What Hello Alice does

Hello Alice is a financial technology platform founded in 2017 that connects small business owners, with a specific focus on the "New Majority" of historically underrepresented entrepreneurs (female, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, military-connected, and founders with disabilities), to credit, loans, grants, and business planning resources. The platform, operated by Delaware LLC Circular Board Inc. with headquarters in Santa Rosa, California, and historical operating presence in Houston, is free to SMB users and combines a self-serve web and mobile app with a community of approximately 1.4 million business owners and over 1 million email subscribers.

The product stack centers on a Business Health Score assessment (a 0-100 financial health evaluation), a Small Business Financing Marketplace that aggregates 90+ lenders through Lendflow, a Business Grants Marketplace administering programs for enterprise sponsors, and the Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard issued by First National Bank of Omaha. Machine learning is used to recommend funding opportunities and score business health. Ancillary offerings include 1:1 business coaching, Small Business Boost Camp, the Small Business Summit Series, and integrations with vcita, Pilot, and Mastercard's Biz360 platform.

Hello Alice generates revenue from a diversified set of streams: enterprise partnership and grant program administration fees from corporate and nonprofit sponsors, referral/commission fees from the lender marketplace powered by Lendflow, and interchange and interest economics from the co-branded Mastercard. Investors include QED Investors (Series B lead), Mastercard, Backstage Capital, How Women Invest, Serena Ventures, Golden Seeds, Harbert Growth Partners, and the NAACP (which took a partial equity stake in October 2021). Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, and the company has raised roughly $26M+ across disclosed rounds through a Series 3 in April 2024.

Name

Hello Alice

Legal name

Circular Board Inc.

Website

https://helloalice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hello Alice is a fintech platform that gives underserved U.S. small business owners free access to credit, loans, grants, business coaching, and a co-branded Mastercard, monetizing through enterprise partnerships, lender referrals, and card interchange.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Financial Services Platform

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Integration, iPaaS & Middleware Services (API/EDI) (BPAEAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration-Centric Low-Code (Workflow + iPaaS) (HDAEAKAC), AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI) (HDAEANAI)

Keywords

• Small business financing platform
• Small business lending marketplace
• Small business credit cards
• Small business grants marketplace
• Business health assessment software

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Credit Card Program: Hello Alice issues the Small Business Mastercard in partnership with First National Bank of Omaha. Revenue is generated from interchange fees on card transactions, interest charges on revolving balances, and potentially from partnership fees with Mastercard.
2. Small Business Financing Marketplace: The financing marketplace powered by Lendflow connects small business owners to 90+ lenders. Revenue is likely generated through referral fees or commissions from lenders when loans are originated through the platform.
3. Enterprise Partnership Programs: Enterprise organizations pay to partner with Hello Alice to access its community of 1.4M+ small business owners. Partners include financial institutions, corporations, and nonprofits that bring funding programs and educational content.
4. Platform Services and Grants Administration: Hello Alice administers grant programs on behalf of enterprise partners, likely earning program management fees or service fees for facilitating grant distribution to small businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hello Alice operates a free online platform and mobile app that connects small business owners—primarily those in the "New Majority" of female, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, military-connected, and disabled founders—to capital, education, and peer community. Its core offerings include the Business Health Score financial assessment, a loans marketplace with 90+ lenders, a grants marketplace aggregating enterprise-funded programs, and the Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard issued in partnership with First National Bank of Omaha and Mastercard. The company also runs enterprise partnership programs that allow corporations, financial institutions, and nonprofits to deliver grants and educational content to the 1.4M+ business owner community.

