Zecco
Zecco is a private online stock and options brokerage founded in 2006 in San Francisco, serving retail self-directed investors with low-cost trades. The firm has raised approximately $35M in venture funding.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Zecco does
Zecco is a private, for-profit online stock and options brokerage headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2006 by Dino van Es, the company targets retail self-directed investors with a value proposition centered on discounted commission pricing for stock and options trades, positioning itself as a low-cost alternative to traditional full-service brokerages. Zecco operates with a headcount in the 101-250 range, consistent with a mid-stage operating brokerage of its vintage.
Between July 2006 and November 2007, Zecco secured approximately $35 million across three funding rounds. The company's initial $4 million round in July 2006 was led by LundKenner Ventures, followed by a $6 million round in November 2006 and a $25 million round in November 2007 led by Velocity Capital Fintech Ventures with participation from Boekhoorn M&A and LundKenner Ventures. This funding pattern reflects an aggressive early-stage capital strategy aimed at scaling the brokerage platform and competing on price.
The company's revenue mechanics are not explicitly disclosed in the supplied data, but the brokerage business model implies commission-based revenue from retail trading activity (potentially supplemented by payment for order flow, margin interest, and ancillary account fees typical of the segment). Beyond the founding, founder identity, and funding history, the input contains limited detail on Zecco's product surface, technology stack, customer segmentation, or geographic footprint, constraining deeper strategic assessment.
Zecco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zecco
- Legal name
- Ally Financial Inc.
- Website
- https://zecco.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Zecco is a private online stock and options brokerage founded in 2006 in San Francisco, serving retail self-directed investors with low-cost trades. The firm has raised approximately $35M in venture funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Zecco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Zecco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advisory Fees (Robo Portfolios): Robo Portfolio advisory fee of 0.30% per year for managed accounts. Optional no-advisory-fee tier available.
- Advisory Fees (Personal Advice): Blended annual advisory fee up to 0.85% for personal advice clients with $100,000+ in assets under care. Includes comprehensive financial planning.
- Trading Commissions: $0 commission fees on most U.S.-listed securities for self-directed trading accounts. Revenue may be generated through margin interest, payment for order flow, and other trading-related services.
- Margin Trading Interest: Interest earned on margin account balances extended to self-directed traders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Robo Portfolio — Automated Investing (No Advisory Fee) |
| Subscription | Annual | Robo Portfolio — Automated Investing (With Advisory) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Directed Trading |
| Subscription | Annual | Personal Advice (Human Advisor) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Zecco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zecco Trading is an online stock brokerage that provides self-directed retail investors with low-cost stock trades and low-cost options trades through a digital platform. The service is delivered to individual brokerage account holders via an online interface, with the company operating as a discount broker focused on commission affordability.
Product overview
Ally Invest operates as a multi-channel digital investment platform offering three integrated service tiers: Robo Portfolios (automated investing), Self-Directed Trading, and Personal Advice (wealth management). These products are designed for different investor profiles—from beginners to experienced traders—and can be accessed through unified accounts with Ally Bank for integrated banking and investing experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Robo Portfolios: Automated investment service that creates diversified portfolios based on user goals with no advisory fee or 0.30% annual advisory fee option.
- Self-Directed Trading
- Personal Advice
Products and services
- Online Stock Trading
Quantifiable outcome
- $0 commission fees on most U.S.-listed securities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Zecco
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Zecco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Zecco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Zecco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TradeStation: Active trader-focused online brokerage offering equities, options, and futures trading with low commissions. Highly comparable as a direct competitor in the retail online stock and options brokerage segment Zecco serves.
- Ally Invest: Online stock and options brokerage from Ally Financial offering zero-commission trades, robo-advisor portfolios, and self-directed trading. Directly comparable in low-cost retail brokerage proposition and customer segments.
- Robinhood: Mobile-first zero-commission online brokerage offering stocks, options, and ETFs to retail investors. Direct competitor in discount self-directed brokerage targeting younger, cost-sensitive retail traders.
- Webull: Mobile-first zero-commission brokerage offering stocks, options, and ETFs with advanced trading tools. Direct competitor in the low-cost, self-directed retail brokerage segment targeting active and aspirational traders.
- Interactive Brokers: Global online broker serving active traders with low-cost stock, options, and futures trading. Comparable in low-commission retail brokerage proposition, though typically skews more sophisticated and global.
Broad incumbents
- E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley): Established online brokerage now under Morgan Stanley offering self-directed trading, managed portfolios, and banking services. A larger incumbent competing in the same low-cost retail brokerage segment with substantially greater scale.
- Charles Schwab: Full-service brokerage with self-directed trading, ETFs, and wealth management. Competes with Zecco in the low-cost retail stock and options trading space while offering broader services that larger brokerages can subsidize.
- TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab): Active-trader focused online brokerage now part of Schwab. Comparable as a self-directed trading platform serving retail investors with stocks, options, and futures, with significantly larger scale than Zecco.
- Fidelity Investments: Large incumbent brokerage offering self-directed trading, managed portfolios, and retirement accounts. Competes with Zecco in zero-commission retail stock and options trading while bundling mutual funds and other products.
- Scottrade (now TD Ameritrade/Schwab): Discount online brokerage offering stock, options, and ETF trading to retail investors. Comparable low-cost brokerage model that was absorbed by TD Ameritrade and subsequently Schwab, illustrating the consolidation trajectory small brokerages face.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat1 record
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Zecco social profiles
Digital presenceZecco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zecco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Zecco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zecco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zecco
What does Zecco do?
Zecco Trading is an online stock brokerage that provides self-directed retail investors with low-cost stock trades and low-cost options trades through a digital platform. The service is delivered to individual brokerage account holders via an online interface, with the company operating as a discount broker focused on commission affordability.
Is Zecco a public or private company?
Zecco is a public company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Zecco founded?
Zecco was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Zecco based?
Zecco is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zecco make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advisory Fees (Robo Portfolios) is the primary driver. The others are advisory Fees (Personal Advice), trading Commissions and margin Trading Interest.
Who are Zecco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TradeStation, Ally Invest, Robinhood, Webull and Interactive Brokers. Broad incumbents are E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley), Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab), Fidelity Investments and Scottrade (now TD Ameritrade/Schwab).
Does Zecco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zecco.