Count Finance, a regulated UK platform that delivers personalized financial advice to everyday investors, has launched Stocks and Shares Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs). The new offering is powered by Alpaca’s infrastructure, including its recently acquired WealthKernel platform, allowing eligible users to invest through tax-advantaged accounts as part of complete financial strategies.
Rather than offering ISAs as standalone products, the platform embeds them within tailored plans that cover budgeting, saving, investing, and tax optimization.
Each user undergoes a suitability assessment to determine whether an ISA fits their circumstances.
Where appropriate, the system recommends contribution levels, selects suitable funds and ETFs, and shows how the account aligns with other priorities such as pension contributions.
This integrated approach removes the need for clients to navigate complex decisions independently.
Alpaca’s API provides the technical backbone, granting access to model portfolios, asset transfer tools, and a broad range of investment options.
Automation handles portfolio construction, allocation, and consolidation, enabling Count to focus its resources on delivering high-quality regulated advice instead of managing execution layers.
Laura Cornely, CEO and co-founder of Count Finance, stressed that ISAs function as a core element of each client’s overall financial roadmap.
The platform evaluates suitability on an individual basis, determines appropriate allocation sizes, recommends underlying investments, and clarifies their place alongside retirement savings and other goals.
Clients receive a cohesive strategy without having to piece together the details themselves.
Karan Shanmugarajah, CEO of Alpaca Europe, said Count is addressing one of finance’s key challenges by expanding access to regulated advice for a wider audience.
He expressed eagerness when it comes to supporting partners building inclusive solutions.
Yoshi Yokokawa, Alpaca’s CEO and co-founder, highlighted the importance of local expertise and scalable infrastructure in helping innovators like Count grow across the region.
The launch tackles a significant gap in the UK market. Recent data indicates that only around 9% of adults currently access regulated financial advice, largely due to high costs and complexity.
Traditional advisors often impose high minimums or fees, while many digital services lack comprehensive regulated planning.
Count operates within the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory sandbox, a supervised environment for testing innovative services.
Alpaca Europe (WealthKernel Limited) is authorized and regulated by the FCA.
Count has already secured commitments for more than £10 million in assets under advice, reflecting early demand.
As it scales beyond sandbox limits, the company plans to develop business-to-business and business-to-business-to-consumer channels, partnering with institutions to extend its planning services more broadly. By combining regulated advice with efficient execution technology from Alpaca, Count Finance is working to make personalized, tax-efficient investing more accessible to ordinary UK investors.
