Wolfpack Financial

Wolfpack Financial enables you to purchase stocks free of charge — for now, anyway.

It’s a mobile financial-technology platform that’s bringing the concept of “buy now, pay later” to stock-market investing. Through Wolfpack, you can purchase stocks in big-name companies today, and pay for them over the course of several weeks.

The concept of buy now, pay later (BNPL, for short) isn’t groundbreaking. Consumers have been able to make purchases using this system for years. In fact, BNPL services have become incredibly popular — and valuable. Klarna, for example, has more than 150 million active users. And Affirm, another BNPL service, recently went public and is valued at around thirteen billion dollars.

But BNPL has never been used for buying stocks — at least, not exactly.

You see, just like your bank will lend you money against the equity you have in your home, a brokerage firm will lend you money against the value of your investment portfolio. The money it lends you is called a “margin loan.”

You can use this money for anything. But most use it to buy additional stocks or securities.

This is a big business. The U.S. stock market is worth about fourteen trillion dollars. And margin loans make up about $644 billion.

The problem is that margin loans can be risky. They can amplify your losses if the stocks go down in value. And if interest rates rise, the cost of your loan will increase. Furthermore, many investors can’t quality for a margin loan, which requires a strong credit history, a hefty deposit, and filling out a complex application form.

Now Wolfpack is offering an alternative option. Its product enables users to purchase stocks today and pay for them over the course of several weeks. Here’s how it works:

“Amanda” is twenty-two years old and just started her first job. She doesn’t have a FICO score and has just $500 in savings. So she wouldn’t qualify for a margin loan.

But with Wolfpack, she can purchase, say, $200 worth of Apple stock — and an additional $200 of Apple stock using BNPL.

To repay the $200 of stock she bought using BNPL, Amanda will need to repay twenty dollars per week for the next ten weeks. She can have the twenty dollars deducted from her bank account each week, or Wolfpack will automatically sell down twenty dollars’ worth of stock to cover the weekly repayment.

Wolfpack doesn’t charge fees or penalties for late payments. And it doesn’t extend loan terms. But it does charge interest and transaction fees at each repayment cycle. That’s how it generates revenue.

This new way to invest in stocks has potential for success. And historically, investors like when new alternatives emerge.

Robinhood, for example, gained popularity for offering commission-free trading, as well as a more “gamified” investing experience. As a result, the company became a ten-billion-dollar business.

Wolfpack launched its platform in 2022 and has more than 3,600 registered users. It’s also filed a provisional patent covering its technology and business model. And the company won the 2022 Benzinga Global Fintech Award for “Best Product for Beginners.” (The 2021 winner, by the way, was Robinhood.)

Team Background

George Parthimos - Founder & CEO

George is a seasoned tech entrepreneur who has taken prior companies public. In addition to his role with Wolfpack, he is CEO of Bet Odyssey, an Australia-based platform helping users make smarter sports bets.

Previously, he was CEO of Atlas Car and Truck Rental, as well as CEO of Carhood, two car-rental services based in Australia. Before that, he was CEO of Connexion Media Limited, a software-development company he took public on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2014.

Earlier in his career, George was a program-management consultant with Goldman Sachs. And prior to that, he was a services manager with Telstra, a telecommunications company.

He studied Business at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.

Robert Shea - Chief Operating Officer

Robert has more than twenty-five years of experience in the financial-services industry.

Previously, he spent twelve years with Fidelity Investments, serving as Director of Client Management and Senior Director of the company’s Client Experience Division. Before that, he was Vice President of Barry Murphy Company, a stock-brokerage firm.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Boston College.

Nick Kapes - Chairman

In addition to his role with Wolfpack, Nick is Chairman of Bet Odyssey, the sports-betting platform run by George Parthimos.

Previously, he was a senior foreign exchange dealer with Credit Suisse, a prominent investment bank. While there, he became heavily involved in companies evolving from venture-capital stage to listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Nick began his career as a foreign-exchange dealer with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from La Trobe University.

Co-Investors