Wealthfront raising $30M led by Index Ventures

Wealthfront Inc., an online financial advisory firm, is in talks to raise about $30 million in a round of financing led by Index Ventures, according to people familiar with the situation. The fundraising, which also includes new investors such as Ribbit Capital, is at least two weeks away from closing and final terms could change, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The Palo Alto, California-based company is set to be valued at about $300 million, said one of the people. Online financial startups have become a popular venture capital category in recent years, with new companies specializing in peer-to-peer lending and mobile payments springing up to challenge banks and credit card companies. In November, LendingClub Corp. received a secondary investment that valued the largest U.S. peer-to-peer-lender at $2.3 billion. Mobile finance startup Check Inc. raised $24 million in September. In 2013, financial-services startups attracted $550.7 million, twice as much as the prior year and the most since 2007, according to the National Venture Capital Association. Andy Rachleff, Wealthfront’s executive chairman, didn’t return requests seeking comment. Amy Sezak, a spokeswoman for Index Ventures, didn’t return a call for comment. KACHING'S BIRTH Founded in 2008 by former venture capitalist Mr. Rachleff, Wealthfront was earlier named KaChing and billed itself as a investor talent discovery service. The company, renamed Wealthfront in 2010, now uses software to balance investors’ portfolios among different asset classes, mostly through index funds. The startup targets technology executives in Silicon Valley who are looking for an alternative to traditional financial services. The minimum investment is $5,000, and the fee is 0.25% of assets per year. That compares with the $1 million minimum and 1% plus fee of a typical wealth manager. Wealthfront has raised $30 million in the past from investors, including Greylock Partners. (Bloomberg News)