Robo-advisor pioneer SigFig has officially rebranded as Tandems, a move that signals a significant strategic shift for the company. While its consumer-facing robo-advisor business will continue to operate, the firm’s core focus is now squarely on providing wealth management software and digital solutions to financial institutions and advisors.
For wealth managers, this rebranding reflects a broader trend in the industry: technology firms that once positioned themselves as disruptors to traditional advice models are now repositioning as enablers of advisor productivity. Tandems sees its role not in replacing human financial advice, but in equipping advisors and institutions with tools that streamline operations, enhance client engagement, and scale service delivery.
From Robo Roots to Enterprise Focus
Founded in 2006, SigFig began as one of the first digital-native investment platforms. Its robo-advisor technology was designed to give mass-market investors access to automated portfolio management at a fraction of the cost of traditional advisory services. But as the robo-advisor space matured, it became clear that scale was essential—and difficult to achieve as a standalone provider.
Over the past decade, robo-advisors have consolidated. Industry leaders like Vanguard, Schwab, and Fidelity dominate the landscape, leveraging their large brokerage businesses to deliver digital advice at low cost while cross-selling other services. Independent players have struggled, with many shutting down or pivoting to new business models. Even large global firms such as UBS experimented and then stepped away from proprietary robo efforts.
Recognizing these shifts early, SigFig began diversifying its business strategy years ago. CEO Mike Sha explains that almost all of the company’s revenue now comes from business-to-business partnerships rather than its consumer-facing robo. The consumer product remains in place, but primarily to serve as a testing ground for technology development and to provide insights into investor behavior.
“We’re not just a robo-advisor anymore,” Sha emphasizes. “The name Tandems reflects our new chapter, one where we partner with institutions and advisors to help them better serve clients.”
Introducing Tandems: A Technology Partner for Advisors
The rebranding isn’t just cosmetic. Tandems has launched a new suite of software solutions designed to address some of the most pressing challenges advisors face: productivity bottlenecks, rising client expectations, and the complexity of managing personalized advice at scale.
Its tools leverage artificial intelligence to help advisors automate routine administrative tasks while sharpening the focus on client relationships. Some examples:
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Proactive Client Nudges: AI analyzes client data to recommend timely outreach. For instance, advisors can be alerted when clients may need to update beneficiaries after a life event such as a marriage or birth of a child.
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Workflow Automation: The platform prepopulates forms, facilitates digital account openings, and simplifies onboarding.
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Meeting Support: Advisors can auto-generate meeting agendas tailored to client portfolios, streamline scheduling, and create follow-up task lists after discussions.
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Portfolio Analysis: Tandems’ technology reviews holdings to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities for alignment with goals.
“If you think about how many things a client can have going on in their life, it can be hard for an advisor to keep track of all of them,” Sha says. “Software can do that very well. It’s about allowing the human advisor to focus on the conversations and guidance that matter most.”
For wealth advisors, the promise of these tools lies in their ability to reduce time spent on administrative burdens and compliance-heavy tasks. This creates more capacity to engage with clients on deeper financial planning issues—an increasingly critical differentiator in an environment where commoditized investment management alone is no longer sufficient.
Institutional Partnerships Driving Growth
Tandems is focusing on large financial institutions as its primary clients. It has already secured partnerships with Scotiabank and Citizens, among others. These relationships illustrate the demand among banks and wirehouses for technology that enhances both advisor and client experiences.
Working with institutions has also given Tandems experience in navigating complex regulatory and compliance requirements—an area where many startups struggle. That institutional pedigree may help Tandems stand out in a crowded fintech market.
“We’ve built our capabilities with large banks and brokerages from the beginning,” Sha explains. “We understand the compliance and operational demands they face, and that gives us a strong foundation as we expand.”
The Advisor Shortage and the Role of AI
Tandems’ pivot comes at a time when the financial advice industry is grappling with a demographic and capacity challenge. The number of advisors in the U.S. is shrinking even as demand for financial guidance grows. Many seasoned advisors are nearing retirement, and firms struggle to recruit enough new professionals to meet client demand.
This imbalance creates an opening for technology. By helping advisors serve more clients more efficiently, AI-enabled platforms can extend the reach of human expertise without sacrificing quality.
“We think the market opportunity is massive,” Sha says. “You have a shortage of advisors and more clients who need advice but can’t always access it. That’s where AI can make a difference—helping advisors scale while still delivering personalized service.”
For RIAs, the implication is clear: technology partners like Tandems are positioning themselves to become essential allies in expanding client capacity. The tools aren’t designed to replace advisors but to augment their ability to serve. In practice, that could mean being able to deliver holistic planning to more households while keeping costs manageable.
Lessons From the Robo Evolution
The trajectory of SigFig’s transformation into Tandems also holds lessons for the advisory profession. A decade ago, robo-advisors were heralded as existential threats to financial planners. The narrative suggested algorithms would disintermediate human advisors entirely.
Reality has proven more nuanced. While robo-advisors made investing more accessible and drove fee compression, they did not replace the human relationship at the heart of wealth management. Instead, digital advice became table stakes—clients expect sleek, mobile-first interfaces, digital onboarding, and cost transparency. But they also want trust, guidance, and holistic financial strategies that software alone cannot provide.
Betterment’s own evolution mirrors this trend: once a pure robo-advisor, it now offers retirement plan solutions, custody services, and technology platforms for advisors. The story is less about robo-advisors versus humans and more about how technology can support multiple delivery models of financial advice.
Tandems’ decision to embrace a B2B focus underscores that the long-term opportunity lies in collaboration with advisors rather than competition. For advisors, the message is encouraging: technology is not coming to replace you, but to empower you—if you choose to leverage it effectively.
Why Advisors Should Pay Attention
For independent advisors and RIAs, Tandems’ pivot raises important strategic considerations:
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Efficiency is Non-Negotiable. Margins are under pressure across wealth management. Advisors who embrace tools that reduce administrative overhead will be better positioned to grow profitably.
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Client Expectations Are Evolving. Investors increasingly expect personalized communication, timely outreach, and digital convenience. Technology platforms can help advisors deliver on those expectations without burning out staff.
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Competition Is Intensifying. Large institutions are investing heavily in digital experiences. Independent advisors who want to compete must adopt best-in-class technology to match those standards while differentiating on relationship quality.
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AI is Here to Stay. While hype abounds, the practical applications of AI—like automated nudges, portfolio monitoring, and workflow support—are already improving advisory practices. Advisors who experiment now will build competencies that pay dividends later.
Looking Ahead
With more than 120 employees, Tandems is not a fledgling startup but a firm with nearly two decades of experience in digital wealth. Its new identity reflects both hard-earned lessons from the robo-advisor era and confidence in a future where advisors and technology work in tandem—a name that fittingly underscores the partnership between human and digital.
For advisors, the rebranding serves as a reminder that the competitive landscape is shifting. Firms that once sought to replace financial advisors are now retooling to serve them. That dynamic creates opportunities for advisors willing to adapt and integrate new tools into their practices.
“We’re entering a new chapter,” Sha says. “Our mission is to help advisors do what they do best—build meaningful relationships and provide trusted guidance—while letting technology handle the rest.”
For wealth advisors, the takeaway is simple: the firms that thrive in the coming decade will be those that see technology not as a threat, but as a partner. Tandems’ transformation is just one example of how the industry is evolving toward that future.
