Y Combinator-backed startup ReadyForZero is announcing a $260,000 seed round of funding from a number of well-known angel investors including Steve Chen, the co-founder of YouTube; Dave McClure, Benjamin Ling, Nils Johnson, and Maneesh Arora.
Launched in private beta in September, ReadyForZero is an easy to use web-based platform to help guide consumers out of credit card debt. ReadyForZero is trying to help those consumers who are having trouble paying their debt off, as opposed to those who are already in collections or bankruptcy. Essentially the site is trying to help people be able to eventually not carry any balances month to month. The company says that in the US alone there are 100 million people with revolving balances, meaning they carry credit card debt from month to month. Combined they owe $900 billion to banks and credit card companies.
You import your credit card information, including what types of cards you have, the amount owed, and the startup will then walk you through the same steps a trusted financial advisor would give you. Based on your minimum payments, salary and balance, ReadyForZero will figures out an optimal strategy for what to pay and when. The site will also send you reminders and you can track your progress online. While you cannot actually pay your bills directly from ReadyForZero, the startup will eventually allow users to do this directly from the site. Currently in private beta, the startup will use the funds to help launch to the public early next year.
The idea behind ReadyForZero is no doubt a noble cause that wants to add legitimacy to a notoriously shady industry. And credit card debt is certainly an issue that’s relevant to the current economic conditions.
As a side note, the startup’s co-founder and ex-Googler, Ignacio Thayer is behind the parody video on fundraising, “Stupid Questions VCs Ask.”