Two University of Queensland graduates have launched Wingman Money, a fintech app that shifts the focus from account balance to a personalised Financial Health Score out of 100, and draws its engagement playbook from fitness and language-learning apps.
Co-founders Sam Holt and Joel Beaton built the app for a generation facing rising living costs and financial anxiety, combining behavioural psychology, gamification, and AI to encourage better money habits through small, repeated actions rather than guilt-driven budgeting.
“We are living through one of the toughest financial environments in decades, yet many of us still feel disconnected from our financial future,” Holt said. “Most finance apps tell you what you’ve already spent. We wanted to build something that motivates people to improve their financial health every day.”
A score, not a balance
Wingman scores the everyday behaviours that feed long-term financial wellbeing, giving users personalised insights into spending, saving, and upcoming bills. An AI coach offers guidance without providing regulated financial advice. The app connects to more than 170 Australian and New Zealand institutions via Open Banking and is read-only, so it cannot transfer funds or make payments.
“Checking your bank account shouldn’t feel like opening exam results,” Beaton said. “Most banking apps only show what’s gone wrong. We wanted to create something people actually look forward to using.”
The launch follows the founders’ place in the 2025 Startmate pre-accelerator, months of customer research, and a beta programme in which around 60% of users opened the app daily, a high engagement rate for a personal finance product.
Built after spending all their savings
The idea grew out of the founders’ own finances, after they returned from a post-university trip, having spent almost everything they had saved.
“We realised financial wellbeing isn’t just about information, it’s about behaviour,” Holt said. “People don’t need more spreadsheets. They need something that helps them build better habits.”
Beta testing suggested the approach was shifting behaviour outside the app. Users reported thinking about their Financial Health Score while shopping or weighing up a purchase, which led the founders to simplify the product around the single score and add community features, including Shared Savings Goals and Leaderboards, following customer feedback.
Wingman is free to use. The founders plan to generate revenue through rewards, cashback offers, and commercial partnerships rather than subscription fees.
