Known

What Known does

Known is a private equity and financial services platform founded in 2021 and headquartered at 31 Hudson Yards, New York. The company was established by Jim Casselberry, Nathalie Molina Niño, and Ushir Shah alongside a network of 24 founding advisors spanning finance, technology, entertainment, and impact investing. Known historically operated across three core lines: (1) private equity investments in high-growth and under-capitalized sectors, (2) private wealth and asset management for families and institutions, and (3) impact investing through the Living Cities Catalyst Team partnership, which has been recognized on the ImpactAssets IA 50 list for 14 consecutive years. The company's technology stack centers on two proprietary platforms: Stratum, a quantitative asset management and research firm utilizing 'security prediction science' for security selection, and Built, a Fund-as-a-Service platform officially launched in March 2026 that provides infrastructure for emerging fund managers to design, develop, and operate capital vehicles. In January 2026, Known announced the closure of its Private Wealth and Asset Management business to concentrate resources on the Built FaaS platform.

Known makes money through a combination of traditional private equity management fees and carried interest, quantitative asset management fees via Stratum, and — going forward — platform/infrastructure fees from Built's emerging fund manager clients. The firm's go-to-market historically operated through direct relationship management with institutional investors, family offices, and foundations, complemented by thought leadership at industry conferences (SOCAP, Opal Group, SheMoney, Gratitude Investor Gathering, Clinton Global Initiative). The Built platform introduces a self-serve/PLG distribution channel (builtwithfaas.com) targeting 'high-potential teams' globally — a meaningful GTM shift. Customer segments span family offices and high-net-worth individuals seeking impact-aligned returns, foundations and endowments pursuing mission-aligned capital deployment, and emerging fund managers needing infrastructure to launch funds. Known is Black-, Indigenous-, Latinx-, and Asian American-founded, with an explicit focus on closing racial wealth gaps through inclusive capital deployment, which differentiates its brand in the impact investing segment.

Name

Known

Legal name

Known Wealth LLC

Website

https://scalewithknown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Known is a New York-based private equity and financial services platform that invests in high-growth and under-capitalized sectors through impact-aligned strategies. It operates Stratum (quantitative asset management) and Built (a Fund-as-a-Service platform serving emerging fund managers), with a focus on closing racial wealth gaps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management & Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Capital Introducers (PE/VC/Private Credit) (FSAEAMAE), Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF), Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)

Keywords

• Private equity platform
• Fund-as-a-service
• Impact asset management
• Quantitative investment research
• Wealth management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Management: Traditional private equity management fees and carried interest from managing investment funds and portfolio companies.
2. Fund as a Service (Built): Platform fees for providing fund infrastructure, operations, and support to fund managers.
3. Asset Management (Stratum): Quantitative asset management fees from securities research and prediction science services.
4. Private Wealth and Asset Management: Wealth management services for families and individuals. Note: This business closed in January 2026 per Jim Casselberry's announcement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Known is a private equity and financial services platform that builds, supports, and invests in businesses through its subsidiaries Built (a Fund-as-a-Service operator platform), Stratum (a quantitative asset management and research firm), and Known Private Equity (investments in high-growth, under-capitalized sectors). The firm focuses on impact investing, inclusive capital deployment, and providing fund infrastructure for emerging managers, family offices, foundations, and institutional investors.

Product overview

Known is a private equity and financial services platform offering multiple interconnected products: Built (Fund as a Service) provides fund infrastructure for creating capital vehicles; Stratum delivers quantitative asset management through security prediction science; Known Private Equity invests in high-growth, under-capitalized sectors; and the Living Cities Catalyst Team (in partnership with Living Cities) focuses on impact investing to close racial wealth gaps. The company was founded in 2021 and serves families and institutions seeking impact-aligned investment solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Built: Fund as a Service platform designed to help create the capital vehicles of the future. Partners with high-potential teams to bring funds to life by providing the infrastructure needed to succeed.
• Stratum

