Sidekick targets those who’ve moved beyond entry-level products but whose wealth is still too small for private banks
For a growing number of UK professionals, personal finance has become a frustrating middle ground. They’re earning well and have built up six-figure savings – but they’re still treated like entry-level investors.
High-street savings accounts offer little in the way of growth, while private banks won’t pick up the phone unless there’s a multi-million-pound portfolio on the table.
Barclays Private Bank, for instance, requires UK clients to hold at least £3 million in investable assets. Coutts sets the threshold at £1 million.
Sidekick, a digital wealth platform founded by fintech veterans, is stepping into that gap – bringing the tools of the ultra-wealthy to what it calls the “mass affluent”: individuals with over £100,000 to invest who want access to smarter, more personalised financial solutions.
Private Equity Investment
Among its most disruptive products is access to private equity-style investing for an investment of just £10,000. Sidekick is one of the first digital platforms in the UK to offer eligible individuals access to a regulated Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF) – a style of investment vehicle traditionally reserved for institutional investors. This structure allows clients to invest in high-growth private companies through a professionally managed fund without needing the six-figure minimums usually required. Interest in private equity is on the rise – UK deal activity reached £63 billion in 2024, nearly matching the record highs of 2021.
“People earning six figures today still get offered the same tools as someone just starting out – and that’s wrong,” said Matt Ford, Founder and CEO of Sidekick. “You shouldn’t need a UBS account to access smarter ways to build wealth. With Sidekick, we’re saying: you’ve worked hard, now your money should work just as hard for you.”
“We’re not here to push people into high-risk products,” Ford added. “We’re here to give them choice and control. The same way the ultra-wealthy get to manage their risk, their exposure, and their upside. That shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a platform feature.”
Ford, who previously built and exited a fintech before founding Sidekick, said he sees the company as a ‘graduation product’ for people who have outgrown robo-advisors and DIY platforms but don’t want the fees or friction of private banking.
Sidekick’s Multi Shield Account
- Beyond investments, Sidekick also offers a reimagined approach to cash savings – one designed specifically for people with larger balances who want to keep their money safe without the usual admin.
- Sidekick’s Multi Shield account automatically spreads deposits across a panel of UK-regulated banks behind the scenes, enabling up to £255,000 of FSCS protection – all through a single, seamless interface.
- Normally, under the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), only £85,000 per person per bank is protected in the event of a bank failure. So savers looking to protect more than that are forced to open multiple accounts across different banks, juggling apps, logins, and maturing rates.
Sidekick’s Smart Cash
- And for higher target returns, its Smart Cash product invests short-term funds into actively managed money market instruments, designed to outperform traditional savings rates while keeping funds accessible.
- The platform also includes personalisation tools typically found only at the ultra-wealthy end of the market. Features like custom indexing allow users to remove stocks they’re already exposed to (e.g., their employer).
Sidekick’s approach is rooted in real-life complexity. Its typical customer is someone who’s ten to fifteen years into their career – a tech employee with equity, a lawyer juggling nursery fees and marginal tax rates, or a founder nearing exit. Many feel stuck: they’ve built wealth, but don’t know how to deploy it wisely, or simply don’t have time.
“People in this bracket often don’t realise how inefficient their finances are until it’s too late,” said Ford. “They’re hit with 60% tax rates between £100,000 to £125,000 earnings, they’re sitting on idle cash, or they’re overexposed to their own company without even realising it.”
Sidekick offers tax optimisation wrappers, transparency on investment risk, and – perhaps most importantly – actual human interaction. “We’re not faceless,” Ford adds. “People move their hard-earned money onto our platform. They want to know we’re here – and we are.”
Ford describes Sidekick as a company “built by tech founders, for tech founders”, but insists the mission is broader.
He explained: “We want to democratise access to the wealth strategies that have been locked away for too long. This isn’t about status. It’s about giving people the financial tools they need to build real, sustainable wealth – and close the gap.”
