Core Insights - Aquilance has raised $16 million in funding from Ten Coves Capital, marking its first institutional capital raise in 39 years [1] - The company rebranded from My Accountant in 2021 and underwent a recapitalization with private individual investors [2] - Aquilance has been expanding its executive team with experienced professionals from wealthtech and banking sectors [3][4][5] Company Developments - John Carey was appointed as CEO in June 2024, succeeding Kenneth Eyler [3] - Kevin Reed joined as the first chief revenue officer in October 2024, focusing on branding and marketing for financial advisors [4] - Craig Setera was appointed as the first chief technology officer in 2024, enhancing the company's tech platform to serve clients with $10 million or more in assets [5] Client Base and Services - Aquilance primarily serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals, with a significant portion of business referred by financial advisors [6] - The company provides services such as bookkeeping, bill pay, investment, and entity accounting through financial advisors [6] - Aquilance aims to offer a high-net-worth money movement service similar to mobile banking apps for advisors and their clients [7]

Group 1: Company Developments - Orion has refreshed its brand and surpassed $5 trillion in platform assets, driven by both organic and inorganic growth of its advisors [1] - The brand update includes a new logo featuring a star, aligning the visual identity of its brands, including Redtail and Brinker, with Orion [2][3] - A unified investment framework has been introduced to streamline how advisors evaluate and implement investment strategies [3][4] Group 2: Investment Framework - The unified investment framework integrates Orion's investment technology and research, simplifying the evaluation and implementation of strategies through the Orion Investment Portal [4][5] - This framework combines portfolio construction tools, due diligence processes, and strategist coverage under a consistent philosophy of grow, earn, diversify [5] - It represents advancements in technology and processes, connecting behavioral finance, risk analytics, and tax-efficient model construction within a scalable experience [6] Group 3: Industry Integration - CAIS and Schwab Advisor Services have expanded their technology integration, allowing Schwab's advisor clients to bring account profiles onto the CAIS platform [7] - This integration aims to simplify operations and enhance the management of alternative investments for advisors [8]

Core Insights - Focal, an AI-powered productivity platform, has successfully raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by Distributed Ventures and Wischoff Ventures, focusing on enhancing its wealthtech offerings [1][2] Company Overview - Focal provides a range of features beyond AI note-taking, including performance coaching and intelligent AI agents that automate various tasks such as form-filling, data entry, onboarding, and KYC processes [2][3] - The platform aims to integrate seamlessly with existing advisor tools and systems, allowing for robotic process automation (RPA) without the need to replace current CRM or core systems [3] Product Features - The new funding will be utilized to further develop meeting automation, performance coaching, and back-office workflow features tailored for financial advisors [2] - Focal offers over 130 unlockable integrations with major CRM providers, including Salesforce, Redtail, and Wealthbox, enabling stakeholders to automate tasks within familiar systems [3][4] - The platform also provides performance coaching, onboarding, and KYC workflow support, and is recognized as an approved provider for Schwab's custodial platform [4] Leadership Team - The leadership team includes Jerry Bai, who has extensive experience in product management from companies like Microsoft and Yelp, and Clay Stupi, the Chief Technology Officer, who has a background in engineering at Chainalysis and Docusign [4]