Products and services

• Built, Fund as a Service (FaaS) Fund-as-a-Service operator platform that partners with high-potential teams to bring funds to life, providing the infrastructure (operations, compliance, distribution) needed for institutions and individuals to design, develop, and operate innovative investment funds.
• Stratum Quantitative asset management and research firm that seeks consistent sources of return through security prediction science, serving investors via systematic, data-driven investment strategies.
• Known Private Equity Private equity investment platform that taps opportunities in high-growth and under-capitalized sectors, targeting companies where Known's experience points to higher likelihood of performance and innovation.
• Known Private Wealth Private wealth and asset management services for families and institutions (business closed in January 2026 to focus on the Built Fund-as-a-Service business).
• Living Cities Catalyst Fund (partnership program) Impact-investing partnership program (Living Cities Catalyst Team) that deploys blended capital into entrepreneurs, fund managers, and financial innovations advancing inclusive economic growth in U.S. cities; recognized on the ImpactAssets IA 50 list for 14 consecutive years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blended Catalyst Fund successfully repaid in 2025 after 10 years of investing in entrepreneurs and fund managers driving inclusive economic growth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ImpactAssetscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 March 2025Known's Living Cities Catalyst Team has been recognized on ImpactAssets' IA 50 list for 14 consecutive years. ImpactAssets 50 is the definitive guide to impact investment fund managers globally, featuring 165 experienced and emerging managers with $130.6 billion combined AUM.
• Opal GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 July 2024Known's Chief Strategy Officer Nathalie Molina Niño spoke at Opal's 2024 Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum. Known regularly participates in Opal Group events as a thought leader in impact investing.
• SheMoneyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2024Known President Valerie Red-Horse Mohl and Chief Strategy Officer Nathalie Molina Niño spoke at SheMoney Summit 2024, a cultural movement for women's financial wellbeing, agency and advancement.
• Gratitude RailroadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 September 2023Known President Valerie Red-Horse Mohl spoke at the 2023 Gratitude Investor Gathering. Demetric Duckett also participated in panel discussions alongside Gratitude Railroad representatives.
• Living CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Living Cities and Known partnership through the Blended Catalyst Fund (BCF), launched in 2015. Known serves as sub-adviser to Living Cities Blended Catalyst Fund LLC and acts as general partner of the Living Cities Catalyst Fund III, Known LP. The partnership invested in entrepreneurs, fund managers, and financial innovations driving inclusive economic growth in U.S. cities. BCF celebrated its 10-year anniversary and successful repayment in 2025.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Allvue Systems: Allvue Systems provides investment management software for private equity, venture capital, and private debt fund managers, including fund accounting and reporting. It is a comparable fund operations platform competing for the same emerging-manager and fund-administrator customers as Built.
• iConnections: iConnections is a platform that connects fund managers with institutional allocators through data rooms, content, and meeting programs. It targets a similar capital-connection use case as Known's Built platform, especially for emerging managers seeking LP introductions.
• Sonen Capital: Sonen Capital is an impact investment advisor that works with foundations, families, and endowments to design and implement impact-aligned portfolios. It is comparable to Known's impact PE and foundation advisory focus, though smaller in scale.

Broad incumbents

• AQR Capital Management: AQR is a large, established quantitative asset manager applying systematic and research-driven strategies across asset classes. It is comparable to Known's Stratum subsidiary as a quant asset management firm, though at vastly different scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Carta: Carta provides fund administration, cap table management, and investment infrastructure for venture capital and private equity fund managers. Its fund formation and operations tooling overlaps directly with what Known's Built platform aims to offer emerging managers.
• iCapital Network: iCapital is a financial technology platform that enables advisors and asset managers to access and manage alternative investments including private equity, private credit, and hedge funds. It directly competes with Known's Built FaaS platform in providing fund infrastructure and access for wealth managers and institutional investors.
• CAIS: CAIS is an alternative investment platform that connects advisors to private equity, private credit, and hedge funds through a digital marketplace with fund operations support. It is highly comparable to Known's Built FaaS offering and similarly targets financial professionals seeking streamlined access to alternatives.
• Addepar: Addepar provides portfolio management and analytics software for family offices, wealth managers, and institutional investors. While Known closed its private wealth business, the platform comparison is relevant for the institutional wealth and asset management functionality Known historically offered.
• AngelList: AngelList (now part of AngelList Venture / AngelList Rolling Funds) operates a roll-up fund management platform enabling emerging managers to launch and operate venture funds with back-office support. It is a direct competitor to Built's emerging-manager focus.
• Equilibrium Capital: Equilibrium Capital is an impact investment firm managing private equity funds in sustainable infrastructure and climate. It is highly comparable to Known's PE arm, sharing a focus on impact-aligned PE with institutional and family office LPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scale-with-known
• Instagraminstagram.com/scalewithknown

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Known