OpenAI has officially acquired the artificial intelligence-powered personal finance startup Hiro Finance. On Monday, April 13, 2026, Hiro founder Ethan Bloch published a LinkedIn post announcing the acquisition. As part of the agreement, the startup’s team will transition to the artificial intelligence giant, marking another significant step in OpenAI’s expansion into the financial technology sector.
While OpenAI confirmed the deal, the specific financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed. The startup had also never previously shared its total funding history. Because the Hiro platform will soon cease independent operations, tech outlets have categorized the transaction as an acqui-hire.
Operations to Shut Down and Data Deletion
Following the acquisition announcement, Hiro officially stopped accepting new user signups. Bloch confirmed that the company will shut down its core product operations on April 20, 2026. After this closure, Hiro is scheduled to permanently delete all user data from its servers on May 13, 2026. Existing customers have until May 13 to export their personal information from the application’s settings.
The exact number of employees transitioning to OpenAI remains slightly unclear due to conflicting source reports. According to PYMNTS, Hiro’s LinkedIn profile indicates the company has under 50 employees. In contrast, both TechCrunch and the Times of India report that LinkedIn lists approximately ten people associated with the startup. In his public statement, Bloch expressed gratitude to his staff and confirmed they are joining him to continue their mission at OpenAI alongside Rushabh Doshi.
Building an AI Personal CFO
Hiro Finance was built around the vision of creating an “AI personal CFO” designed to improve users’ financial well-being. The exact founding date of the startup is debated among sources: PYMNTS and the Times of India report that Hiro was founded in 2023, while TechCrunch states the company was established in 2024.
The startup launched its core artificial intelligence tool approximately five months ago. The software enabled individuals to input personal economic details—such as current salaries, outstanding debts, and routine monthly expenses. Leveraging this information, the system assisted users in mapping out diverse “what-if” scenarios to guide significant monetary choices.
One of the platform’s standout features was its specific focus on financial mathematics. The tool included an option that allowed individuals to verify the accuracy of the calculations produced by the artificial intelligence, addressing a critical need for precision and trust. According to Bloch, Hiro successfully helped clients manage and plan for more than $1 billion in assets during its operational run. The startup received backing from notable investors, including the prominent fintech venture capital firm Ribbit, General Catalyst, and Restive.
Ethan Bloch’s Entrepreneurial Background
This acquisition represents the latest milestone in Bloch’s extensive entrepreneurial career. He began working as a technology entrepreneur at the age of 13. He has stated that Hiro was his 15th project, noting that his first 13 ventures failed. His 14th project, a social media software-as-a-service tool named Flowtown launched in 2009, was eventually sold for $4.5 million.
Before launching Hiro, Bloch founded Digit, a neobanking platform that offered automated and personalized savings, investing, and banking tools. Digit was successfully acquired by the fintech company Oportun in 2021. However, sources disagree on the exact sale price of the platform. PYMNTS reports the company was acquired for $211 million. Meanwhile, TechCrunch states the sale was for “more than $200 million” and simultaneously notes that Bloch told Business Insider the final figure was approximately $230 million.
Additionally, Bloch has shown interest in other artificial intelligence ecosystems. He previously built his own automated trading agent using OpenClaw—a popular model among robo stock traders—which he named RoboBuffett.
The Future of AI in Personal Finance
The purchase of Hiro Finance is not OpenAI’s first foray into the personal finance space. Last year, the company acquired Roi, another artificial intelligence-powered personal finance application. Following that deal, Roi’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Sujith Vishwajith, joined the team behind ChatGPT.
Consumer appetite for these advanced tools appears to be growing. According to research from PYMNTS Intelligence, individuals are increasingly willing to use artificial intelligence to organize their personal finances. The data reveals that 62% of Generation Z consumers are open to using artificial intelligence for “what-if” financial planning. In his announcement, Bloch stated that customized financial advice has traditionally been overly generic, cost-prohibitive, and difficult for ordinary people to access, adding his belief that ChatGPT is altering this landscape.
However, industry experts are raising concerns about the limitations of relying on artificial models for monetary guidance. Andrew Lo, a finance professor and director of the Laboratory for Financial Engineering at the MIT Sloan School of Management, explained to CNBC that while this technology possesses clear financial expertise, it fundamentally lacks a fiduciary duty. Lo emphasized that because these systems have no legal obligation to act in a client’s best interest, they do not face the same consequences for errors that human advisors endure.
