Upside

Upside, operating as Upside Financial, LLC, was a financial technology firm that provided digital solutions for registered investment advisors (RIAs). The company was co-founded by CEO Tom Kimberly and President Juney Ham. Ham, with a Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania, had a background that blended technology and marketing, with roles at Expedia and Airbnb before co-founding Upside. Kimberly also brought significant industry experience to the venture.

The firm identified a critical need in the market to equip traditional financial advisors with the technological capabilities to compete with the emerging trend of "robo-advisors". Upside's core offering was a white-labeled, automated managed account platform. This service enabled RIAs to offer their clients a modern, digital investment experience under their own brand. The platform's key features included fully paperless account opening, portfolio selection, automated trading and rebalancing, and dedicated client and advisor portals. This allowed advisors to serve a new generation of investors demanding online access and to streamline their own operations.

Upside's business model was centered on providing this technology as a service to financial advisors, helping them manage and service clients more efficiently. The platform was designed with a user-friendly interface to enhance the client-advisor relationship through technology. In February 2015, recognizing the strategic value of its platform, wealth management technology leader Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE: ENV) acquired Upside for a reported $3 million. The acquisition aimed to integrate Upside's investor-facing portal and digital advice solutions with Envestnet's comprehensive suite of investment tools, analytics, and infrastructure. Following the acquisition, both Tom Kimberly and Juney Ham joined Envestnet as Senior Vice Presidents, continuing to drive the integration and scaling of their technology within the larger Envestnet ecosystem.

Keywords: digital investment platform, registered investment advisors, robo-advisor competitor, white-label wealth management, automated managed accounts, paperless account opening, portfolio rebalancing, client portal technology, advisor technology, Envestnet acquisition, Tom Kimberly, Juney Ham, financial planning software, automated trading, practice analytics, wealth management technology, advisor-branded platform, digital advice solutions, fintech startup, investment management