MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AST Private Company Solutions (PCS) announced a strategic partnership with leading financial advisor referral company Wealthramp. Users of PCS's Astrella® capitalization (cap) table and ownership data management platform will now be able to connect with Wealthramp's network of expertly vetted, fee-only RIAs. The latter has deep experience helping employees navigate complex financial transactions, such as option exercise and partial liquidity events.
The partnership comes at a time when employees with stock-based compensation are looking for personalized advice as companies stay private longer. Based on a recent report by Wealthramp, one-third of advisors say clients with stock awards are worried about how Covid-19 is affecting the valuation of their companies and lack knowledge around what they own and how stock-based compensation works. By working together, PCS and Wealthramp offer private companies enhanced solutions in the evolving equity ownership market by providing the necessary tools and analysis, and access to qualified financial education and advice.
PCS launched the SaaS platform Astrella as a transformative technology in private company shareholder management as a new product for ownership data management leader AST. Based in Silicon Valley, the platform brings together innovative private blockchain technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and predictive analytics. It is built with an API-based ecosystem that supports leading partners like Wealthramp.
"The market for private company stock compensation is evolving and includes new liquidity options that can be a game-changer for employee satisfaction and wealth accumulation. Where the industry is still lagging is in providing financial education and advice to employees of all levels – not just the C suite," said Pam Krueger, Founder and CEO of Wealthramp. "Our network of advisors is carefully curated to meet the specialized needs of tech employees at various career stages. To meet this growing demand, companies need the assurance that those they bring in to advise their employees have the expertise and track record of working with both small seed-stage companies and unicorn companies."
Adds PCS President Carine Schneider, "When we were building Astrella, we knew we needed to offer employee and shareholder education as an integrated part of our offering. By partnering with Wealthramp, we know employees have access to the impartial and experienced advice. We like the Wealthramp model of matching advisors with employees based on their specific needs and stage of life. Pam and her team have been great to work with, and we look forward to integrating their offering into our platform."
About Wealthramp
Wealthramp is a personalized and unbiased financial advisor referral service, connecting investors with the fiduciary advisors who best match an individual's investing priorities. The company launched the only network of independent, fiduciary, fee-only financial advisors expertly vetted by television investor advocate Pam Krueger. Built on the foundation of consumer advocacy and transparency, Wealthramp screens out conflicts of interest and engages with only established fiduciaries who work solely in clients' interests. The Wealthramp network serves Americans nearing retirement and forward-thinking Gen X and Millennial consumers and consists of independent fiduciaries specializing in holistic financial planning, income strategies, stock-based compensation, special needs, and more. Visit wealthramp.com.
About AST Private Company Solutions, Inc.
Founded in 2019, AST PCS is an affiliate of AST Financial, focuses on serving private companies worldwide. Astrella, a cloud-based SaaS solution, allows private companies to manage their ownership data, including the cap table and employee equity plans, and to connect directly with related service providers to support efficient workflow, and provide access to investors, advisors, and employees. Visit astrella.com.