Product overview

Hello Alice is a unified platform combining a free online small business resource hub with specialized financial products and services. The core Hello Alice Platform connects over 1.4 million business owners to funding, education, and community resources. Key products include the Business Health Score™ Assessment (a financial health evaluation tool generating scores from 0-100), the Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard® (a rewards credit card), the Small Business Loans Marketplace (connecting to 90+ lenders via Lendflow), the Business Grants Marketplace, and 1:1 Business Coaching services. Additional offerings include Small Business Boost Camp and Small Business Summit Series programs. The platform uses machine learning to personalize recommendations and improve predictive capabilities for capital deployment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Health Score Assessment A free digital assessment that measures a small business's financial health and performance, producing a numerical score from 0 to 100 based on financial management practices, credit score, and business performance indicators. It delivers personalized recommendations, step-by-step frameworks, and resources to help small business owners improve their financial health over time.
• Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard A small business credit card issued by First National Bank of Omaha in partnership with Mastercard, offering 4x points on wireless and business software, 3x on office supplies and shipping, 2x on ride-share and restaurants, 1.5x on all other purchases, a 0% introductory APR, no annual fees, World Elite Mastercard benefits, and bundled 1:1 business coaching sessions.
• Small Business Loans Marketplace A financing marketplace, powered by Lendflow, that connects small business owners to 90+ lenders and finance companies through one easy application. Offers SBA loans, microloans, business term loans, commercial real estate loans, short-term loans, lines of credit, e-commerce financing, inventory financing, and equipment financing.
• Business Grants Marketplace A marketplace that connects small business owners with grant opportunities from a wide range of enterprise-funded programs, including disaster relief, women entrepreneur funds, Black-owned business recovery, Main Street, beauty industry, and AI-tool grants. Provides personalized recommendations based on user profile and business stage.
• 1:1 Business Coaching On-demand business coaching with professional advisers, available exclusively to Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard cardholders. Provides up to two sessions per calendar year (approximately 45–60 minutes each) to help owners make critical business decisions.
• Hello Alice Platform The core Hello Alice platform—a free online service and mobile app that connects over 1.4 million small business owners to funding, education, networks, and peer community. Includes the Business Health Score assessment, funding and grants marketplaces, and the Wonderland community, with machine learning personalization and predictive capital deployment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of businesses sustained after receiving support through the platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MastercardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024Mastercard announced Biz360 platform in November 2024, collaborating with Hello Alice and vcita for initial U.S. rollout. Biz360 is a comprehensive digital platform designed to help small businesses streamline operations. Hello Alice is a launch partner for this enterprise initiative.
• LendflowcoreTechnology or IntegrationLendflow powers Hello Alice's Small Business Financing Marketplace, connecting small businesses to 90+ lenders through a single application. Technology partnership enabling the financing marketplace functionality.
• First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNBO issues the Hello Alice Small Business Mastercard in partnership with Mastercard International. Card is designed for small businesses with business-focused rewards and benefits.
• PayPalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPayPal partnered with Hello Alice and Google to conduct the Main Street Rising Tour survey on AI adoption among small businesses. 81% of small businesses excited about AI but only 47% use it daily.
• GooglemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle partnered with Hello Alice and PayPal for the Main Street Rising Tour and AI survey research. Partnership to understand and address AI adoption barriers among small businesses.
• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAACP Main Street Rising Tour is a national initiative providing AI-enabled business tools and practical support to small business entrepreneurs. Partnership between NAACP and Hello Alice, scheduled for February 2026 at Google LA.
• PilotmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot announced $250,000 Small Business Growth Fund in partnership with Hello Alice, delivering grants across 18 small business owners ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 plus one year of free bookkeeping services.
• DoorDashmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDoorDash Local Business Disaster Relief Fund and DoorDash Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund programs administered through Hello Alice platform, providing grants to eligible businesses.
• VerizonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVerizon Digital Ready $10K Small Business Grants program administered through Hello Alice, awarding over $1M in funding through $10,000 grants to eligible small businesses.
• eBaymajorGTM or Marketing PartnereBay Up & Running Grant Program administered through Hello Alice, supporting small business owners selling or growing online. Multiple rounds with approximately 50 recipients per round.
• H&R BlockminorGTM or Marketing PartnerH&R Block Fund Her Future Grant program administered through Hello Alice, supporting women entrepreneurs with approximately 6 recipients per round.
• ProgressiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgressive Driving Small Business Forward grant program administered through Hello Alice, supporting small business owners with approximately 20 recipients per round.
• Remy MartinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRemy Martin This Is My City Grant program administered through Hello Alice, supporting urban entrepreneurs with approximately 4 recipients per round.
• BGEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBGE Energizing Small Business Grant program administered through Hello Alice, supporting Maryland small businesses with approximately 90 recipients per round.
• AllstatemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllstate Main Street Boost Camp & Grant program administered through Hello Alice, providing business education paired with grant funding for Main Street businesses.
• L'OréalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNAACP x L'Oréal Inclusive Beauty Fund grant program administered through Hello Alice, supporting women entrepreneurs in the beauty industry with approximately 20 recipients.
• Botox Confidence CollectiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBotox Confidence Collective Boost Camp + Grant Program administered through Hello Alice, empowering women entrepreneurs with 20 participants receiving $20,000 grants.
• AntaresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAntares REACH Grant Program administered through Hello Alice, supporting small business owners with approximately 40 recipients per round.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Guidant Financial: Guidant Financial helps small business owners access funding (including SBA loans, rollovers, and credit products), comparable to Hello Alice's SBA loans and credit card offerings.
• Nav: Nav provides SMB business credit profiles, business health monitoring, and a lending marketplace — directly comparable to Hello Alice's Business Health Score™ and 90+ lender marketplace model.
• Lendio: Lendio operates an SMB lending marketplace connecting small business owners to a network of lenders — directly overlapping with Hello Alice's Lendflow-powered Small Business Loans Marketplace.
• Fundera: Fundera (now part of NerdWallet) is an SMB lending marketplace and financial resource hub for small business owners, sharing Hello Alice's model of free SMB platform + lender referral.
• Accion: Accion is a global nonprofit focused on financial inclusion for underserved small business owners, directly aligned with Hello Alice's New Majority mission and SMB credit access focus.
• Kiva: Kiva is a mission-driven nonprofit enabling crowdfunded microloans to underserved entrepreneurs, sharing Hello Alice's focus on capital access for underrepresented SMB communities.
• Biz2Credit: Biz2Credit operates an SMB lending marketplace and matchmaking platform, overlapping with Hello Alice's financing marketplace and SMB funding focus.

Emerging players

• Lendflow: Lendflow powers Hello Alice's lending marketplace — a B2B fintech infrastructure provider for SMB lending that overlaps with Hello Alice's core marketplace functionality.

Broad incumbents

• NerdWallet: NerdWallet (owner of Fundera) is a broad personal finance and SMB comparison platform, representing a larger incumbent in the financial product recommendation space Hello Alice operates in.

Others

• SCORE: SCORE is an SBA-backed nonprofit providing free mentorship and education to small business owners, overlapping with Hello Alice's educational content and 1:1 coaching offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helloalice
• Xx.com/helloalice
• Facebookfacebook.com/aliceconnects

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors21 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hello Alice