Steward
Category: AI in Fintech
An AI-driven compliance and AML platform specifically engineered to automate complex investor onboarding and ongoing monitoring for the private markets ecosystem. Steward was founded in 2025. The company is led by Arik Oslerne. Based in New York, United States; London, United Kingdom. Team size: 2-10. Total funding raised: $5.0M. Latest round: Seed (Mar 2026). Key investors include Motive Partners, Outward VC, Cooley, Shai Wininger, Mark Ransford, Tom Keiser, Remy Astié, Ulric Musset, Mushegh Tovmasyan, Keith Grose.
- Founded
- 2025
- Headquarters
- New York, United States; London, United Kingdom
- Team size
- 2-10
- Total funding
- $5.0M
Value proposition
Eliminates the manual friction of high-stakes compliance by using AI to handle complex entity structures and UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Ownership) discovery, significantly accelerating onboarding times while reducing regulatory risk.
Products and solutions
AI-Powered AML Compliance Engine, Automated Complex Investor Onboarding Workflow, Continuous Risk Monitoring & Screening System, UBO Discovery & Entity Mapping Tool, Regulatory Reporting & Audit Trail Dashboard
Unique value
Unlike standard KYC tools that focus on individual identity, Steward is purpose-built for the 'complex' end of the market—handling multi-layered corporate structures and institutional investors that typically require manual legal review.
Target customer
Private equity firms, venture capital funds, private banks, asset managers, and private market infrastructure providers.
Industries served
Fintech, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Investment Banking, Wealth Management, Legal & Regulatory Technology
Technology advantage
Leverages proprietary AI models trained on private market workflows, led by a founding team with deep domain expertise from Vauban (acquired by Carta). This 'practitioner-led' approach allows the platform to automate nuanced compliance decisions that generic LLMs or legacy software cannot handle.
How they differentiate
Unlike general KYC tools, Steward is purpose-built for 'complex' private market entities. It uses proprietary AI to automate Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) discovery and multi-layered corporate structure mapping, which typically requires manual legal review.
Main competitors
Encompass Corporation, Fenergo, Anduin Transactions
Key partnerships
Motive Partners (Lead Investor and strategic fintech partner), Luxembourg financial market strategic initiatives, Major private market infrastructure platforms (managing $100B+ in AUM)
Notable customers
Connect Ventures, Unruly Capital, IAB Group, Motive Partners, Outward VC, Tier 1 institutional allocators
Major milestones
Founded in 2025 by former Vauban (acquired by Carta) leadership, Successfully secured $5M Seed funding led by Motive Partners in March 2026, Established strategic presence in the Luxembourg financial market, Launched FATCA/CRS Validation Service for tax reporting compliance, Dual-headquartered in New York and London
Growth metrics
Currently automating compliance workflows for platforms managing over $100B in assets; team size estimated between 11-50 employees.
Market positioning
Specialized AI compliance infrastructure for private markets and high-stakes institutional onboarding.
Geographic focus
United Kingdom, Luxembourg, and the broader European private equity ecosystem.
Patents and IP
No registered patents disclosed as of March 2026; focus is on proprietary AI architecture and private market data sets.
About Arik Oslerne
Arik Oslerne is a seasoned fintech operator and legal expert. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer at Vauban, a private markets infrastructure platform that was acquired by Carta in 2022. Prior to Vauban, he held senior leadership roles including Head of Legal at Equiti Group and Assistant Head of Legal at Alpari (UK). He is a qualified solicitor in England & Wales and holds an MBA from London Business School.
More AI in Fintech companies
Official website: https://getsteward.ai/
