Investing in stocks is one of the most lucrative decisions people can make in their twenties, and yet 75% of millennials have never invested. But when you complicate the idea of investing with confusing business language and metrics, is it really surprising that so many people miss out on this financial opportunity?
This idea is what prompted Notre Dame class of 2015 alums Joe Mueller, Federico Segura, and Stephanie Tilden to create a social investing app called Grain.
As described in Grain’s blog, “We wanted to empower those traditionally left out of reach of financial independence. We looked around campus and saw our friends feeling completely lost when it came to questions of investing.”
Grain simplifies the stock market. Its tagline is to the point- Invest in what you know with who you know.
Their search tool, powered by IBM’s Watson supercomputer, allows you to search for general concepts and terms, and the app will generate possible stocks that correlate with your interests.
The app contains features to connect with friends and family to share investing strategies and search for stocks that relate to your interests without the complicated investment jargon.
Type in “car” into the search bar and the stock options of like Ford and Toyota pop up
The news feed provides a unique social component to the app. Grain connects you with Facebook friends, so you can see the stocks your friends invested in and how those are doing.
Now, based out of Sunnyvale, California, the Notre Dame team is working to perfect its app to meet an App Store release date of fall 2016.
If this sounds like an app you’d want to check out, find Grain on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat. Check it out Grain’s social media to learn more about financial tech trends, investing tips, and what makes this app so unique.
Sign up for the beta list if you’d like early access to explore the prototype of the app now!
Remember to check back later this fall to see Grain’s progress!
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