Robinhood Markets Inc. agreed to buy artificial intelligence research platform Pluto Capital Inc. to bring more tailored investment strategies and analysis to retail brokerage users.
Founded by Jacob Sansbury, 24, Pluto is best known for its AI-driven personalized investment advice and real-time analytics. Terms of the deal were not made public.
“They have built an impressive platform that is highly regarded in the financial services industry,” Mayank Agarwal, Robinhood's vice president of engineering, said in a statement on Monday. “Their expertise in artificial intelligence coupled with a passion for the mission to democratize finance will complement our team's efforts to bring AI-powered tools to our customers.”
Robinhood has expanded in recent years in services, including cryptocurrencypension products and credit cards. While it has grown, it is also maintaining its focus on the average retail trader, an area where Pluto can help by analyzing up-to-date market information and the consumer's own portfolio to make investment recommendations.
This individualized advice has traditionally only been available to wealthier investors – something Sansbury has set out to change.
“There will be no thresholds or gates,” he said in an interview. “It's very important for us to give access very democratically to everyone.”