Shivangi Sinha
Investing can be difficult to navigate, especially for beginners trying to identify options that actually deliver meaningful returns. Many commonly used investment routes often yield modest gains, leaving individuals unsure of how to grow their wealth effectively. In contrast, high-net-worth individuals tend to approach investing more strategically by leveraging smarter, data-driven decisions to maximize profits. This gap is exactly what was addressed in season 17, episode 18 of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank,’ where the founders of Parrot Finance presented their platform. It is designed to simplify the process and aims to make investing more accessible, efficient, and ultimately more profitable for everyday users.
Parrot Finance: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Parrot Finance was founded by three entrepreneurs, Victoria Yang, Nikki Varanasi, and Lucy Yang. Victoria Yang built her expertise at the intersection of engineering and product development. She worked as a Product professional at Shopify from 2020 to 2021 and briefly held a similar role at mabl in 2020. Prior to that, she gained technical experience as a Software Engineer at Coinbase in 2019 and as a Software Developer at Workday in 2018. She also completed a Summer Analyst role at Morgan Stanley in 2018. Victoria holds a degree in Computer Science from Northeastern University, which laid the foundation for her technical leadership. Nikki Varanasi, who is the CEO and founder, brings deep financial and investment expertise.
Before launching Parrot Finance in 2022, she worked with the Private Equity and Finance team at McKinsey & Company from 2018 to 2021. Earlier, she held roles in finance, investments, and treasury at KKR & Co. L.P. from 2016 to 2018 and began her career through internships at firms like Distinguished Programs and LawTrades in 2015 and 2016. A graduate of St. John’s University, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, with a degree in Finance, she combines institutional investing experience with startup insight. Lucy Yang, COO and founder, contributes operational and strategic depth. She has led operations at Parrot Finance since 2021 and was part of the Techstars and Western Union accelerator program in 2021. Previously, she worked at Goldman Sachs from 2018 to 2020, progressing from Analyst to Senior Analyst. She also gained public sector experience as a Junior Project Manager in IT at the Executive Office of the President between 2017 and 2018, alongside earlier roles at the American University Office of Information Technology.
Lucy holds a degree in Business Administration, Finance, and Information Technology from American University and also studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Together, the trio built Parrot Finance as a next-generation Registered Investment Advisor platform designed to simplify investing. Using an intelligent recommendation engine, the platform automates personalized portfolio creation, helping users allocate funds into institutional-grade strategies aligned with their goals, risk tolerance, and interests. It also offers seamless portfolio rebalancing and removes much of the complexity and cost associated with traditional financial advisors.
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Parrot Finance: Where Are They Now?
Parrot Finance has partnered with major brokerages such as Robinhood, Coinbase, Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, and Webull, creating a secure, transparent, and socially driven investing experience. Backed by investors including Techstars, Lightspeed, Harlem Capital, and Hustle Fund, the company has raised around $3 million to date. Through its technology-first approach, Parrot Finance aims to democratize access to sophisticated investment strategies and empower users at every stage of their financial journey.
The platform is currently available for download on the Apple App Store, while Android users can join a waitlist as the broader rollout continues. Designed with ease of use in mind, the app simplifies investing into a few intuitive steps. Users can begin by connecting their existing brokerage profiles, creating a seamless starting point without needing to rebuild their portfolios from scratch. From there, the platform’s AI-powered tools recommend portfolios to mirror, allowing users to align their investments with strategies that match their goals and risk appetite.
One of its standout features is the automated investment function, which continuously manages and rebalances portfolios in the background, removing the need for constant manual oversight. Beyond execution, the platform also focuses on education and engagement. Its social media presence highlights global market trends, breaking news, and their impact on prices in a way that is both informative and easy to understand. Overall, it uses technology, accessibility, and insight to make investing more approachable and dynamic.
