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What was I doing at 12 years old?
A lot of random things, but definitely not making tech money.
But 78% of Generation Alpha (born 2010 - 2025) already made bank in the past year, half of whom did it with technology. Some even raked in millions. *Gasp in Millennial*
Interest peaked in June 2024. Source: Google Trends, six-month rolling average
Watch out for the young hustlers – from food to fashion to learning, any business that successfully captures Gen Alpha’s mindshare will see huge growth momentum in the years to come.
The space we see the biggest opportunity in: Financial education.
Money-making Gen Alphas might still be too young to manage their wallets responsibly, but financial literacy is a top priority for them (and their Millennial parents).
Banks and startups are already jumping on the trend:
- Greenlight, a fintech unicorn that offers debit cards to kids, reached $100m ARR as of 2021
- Capital One’s teen checking account, MONEY, received raving reviews
- GoHenry, a banking app for children as young as six, was acquired by Acorns last year
The Commonwealth Bank in Australia built Kit, a gamified pocket money app for kids. Source: WeMoney.
These products are pretty uniform, bundling a kid’s debit card and a banking app with educational resources.
So there’s space to build more differentiated services and experiences. A few ideas:
1. Niche Down Demographically
There’ll be 2.2B of Gen Alphas by 2025, which means you’ll find no shortage of subgroups who need specialized financial education:
♾️ Kids on the spectrum: Optimize the learning experience for different needs, like ADHD, autism, or dyslexia. The neurodivergent population is 5x more likely to become entrepreneurs, so start’em early.
🎨 Multicultural kids: Varying money attitudes based on race and culture can impact children's financial future. With Gen Alpha being the most racially diverse, consider building specialized education for them and their multicultural families (e.g. cater to Asian American or Hispanic kids).
2. Cause-based Investments
Gen Alphas are known to be vocal about social and environmental issues. So combine financial education with causes they care about.
Changebowl, an Acorns-style investment app, rounds up your spare change and donates to nonprofits of your choosing.
The company website is no longer active, so you can take that idea and revamp it to teach youngsters about ETFs, charity, and impact investing.
3. Financial Mentors for Creators
The biggest Gen Alpha earners made their fortune on social media, or UGC gaming platforms like Roblox.
The top 10 Roblox creators took home an average of $23m last year (seriously).
Nearly half of all Roblox users belong to Gen Alpha. Source: Backlinko
With ever-evolving platforms and tech, parents of young creators might not be equipped to offer financial help. They’ll need specialized mentoring.
Build a marketplace that pairs Gen Alpha with vetted, financially savvy Gen Z creators or influencers, and offer peer-to-peer tutoring on how to save, spend and grow their wealth smartly.
Or, design courses on managing the business of being a young creator, like how to build a brand, negotiate deals, etc. Use AI to simplify complex subjects and make the experience fun and interactive.
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