About Pillar
Pillar is a Financial Services company based in New York (United States) founded in 2018, and was acquired by Acorns in April 2021. It operates as a loan management app. Pillar has raised $5.5 million across 1 funding round from investors including Acorns, Kleiner Perkins and Kairos. The company has 8 employees. Its focus areas include FinTech, Alternative Lending, Consumer Debt Management and Debt Repayment. Its legal entity is PILLAR TECHNOLOGY INC. Its competitors include Student Loan Hero, Nickels, College Cash, Snowball Wealth and MoneySolver and 2 more; 2 of its 7 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Pillar was founded in 2018 in New York, United States, within the fintech sector. A loan management app is operated, where users bank accounts are linked. Data science, machine learning, and human judgment are employed to evaluate financial situations. Customized loan repayment plans are then generated based on these assessments. Operations focus on personal finance tools for users across the region.
- Headquarters New York, United States
- Employees 8
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsFinancial Services
- Email••••••••
- Website pillar.app
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook
- Acquired by Acorns (Apr 2021)
- Legal Name Pillar Technology Inc.
Funding Insights of Pillar
Pillar has successfully raised a total of $5.5M through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $5.5 million completed in May 2019. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $5.5M
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Seed — $5.5M
- First Round $5.5M
(May 2019)
- Investors Count 14
All 1 funding rounds of Pillar with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | $5.5M | Seed | – | Kleiner Perkins |
15 investors in total: 8 institutional and 7 angel.
Investors in Pillar
Pillar has secured backing from 15 investors, including venture fund, angel, and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Acorns, Kleiner Perkins and Kairos.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech startups | 1972 | kleinerperkins.com | Menlo Park, United States | |
Tech focused early-stage micro VC firm investing in the US | – | greatoaksvc.com | New York, United States | |
Venture capital firm focused on multiple sectors | – | rainfall.com | New York, United States | |
Early-stage financial services startups are invested in and incubated. | – | finventurestudio.com | San Francisco, United States | |
- | – | reddogcap.com | - | |
Early-stage tech investments are provided by Day One Ventures. | – | dayoneventures.co | San Francisco, United States | |
Cloud-based facial recognition APIs are provided for detection and verification. | 2011 | kairos.com | Miami, United States | |
App-based platform for spare change investment | 2012 | acorns.com | Irvine, United States | |
NW Noah Weiss | - | – | unknown_daad71a7b2a24704b | - |
ZW Zach Weinberg | Co-founder of Flatiron Health, angel investor in health tech and AI startups. | – | unknown_2b70a842fd6c47c28 | - |
Investor details for Pillar
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Pillar
198 people are tracked at Pillar (36 in leadership, 14 in board & advisors, 148 in team); the tracked headcount is 8.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Jennifer Barrett | Chief Education Officer | Leadership |
Seth Wunder | Global President & CFO | Leadership |
Pete Johnson | Chief Operating Officer | Leadership |
Kenneth Brandon | Director, Engineering | Leadership |
Kasia Leyden | Chief Marketing Officer | Leadership |
Jordan Job | Director Of Program Management | Leadership |
Noah Kerner | CEO | Leadership |
Steve Sherman | Head, Risk | Leadership |
Benjamin Clifford | Director of Engineering | Leadership |
Patrick Figueroa | Executive Creative Director | Leadership |
Denise A. Chisolm | Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Ethics Officer | Leadership |
Destini Burns | Senior Director Of Talent Development | Leadership |
Thomas Albuquerque Gissing | Growth Marketing Director | Leadership |
Frances Park | Global VP Of Culture & Community | Leadership |
Mary Claire Anderson | Director Of Talent Acquisition | Leadership |
Raquel Aguirre | Director Of Sourcing And Procurement | Leadership |
Adam Eriksen | Director Of Invest Operations | Leadership |
Shilpa Reddy | Senior Vice President Marketing | Leadership |
Victoria Tomkinson | Director Of Brand Marketing | Leadership |
Simon Shulman | Vice President Marketing Technology | Leadership |
178 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for Pillar
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Pillar
3 dated milestones of Pillar across 3 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Pillar is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $5.5M.
- Exit Acquired by Acorns.
Competitors of Pillar
Pillar has 7 listed competitors in our database, 2 of them funded. They include Student Loan Hero, Nickels, College Cash, Snowball Wealth and MoneySolver, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| studentloanhero.com | 2012 | New York, United States | $65,000 | 1,355 | Online platform for Student debt tools, calculators, and repayment plans | |
| nickels.us | 2019 | Ann Arbor, United States | – | – | Financial assessment and solution tools are provided for individuals. | |
| yourcollegecash.com | 2019 | Fort Worth, United States | $20,000 | – | Online student loan debt repayment platform | |
| snowballwealth.com | 2016 | San Francisco, United States | – | – | Student debt is managed through tools for savings and investments. | |
| moneysolver.org | 2007 | Jacksonville, United States | – | – | Student loan consolidation, repayment, and financial advisory services are offered. | |
| thestudentloanpro.com | 2015 | Pontiac, United States | – | – | Student loan debt management services are offered to users. | |
| docupop.com | 2009 | San Diego, United States | – | – | Student loans are organized and repaid via personalized schemes. |
Detailed competitors of Pillar
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Alternative Lending
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Pillar (Alternative Lending), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payment acceptance and processing solutions provider for businesses | 2018 | Gurugram, Haryana, India | USD 589.25 M | USD 179.52 M | 3,670 | |
A peer-to-peer marketplace for business loans is operated and developed. | 2010 | London, England, United Kingdom | USD 372.67 M | USD 299.61 M | 860 | |
Diversified loans are provided via an AI-enabled online marketplace. | 2012 | Palo Alto, California, United States | USD 128.65 M | USD 1.04 B | 1,190 | |
Various consumer loans and financial services are offered online. | 2011 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 3.04 B | USD 4.77 B | 6,843 | |
Technology platform for real estate transactions and mortgages is provided. | 2014 | Gurugram, Haryana, India | USD 97.98 M | USD 28.9 M | 9,619 | |
Purchase financing solutions are offered to businesses via installment payments. | 2019 | Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | USD 837 M | – | 4,683 | |
Financial services are provided, specializing in personal and business loans. | 2016 | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | USD 320.39 M | USD 106.45 M | 2,161 | |
Credit score checking and comparison platform for financial products | 2007 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 869.77 M | – | 1,487 | |
Financial benefits platform for on-demand pay is provided to employees. | 2018 | London, England, United Kingdom | USD 133.02 M | – | – | |
Payflow is recognized as a financial wellness application for employees. | 2020 | Alcobendas, Comunidad De Madrid, Spain | USD 58.23 M | – | – |
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Related news about Pillar
Complete news archive for Pillar
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pillar
Pillar was founded in 2018 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Pillar is headquartered in New York, United States. It is registered at New York, New York, United States.
Pillar is a funded company, having raised a total of $5.5M across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $5.5M, raised on May 2019.
Pillar has 8 employees.
Pillar was founded in 2018 in New York, United States, within the fintech sector. A loan management app is operated, where users bank accounts are linked. Data science, machine learning, and human judgment are employed to evaluate financial situations. Customized loan repayment plans are then generated based on these assessments. Operations focus on personal finance tools for users across the region.
Pillar's top competitors include Student Loan Hero, College Cash and Snowball Wealth.
Pillar has 15 investors. Key investors include Acorns, Kleiner Perkins, Kairos, Great Oaks Venture Capital, and Rainfall Ventures.
Pillar operates through Pillar Technology Inc..
Yes. Pillar was acquired by Acorns in April 2021.