Why we sold Fey

Many acquisitions happen when founders give up on their vision, or simply run out of energy. For us, it was the opposite.

We’ve always wanted to stay small and independent because we valued freedom, the space to follow our gut and the conviction to take risks most companies wouldn’t. Narative (our design studio) gave us the means to fund ourselves early, so we never had to chase the “growth at all costs” playbook.

We could have bootstrapped all the way. For years we turned down every VC offer. Until eventually, in 2021, we realized a small SAFE could help us go even harder on Fey and expand our partnerships.

After launching 2.0 in January, growth bent up faster than we expected. We were profitable, happy, and doing what we loved. Maple, who wrote our first cheque, wanted to lead our Series A. We had multiple acquisition offers—good and bad—but said no to all of them. We didn’t need more capital. We didn’t need to sell. What mattered was staying true to our vision, building something great, and having fun while doing it.

Then Wealthsimple reached out.

As long-time customers, we were intrigued. So we met their team and it was instant alignment. We both cared about the same thing: taking tools that used to be inaccessible and putting them in everyone’s hands.

That mattered, because while Fey had to be SaaS to survive, Wealthsimple could extend our vision to millions, changing how people relate to money, making it simpler, more enjoyable, and more beautiful. All without a monthly subscription.

The philosophical alignment was obvious. But so was the upside. Canada has always been a “banking country,” dominated by institutions founded more than a century ago. Wealthsimple is a catalyst for change. Joining them meant amplifying what we started, not just for ourselves, but as part of a generational shift in finance.

Could we have kept going by ourselves? Absolutely. But we didn’t sell out of necessity. We chose the path that gave our work the most leverage. We learned that sometimes the right move isn’t more control. It’s more impact.

Fey wasn’t an exit. It was the chance to magnify what we began: simple, beautiful tools that bring true financial freedom within reach for everyone.