The company was founded in 2015 as Yieldstreet by Milind Mehere, a co-founder of Yodle, and Michael Weisz, who had held leadership roles in specialty finance firms.[4] It positioned itself as a platform to provide retail investors access to alternative investments traditionally available only to institutions and wealthy individuals.[2]
In April 2019, the company acquired Athena Art Finance from The Carlyle Group for $170 million, expanding into art-secured lending.[5] Later that year, it acquired WealthFlex to integrate self-directed IRA capabilities.[4] In November 2023, the company acquired Cadre, an online real estate investment platform.[6]
The company has raised approximately $800 million in total funding from investors including Khosla Ventures, Thrive Capital, and Greycroft.[7] In July 2025, the company closed a $77 million funding round led by Tarsadia Investments, with participation from RedBird Capital Partners, Mayfair Equity Partners, Edison Partners, and Kingfisher Investment Advisors.[3]
In late 2025, the company rebranded to Willow Wealth, stating the new name reflected its expanded product offerings and ten years of experience in private markets.[8]
Products and services
Willow Wealth operates as an online marketplace connecting investors with alternative investment opportunities across ten asset classes.[3] The platform offers both individual investment opportunities and pooled fund structures. Most investments require accredited investor status, though certain products such as the Alternative Income Fund are available to non-accredited investors.[2]
The Alternative Income Fund launched in March 2020 as a multi-asset closed-end fund with quarterly distributions, offering exposure to more than 50 income-focused investments.[9] In November 2021, the company introduced the Art Equity Platform for fractional investment in post-war and contemporary art.[10]
In August 2025, the company launched Willow 360, an automated managed portfolio solution developed in partnership with Wilshire Associates, offering diversified exposure to private markets with quarterly liquidity.[3]
In December 2025, Willow Wealth announced partnerships with Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs, and StepStone Group to offer access to private credit funds with minimum investments of $10,000.[11]
Competitors
Willow Wealth operates in the alternative investment platform sector alongside competitors including Fundrise, CrowdStreet, Percent, and RealtyMogul.[12] Compared to Fundrise, which focuses primarily on real estate and has minimum investments starting at $10, Willow Wealth offers a broader range of asset classes but generally requires higher minimums and accredited investor status for most offerings.[13]
Criticism
The company has faced regulatory scrutiny and investor losses related to certain investment offerings. In 2020, an $89 million marine investment portfolio tied to vessel deconstruction loans defaulted.[14] In September 2023, the company paid $1.9 million to settle SEC charges related to failure to disclose critical information to investors.[15]
In 2025, CNBC reported on distress in the company's real estate portfolio, its largest asset class, noting defaults and underperformance across 27 offerings made between 2021 and 2024.[16][17]
CNBC also criticized the company for removing a decade of historical performance from their website upon re-branding to Willow Wealth.[17]
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