Industry veterans launch AI data firm targeting wealth management's infrastructure problem

Industry veterans Phill Rosen and Jon Stevenson have launched Astraeus, a New York-based startup aimed at resolving the structural data fragmentation issues plaguing the wealth management sector. The platform, which debuted on August 6, 2026, utilizes a semantic layer to unify disparate data sources like custodial systems and CRM platforms into a single, machine-readable model. This infrastructure-focused approach seeks to eliminate operational drag and improve visibility for investment advisory firms and wealthtech platforms.

Astraeus entered the market on August 6, 2026, backed by more than $10 million in funding from investors including Fintech Collective, F-Prime, Walkabout Ventures, and Plug and Play Ventures. Founded by Phill Rosen, former global CTO at MoneyLion, and Jon Stevenson, who held senior roles at Merrill Lynch and Barclays Wealth, the firm aims to address the fragmented architecture that currently limits growth in the wealth management industry. By focusing on infrastructure rather than front-end applications, the founders intend to create a unified view of client data, advisor relationships, and regulatory requirements.

The platform's core technology utilizes an ontology—a structured model that defines how various entities within wealth management relate to one another. This allows firms to integrate data from custodial systems, CRM platforms, and portfolio management tools without the need to rip and replace their existing technology stacks. Astraeus is specifically targeting a broad range of clients, including investment advisory firms, private equity groups, and strategic consulting organizations, positioning itself as a solution for the systemic infrastructure gap that exists across all tiers of the industry.

While the wealthtech space is crowded with data-focused vendors, Astraeus is leveraging the deep operational credibility of its leadership to differentiate itself. Stevenson’s experience at major institutions like Merrill Lynch provides insight into the breakdown points of large enterprises, while Rosen’s engineering background offers the technical depth required to build data infrastructure at scale. However, the firm faces significant hurdles, including the notoriously slow enterprise sales cycles of the wealth management sector and the challenge of scaling its model across the highly bespoke tech environments typical of established advisory firms.