SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / December 4, 2025 / YieldVault, a community-powered savings platform democratizing access to premium market rates traditionally reserved for accredited investors, today announced it has raised $10 million in Seed funding. The round was led by Oil and Energy Investor (OEI) with a $5 million investment, alongside a $4 million commitment from Fund Base Camp, with participation from strategic angel investors. This milestone positions YieldVault to accelerate its mission of bringing institutional-grade savings opportunities to everyday retail investors worldwide.
Founded by the team behind YieldStreet (now WillowWealth), which pioneered alternative investments for accredited investors, YieldVault represents the natural evolution of democratized finance - extending premium savings rates to all investors, not just the wealthy few. While traditional banks offer savings rates averaging just 0.01%, YieldVault's community-driven platform helps users discover and access high-yield opportunities exceeding 5% through a combination of crowdsourced rate intelligence and managed optimization services.
"We are thrilled to be a part of such a unique, groundbreaking project," said Chris Taft, CTO of Oil and Energy Investor. "We have always felt strongly that bringing savings to the open market empowers users worldwide. YieldVault represents the future of retail savings-where transparency, community, and technology converge to level the playing field."
The platform operates on a dual-tier model: a free, crowdsourced rate comparison platform where savers share and discover the best savings rates and CD information from banks nationwide, paired with YieldVault Pro Account - a premium managed service offering automated optimization through an intuitive mobile app with virtual debit card functionality. This approach combines community intelligence with professional management, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for modern savers.
"Investing in YieldVault was a no-brainer for us," said Jose Rodriguez, President of Fund Base Camp. "The pedigree that the app brings, with its previous model of YieldStreet serving accredited investors, was just too strong to pass up. The team has proven they know how to build trust and deliver results in the wealth management space. Now they're bringing that same expertise to retail savers who've been left behind by traditional banking."
Democratizing Access to Premium Rates
YieldVault's founding team identified a critical gap in the financial services market: while wealthy investors accessed alternative investments through YieldStreet earning substantial returns, everyday savers remained trapped in traditional bank accounts earning virtually nothing. The platform addresses this inequality by leveraging community-driven discovery and professional optimization to help retail investors access the same caliber of returns previously available only to the affluent.
"With over $11 trillion sitting in U.S. savings accounts earning minimal interest, we saw an opportunity to fundamentally transform how everyday people save," said Bruce Thompson, YieldVault's CEO and former co-founder of YieldStreet. "Our experience building YieldStreet taught us that sophisticated financial tools can be made accessible to everyone. YieldVault takes that philosophy to its logical conclusion - delivering institutional-quality savings optimization to retail investors who deserve better than 0.01% returns."
Strategic Funding for Rapid Expansion
This seed funding will accelerate YieldVault's product development and market expansion, focusing on enhancing the crowdsourced rate database, completing development of YieldVault Pro Account with full virtual debit card integration, securing necessary regulatory licenses for the managed service, scaling user acquisition to build critical mass in the community platform, and establishing partnerships with high-yield institutions.
The YieldVault team brings deep expertise in alternative investments and fintech innovation. Their previous venture, YieldStreet (now operating as WillowWealth), became a leading platform for accredited investors seeking alternative investment opportunities. That success demonstrated the team's ability to navigate complex regulatory environments while building user-friendly products that democratize access to sophisticated financial tools.
With the platform now live at www.yieldvault.investments, users can immediately begin discovering better rates through community intelligence, with YieldVault Pro Account launching soon for users seeking fully managed optimization. The market opportunity is substantial: Americans hold over $11 trillion in savings accounts earning near-zero interest despite elevated interest rates, while high-yield options offering 5%+ remain underutilized due to lack of awareness and complexity.
About YieldVault
YieldVault is a community-powered savings platform designed to help users escape traditional banks' minimal interest rates and access high-yield savings opportunities. Founded by the team behind YieldStreet (now WillowWealth), YieldVault operates through a dual model combining free crowdsourced rate comparison with YieldVault Pro Account - a premium managed service offering automated optimization. Learn more at www.yieldvault.investments.
Contact:
YieldVault
Dan Quin
marketing@yieldvault.investing
(954) 908-6373
SOURCE: YieldVault
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