Financial advisers in the UK often find themselves hamstrung by outdated, clunky software that turns their client meetings into mountains of tedious paperwork. Meet Marloo, a London- and Auckland-based startup, founded by Hardy Michel and Shakeel Lala, that is reinventing how advisers work by automating note-taking, document creation, and client communication, tailoring outputs to each adviser’s unique style.
The company announced today that it has closed a $2.7 million pre-seed round led by Blackbird Ventures, known for backing Canva, alongside fintech heavyweights including Revolut’s Chief Legal Officer, Tom Hambrett, and ex-Adyen COO, Sam Halse. This funding comes amid a rapid 45% month-on-month growth as Marloo disrupts financial advice firms across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Hardy Michel, Co-Founder and CEO of Marloo, said: “Advisers didn’t get into this profession to be buried in paperwork or frustrated by awful software built in the last century. In 2025, advisers deserve technology that is truly AI-first; simple, intuitive solutions that are a pleasure to use. Our goal at Marloo is to empower advisers and their important work by building the number one adviser AI assistant – most loved for its design, simplicity, and ease of use – so they can get back to what matters most: their clients.”
Marloo’s secret sauce lies in its AI-driven meeting templates, which enable advisers to generate polished, accurate meeting notes and advice documents in their own voice without tedious editing. Its “Ask Marloo” feature also transforms archives into instantly searchable knowledge bases, while collaboration tools keep advisory teams aligned securely.
Backed by enterprise-grade security standards, including SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR compliance, Marloo is tailored for the complex demands of regulated advisory practices, making it a practical alternative to legacy platforms that frustrate users with their sheer complexity.
However, Marloo faces growing competition in a rapidly evolving space. Firms like FNZ have launched Advisor AI, embedding generative AI into their wealth platforms to automate workflows and deliver real-time insights at scale. Other notable startups include Cognicor and Finmate, which specialise in AI-driven meeting transcription, CRM integrations, and compliance-focused workflow automation for advisers. UK-based competitors such as Saturn and Obsidian are also innovating with AI-native platforms that automate client onboarding, investment research, and reporting tasks.
Samantha Wong, Partner at Blackbird Ventures, said Marloo’s approach to the financial advice sector stood out. “What makes them exceptional is their product obsession: prioritising a beautiful, intuitive AI-first experience, adopting a global-first mindset, and building a product-led strategy that reminds us of the early days of Canva. Customer and product obsession, and speed of execution are the markers of generational companies, and Marloo has this in spades.”
Marloo plans to accelerate product updates and expand its footprint across financial advice markets in multiple countries. As the startup looks ahead, its vision is clear: to transform the financial advice landscape with AI-powered tools that enable advisers to focus on growth rather than mundane tasks.
