Sharesies has spent the past decade quietly reshaping how New Zealanders think about money.
What began as a low-friction way to buy a few shares has quietly grown into something much bigger.
Today, Sharesies sits at the centre of many New Zealanders’ financial lives, bringing together investing, KiwiSaver, crypto, saving, spending, insurance and even advice in one place.
As 2026 begins and people take stock of their finances, that shift reflects a broader change in how Kiwis want to see, manage and grow their money.
From smaller share punts to serious wealth investing
When Sharesies launched eight years ago, its pitch was simple but radical for New Zealand.
“We wanted to give the same opportunities to people with $5 to invest as those who have $500,000 to invest,” says co-founder and co-CEO, Leighton Roberts.
Sharesies rapidly became a go-to for investing in shares. Fractional investing and low minimums lowered the psychological and financial barrier to accessing the sharemarket.
A clean, mobile-first interface made checking your portfolio faster and more intuitive than logging into a dusty financial portal.
Education was baked in from the start. Sharesies reinforced simple, long-term principles – start today, invest what you can afford, contribute regularly and ignore day-to-day market noise.
The million-dollar club expands
One of the clearest signals of Sharesies’ evolution from an investment app into a wealth platform is who now uses it – and how much money is actually on the platform. Far from being just a digital piggy bank for first‑time investors, it now caters to everyone from kids to high-net-worth individuals.
“Over 2000 people have more than $1 million invested on Sharesies, with the number of million‑dollar portfolios growing,” says Roberts.
Around $100 million moves through the platform on a typical day, with trades ranging from tiny fractions of a dollar to multi‑million‑dollar orders.
A common theme is that investors are choosing to stay on Sharesies as their wealth grows. Some investors are also choosing to seek help from independent financial advisers while managing their wealth on Sharesies.
Building a true “wealth app”
The original vision of democratising sharemarket investing quickly expanded to giving people tools across their whole money life – saving, investing, protecting and spending. Over the past few years, Sharesies has been systematically adding those missing pieces.
Hosting KiwiSaver alongside regular investments is a game‑changer, given that for most New Zealanders, KiwiSaver is where the bulk of their wealth sits, beyond the family home. Nearly 8% of people joining the Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme are joining KiwiSaver for the first time, showing its power to pull new savers into the lauded retirement system.
Sharesies now offers high-flexibility savings options, with competitive rates and no transaction fees. Customers gain the behavioural benefit of clearly segmented “rainy day” and goal-based pots, but with one view across savings and investments.
A debit card with a 1% “Investback” reward closes the loop between everyday spending and long-term wealth building, giving people a little back on each purchase that flows straight into investing.
Through partnerships with specialist providers, Sharesies has added access to car insurance, including roadside assistance, and crypto.
Children’s portfolios are, as a cohort, one of the best‑performing on the platform, likely because parents invest steadily and “set and forget” for the long term.
Scale and credibility: not just for beginners
Crucially, Sharesies is not trying to be a bank, fund manager, insurer and crypto exchange all rolled into one. Instead, it partners with “best in class” institutions – from KiwiSaver managers to banks. The company intends to offer further services to people over the coming years.
Roberts says the company sees significant opportunity ahead to help New Zealanders grow their wealth. Alongside its own team of experts, Sharesies will continue partnering with others to build products that support customers’ financial futures.
Nearly a decade on, Sharesies is no longer just a place to buy a few shares on your phone. It has become the default financial home for a growing slice of New Zealand – a wealth app that is accessible enough for a child’s first investment, yet robust enough to host million‑dollar portfolios, savings, retirement funds and insurance protection, all under one roof.
“We don’t want you to get rich to be the wealthiest person in the graveyard,” Roberts sums up.
“It’s about helping you to enjoy your life and have confidence to invest at every stage of life.”
Interested in ways to bring your wealth together? Visit Sharesies.
Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. Any information provided is general only and current at the time written. Sharesies Investment Management Limited is the issuer of the Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme. The product disclosure statement (PDS) for the Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme has been lodged, and may be viewed on the Disclose Register or on our documents page.