FINTECH

Invest Ethically with SHAPE

With the aim to make it easier, cheaper and more accessible to start stock market trading, U.K. startup Shape iOS app is creating a more educational trading experience for a new generation of traders. Cherry on the top is that the company understands your concerns about the ethical standards of the sectors or companies they back.

The generation of first-time traders seek clear and digestible market information. TechCrunch details that the Shape assumes no or very little prior trading knowledge, and provides easy-to-follow information on how to make trades and what to look for when choosing stocks. Trades can also be executed via integration with popular brokerages, such as Fidelity, eTrade, and Vanguard.

Shape co-founder Will Shimidzu said that the Shape app attempts to break down trading concepts into a digestible format, informed by his own previous experience as an investment banker. The app also presents analyst price targets and volatility data to help users be better informed on what they’re investing in.

When you sign up to Shape, you can choose to screen sectors you don’t want to invest in, such as weapons, nuclear, alcohol, and tobacco. You can also connect the app to your third-party brokerage account. However, you can still browse Shape for investment ideas by sector or by themes. You can add the companies you like to your watchlist or invest directly via connection to your third-party brokerage account. On the other hand, you can also pin a company’s page with a news that might discourage ethical buyers from investing, keeping in line with the principle of investing with morals.