Banking & Personal Finance | Vancouver, BC | Founded: 2016 | Employees: 5 | www.dojo.co
EMAIL: hello@dojo.co | LINKEDIN PROFILE | BLOOMBERG PROFILE
Last updated December 29, 2018 | To download a PDF version, click here.
Company Overview
Dojo Technology Corp. (Dojo) is a financial technology company that helps address the growing financial literacy crisis by providing families with an effective tool to teach their kids about managing money in today’s new digital economy. Dojo’s iOS and Android-friendly mobile application teaches young people how to properly manage money and allows parents and kids to visualize their progress together. Dojo integrates directly with financial institutions’ account and card infrastructure to reduce customer acquisition costs and drive user engagement, building lifelong banking relationships and making the next generation of consumers better at managing their money.
Senior Management
Chad Sichello: Co-Founder and CEO (2016-Present). Currently: CEO, Apollon (2018-Present). Previously: Founder and President, GSky Plant Systems Inc. (2004-2016); Director, ALS Therapy Development Institute (2002-2004); Vice-President, Wandrian LLC (2000-2002). Education: B.Mus, Computer Music Applications (1999), McGill University.
Jay Tan: Co-Founder and Advisor (2016-Present). Previously: Co-Founder, Wehash Technology (2014-Present); Investor, Godlin Lumber Export Canada (2005-Present); Investor, Slingee Marketing (2013-2015); Co-Founder, Infinet Communications (1997-2008); Co-Founder, Nextterra Technology (2001-2005). Education: B.Com, Management Information Systems (1998), University of British Columbia.
History
Chad Sichello and Jay Tan started Dojo when they came to realize that no really taught them anything about money while they were growing up. They decided that they wanted their kids to grow up differently.[1]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1JW7Izbu_k
Funding
Dojo secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Vested Ventures on February 16, 2018.[2] Dojo will use the funds to activate its brand across the U.S. and Canada, driving new prospects and revenue opportunities. Vested Ventures’ support to Dojo will include media relations, content development, marketing support, corporate messaging, and executive positioning.[3]
[2] https://www.pehub.com/2018/02/dojo-picks-seed-funding-vested-ventures/#
[3] http://www.finsmes.com/2018/02/dojo-technology-secures-seed-funding-round.html
Key Corporate Developments
September 20, 2017: https://cambridgehouse.com/e/extraordinary-future-2017-71/speakers
February 16, 2018: https://www.pehub.com/2018/02/dojo-picks-seed-funding-vested-ventures/#
Business Highlights
Strategy
Dojo integrates directly with your financial institutions’ youth accounts and debit card infrastructures. By licensing their product to financial institutions, two parties are benefitted:
- Financial institutions: Financial institutions will get to connect with a new generation of clients and begin to build a lasting relationship. This will reduce customer acquisition costs, promote brand and bank loyalty, improve customer retention and drive lifetime value, and reduce credit risk. By demonstrating commitment to innovation and leveraging youth accounts, Dojo will promote additional family banking products and increase online engagement.
- Parents: By using a fun and family-friendly platform, parents will install healthy spending and saving habits that will stick, as they visualize their children’s progress together.[4]
[4] http://www.dojo.co/parents
Products/Pricing
- Dojo Card: Kids will receive a Dojo card, issued by their financial institution. Parents can load allowances onto the card while tracking and reviewing the progress of their kids’ spending habits.[5]
- Integrated Mobile Application: Dojo is available for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Provided that the financial institution offers Dojo, users will be prompted to link the app to their account during sign-in’s.
- Non-Integrated Mobile Application: Parents can still use the free Dojo application to track allowance, chores, and savings using cash. However, only financial institutions that partner with Dojo can provide their customers with full Dojo card functionality.
[5] http://www.dojo.co/what-is-dojo
Technology
Dojo integrates directly with financial institutions’ youth accounts and debit card infrastructure, and add a customer-friendly interface “on top” of the original software using API integrations. This ensure that account operations will remain seamless, compliant and secure.[6]
Dojo Technology Corporation uses 12 technology products and services including WordPress, G Suite (formerly Google Apps for Work), and Apache Web Server.[7]
[6] http://www.dojo.co
[7] https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dojo-technology-corporation#section-overview
Distribution/Logistics
Dojo plans to serve customers in Canada and the United States. Only financial institutions that partner with Dojo can provide their customers with full Dojo card functionality. However, the free Dojo app offers basic functionalities, such as the ability to track allowance, chores and savings using cash.
Marketing
Dojo markets through financial institutions and through online outlets not limited to financial institutions, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Competitors
With the increasing awareness on financial literacy, many players are competing within this space. While Dojo differentiates itself by licensing their service to financial institutions, two of their main competitors are:
- Bankaroo - (Menlo Park, CA): Bankaroo is a an educational virtual bank for kids to learn about money, budgeting, setting goals, saving, and accountability for their decisions. The interface is accessible via the web and mobile apps.
- Famzoo - (San Francisco, CA): FamZoo is a private family banking system designed to help parents teach kids to earn, save, spend, and donate money wisely. Parents manage their kids’ funds in either prepaid card accounts or IOU accounts. Parents maintain visibility and control over all the accounts online or through the mobile application. Kids sign in separately to access just their own accounts.
Corporate Profile Created By: Sherry Wang, Ivey HBA Candidate 2019