On a cold winter day at Katz's in New York, Arik told Moshe how his wealth manager took nine weeks to open a simple account. He wasn't risky or complex - just another victim of regulatory bureaucracy.

As they unpacked the state of compliance in 2025: endless email chains, false positives, and talent shortages, and they saw an industry drowning in fear (AML fines hit $37bn in 2023) and stuck with fragmented systems.

Arik, with his experience innovating in regulated sectors at Vauban & Carta, and Moshe, who built world-class customer experiences at Lemonade, imagined a different future: Onboarding that feels like an experience, not a chore.

The name Steward reflects their mission: guiding customers seamlessly through complexity. From New York, London, and Tel Aviv, they set out to build a more connected and accessible financial world - one onboarding at a time.