Investing has never been easier thanks to Grifin, the innovative mobile app that has officially launched its highly anticipated investing model, “Adaptive Investing.” This revolutionary approach allows users to automatically invest in their favorite brands that they frequently shop from, making investing less intimidating and more accessible for those who may not be financially savvy.
The Grifin team first set out to normalize investing and make it less daunting for the average person when they founded the company in 2017. Their mission has been supported by an impressive $11 million investment from a notable list of investors, including TTV Capital, Rise of the Rest, Gaingels, Nevcaut Ventures, Mana Ventures, Sidecut Ventures, Miami Angels, Playtap Media Ventures, Witz Ventures co-founder Austin Hankwitz, and GGV Capital managing partner Hans Tung. With about 20,000 unique new app installs per month, it’s clear that Grifin is making a significant impact in the investing world.
The company’s new patent-pending technology builds upon their original model, which follows the concept of “Stock Where You Shop.” This approach allows users to explore the world of investing by aligning their shopping habits with stock choices.
“The current system simply isn’t geared towards the individual, even with mobile access and 0% commission apps claiming to ‘open up’ investing to all,” shares co-founder Aaron Froug. “It still requires a lot of emotional energy, confidence, and an understanding of how investing works. Most people still don’t feel like they have enough money to get started and even the most financially adept people I know don’t know what is inside most ETFs [exchange traded funds]. All of it is cloudy and complicated. None of it is centered around the individual.”
The goal of Grifin’s Adaptive Investing model is to provide users with more flexibility and control through new app functionalities. These include the ability to pause automatic payments, adjust spending amounts, and manually invest more money into a company. Additionally, a “Secret Cash” function has been introduced for non-public purchases and saving money for the future.
“This patent-pending technology takes our original premise and enhances it by offering even more intuitive and adaptive features, catering not just to people’s daily spending habits, but also their desired investment amounts,” explains Froug.
By default, Grifin invests $1 per transaction, allowing users to start investing with small amounts. For example, when a user purchases a cup of coffee from Starbucks, the app withdraws $1 from their bank account and allocates $1 of SUBX stock to their portfolio. However, users can manually increase their investment amount up to $99.
It’s worth noting that just because a brand is popular or frequently shopped at, it may not be a wise investment opportunity. For this reason, Grifin has also added a new “Disable Company” feature, which lets users stop or avoid investing in specific companies. And for those who may need to take a break from investing, there is an option to pause investments for a week.
“We are also keenly aware that just because a person spends at a specific place, they might not want to invest there,” says Froug. “By investing in small amounts, as low as $1 at a time, the aim is to help people learn to navigate the world of investing without incurring too many negative consequences if they don’t get it right.”
In addition to making investing more accessible, Grifin’s Adaptive Investing model also aims to reduce the impact of single-stock exposure by encouraging a diverse portfolio. Since most consumers spend money across a wide range of companies, such as on phone/internet bills, gas, and monthly subscription services, the app automatically invests in a range of companies on their behalf.
“I’ve been personally using our app for a little over two years, and I’ve invested in 115 unique companies,” shares Froug.
Looking towards the future, Grifin has plans to introduce a redesigned app, which will include a premium version and an AI chatbot to assist users in learning how to invest.
