Fintech startup Sidekick has launched a digital wealth platform aimed at those who have ‘outgrown’ high-street financial products but do not have sufficient wealth to access private banks.

Sidekick is aiming to bring tools traditionally used for higher net worth individuals, such as private equity-style investments from £10,000, tax optimisation, and FSCS protection up to £255,000, to the ‘mass affluent’ market.

It argued that, for a rising number of UK professionals who have built up six-figure savings, personal finance had become a “frustrating middle ground”.

“People earning six figures today still get offered the same tools as someone just starting out - and that’s wrong,” stated Sidekick founder and CEO, Matt Ford.

“We’re not here to push people into high-risk products. We’re here to give them choice and control.

“The same way the ultra-wealthy get to manage their risk, their exposure, and their upside. That shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a platform feature.”

The platform offers access to private equity-style investing for an investment of £10,000, providing access to a Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF), enabling clients to invest in private companies through a professionally managed fund.

It also offers tax optimisation wrappers and transparency on investment risk.

Sidekick’s Multi Shield Account is designed for those with larger balances, spreading deposits across a range of banks to enable up to £255,000 of FSCS protection, while its Smart Cash product invests short-term funds into actively managed money market instruments and includes personalisation tools typically reserved for the ultra-wealthy end of the market.

“People in this bracket often don’t realise how inefficient their finances are until it’s too late,” Ford said.

“They’re hit with 60 per cent tax rates between £100,000 to £125,000 earnings, they’re sitting on idle cash, or they’re overexposed to their own company without even realising it.

“We want to democratise access to the wealth strategies that have been locked away for too long.

“This isn’t about status. It’s about giving people the financial tools they need to build real, sustainable wealth - and close the gap.”

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