It all began in 2016 during casual conversations and serious discussions about millennials, homeownership, and the notorious avocado toast. That’s when Sonya Williams, one of three CEOs, and her future co-founders saw a gap in the investment landscape of New Zealand. Sonya reflects on those early days with a touch of humour: “At the time, the media was just filled with millennials not buying houses because they spent all their money on smashed avocado on toast. Classic, you know, the reality of the situation.”
This stereotype prompted Sonya to think differently about investment opportunities for young people, leading to the creation of a platform that was inclusive regardless of financial status. “One day, I just had the idea that I would really love to be able to invest online in a really fun way, no matter how much I had. I started talking about that with some friends and family members and got connected with this amazing bunch of people from all different walks of life and different backgrounds. The six of us got together, and this was our founding team: Brooke, Leighton, Richard, Martin, Ben and myself. Our vision was to give someone with five dollars and five million dollars the same money opportunities.” Sonya shares.
Building a Wealth Platform for Everyone
What started as a small initiative to level the financial playing field has since grown into a comprehensive wealth app that embraces everything from KiwiSaver to car insurance, transforming the financial futures of over 700,000 users across Aotearoa and Australia.
Sharesies introduced a ground-breaking approach to investment, making it accessible to demographics traditionally overlooked by the financial industry. Leighton Roberts, two of three CEOs, explains the dual strategy that established their disruption: “Firstly by way of communication; by choosing an audience that others hadn’t communicated with. So, we chose to talk to people who previously would have felt locked out. A big focus on that. And secondly, by taking a ground-up approach to the barriers around investing.
“There was an anti-marketing thing, so it was almost like people didn’t want you to invest. You had to invest quite a lot of money upfront, and the fees were quite high, and just by nature of that alone, a dollar value meant that heaps of people couldn’t access it.”
Beyond this, Sharesies innovated by introducing fractional investing- allowing investments as small as a piece of a share, levelling access to the financial markets for everyone. “It’s the ability to, instead of having to have enough money to buy a complete share, you can just buy a piece of a share,” Sonya notes.
What sets Sharesies apart is not just its platform but its philosophy of creating a community where anyone can grow their wealth. “We’re a wealth app, and we’re there to help support people in developing their wealth,” Leighton says. This community aspect is supported by a commitment to education and engagement. The Sharesies website offers a library of resources for investors, guiding users through the basics of investing and advancing to more complex concepts at a comfortable pace.
The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Strategic Partnerships
As for growth, Sharesies has thrived on word-of-mouth and strategic partnerships. Brooke Roberts, the third CEO, shares, “Word of mouth was a massive part of our growth and is still a massive part of it today. A newer way that we’re also growing is through partnering with businesses. One thing we really care about is that staff get shares in the companies they work in and that they get access to part of the wealth that they’re creating. So, we partner with around 700 companies to either help them with their staff share schemes or help them with their shareholder communication and management so that we can really help them ensure that their stakeholders are well-informed and that more people are able to generate wealth.”
On the topic of cost, Brooke clarifies their approach by explaining the practical comparison tool available on their website. This tool is designed to help users visually compare Sharesies’ fee structures against other investment platforms, providing a clear and concise breakdown of costs, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to transparency.
Sharesies has implemented a unique fee structure that includes capped brokerage fees. This means that investors are not penalised for larger transactions, making it easier and more cost-effective for anyone to invest, regardless of the amount. Brooke elaborates on this aspect, stating, “We have a brokerage fee, which is 1.9%, but it has a cap. So, there’s a max you’ll pay if you’re trading New Zealand, US or buying or selling Australian shares.”
In addition to these features, Sharesies offers subscription pricing, which allows investors to choose a plan that best suits their investment habits and financial situation. “We also have subscription pricing, so people can pay three, seven or fifteen dollars a month for certain amounts of investing,” Brooke explains. This tiered subscription model gives users the flexibility to select a service level that matches their investing activity, ensuring they’re not overpaying for services they don’t need.
The Importance of Habit and Compounding Returns
For those new to the investment world, the path laid out by Sharesies is designed to ease fears and simplify the entry process. The advice is simple, “Yeah, I’d say just get started,” says Sonya. “Just remind yourself that you don’t need to know it all on day one. We really created Sharesies with the idea that you can learn by doing and that you can kind of learn more as you go,” emphasising that the journey to financial empowerment begins with taking that first step, no matter how small.
Brooke adds, “It’s about the habit,” highlighting the importance of regular investment habits over the amount invested. This perspective shifts the focus from the often intimidating aspect of large sums of money to the more approachable idea of regular, smaller contributions. “It doesn’t matter how much. The most valuable aspect of money is time. Ultimately, those habits compound over time due to compounding returns.” The method leverages the power of compounding returns, where even small, consistent investments can grow significantly over time.
The emphasis on habit also helps create a discipline of saving, which is essential for creating a healthy financial future.
Diversification and Long-Term Financial Health
Long-term investments are key themes, along with managing risk through diversification. Sonya advises, “It’s one of those investing cliches around not putting all your eggs in one basket.” She stresses the importance of spreading investments across various assets to mitigate risks. “What that actually means is when you are investing, you’re investing in a company or a fund, and they’re exposed to risks. Diversification is important because it’s spreading your risk across different companies. And it means that all your money’s not riding on one particular company or fund. And there can be different types of diversification. One can be across different companies, or can be across different industries as well as different countries.”
Sharesies, a B Corp, integrates ethical and sustainable choices into its platform, offering investors the ability to align their portfolios with their values. “This is something that is a core part of our DNA,” says Sonya. “Then, we manage that for our investors by making sure that they have choices and information.
“I think if you asked every person, they would give you a different answer about how that manifested for them. So, it’s really about how do we give people a choice? It’s the information and making sure people can filter those things and select the investment portfolios that align with their ethics, values, and the things they deem to be responsible.”
Sharesies’ journey from a spark of an idea to a major investment platform wasn’t without its challenges, but the team’s perspective on tackling obstacles has been key to their success. Leighton offers a valuable piece of advice that’s guided him throughout his career: “All big problems are just lots of little problems. Every time I look at something complex, I just think, what’s the tiniest bit of this problem that I can solve, and that starts gathering momentum.”
Sonya shares a personal piece of wisdom that resonates with her approach to building something meaningful: “I once heard this quote—’ If someone doesn’t enjoy cooking, you can taste it in the food.’ And that really sticks with me about the experiences you’re trying to create. We’re trying to create something lovable. If we’re not having fun doing it, that’s going to reflect on the people using it or working alongside you.”
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to start investing, now might just be it. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand your portfolio, the Sharesies approach is simple: take that first step and build from there. As the 3EOs highlight, you don’t need to be an expert on day one—just start small, stay consistent, and let time do the rest.
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