seen with the initial 250 advisors and their staff in under eight weeks, speaks to both the platform’s immediate value and Carson’s commitment to embracing technology that transforms client relationships.”
Compound Planning Launches Tax Filing And Planning Services On Its Dashboard
Digital family office Compound Planning announced tax filing and planning services integrated with the Compound dashboard, allowing clients to manage their taxes directly from the dashboard. The offering is made available by april and is available regardless of whether a client chooses self-service or digitally guided service through april or full-service tax filing with a CPA vetted by Compound.
Clients who choose professional assistance can receive a guided experience that combines the digital platform with a tax professional filing for them. Those choosing a vetted CPA will receive one matched to their needs, with oversight from Compound’s tax and advisory teams.
“We’re obsessed with making wealth management seamless—giving clients and advisors everything they need in one place,” said Christian Haigh, Co-Founder and CEO of Compound Planning. “Launching this new tax integration with april is another step toward that vision, making financial planning more intuitive while giving our advisors better insights to serve clients at a higher level.”
Julius Buchanan, Editor in Chief at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at julius.buchanan@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
