This week’s feature shines the spotlight on Gaby Rosenberg, the young entrepreneur behind Blossom. Blossom is a micro-investment app focused on financially empowering young Australians by introducing them to fixed-income investments. Gaby has long been interested in entrepreneurship and personal finance, so this venture allows her to not only share her knowledge and advocacy but also to provide others with financial empowerment through a stable and ethical investment option.
ISB: What is the inspiration behind Blossom?
GR: My sister and co-founder, Ali, and I started this business during the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns keeping us at home as a family, we had more time to get on top of our personal finances. Coming from a family of finance professionals, we were always exposed to innovative financial ideas around the dinner table. One week, the discussion was about fixed-income, and given our risk-averse nature, it immediately appealed to us. However, during our research, we realised the barriers: long lock-up periods, high minimum investments between $50,000 to $200,000 in some cases, and high fees. We knew this was an issue not just for us but for many people we knew. So we built a platform for everyone, providing more accessible, affordable options to build wealth.
ISB: How does Blossom make investment enticing and less overwhelming especially for youth?
GR: Fixed-income investments are often seen as conservative or even ‘boring,’ but at Blossom, we embrace them as a powerful tool for diversification. We’ve made this asset class approachable and engaging by creating an easy-to-use platform that removes the usual complexities often associated with financial products. We focus on simplifying the experience to help our users confidently make long-term financial decisions without feeling overwhelmed. By providing insights and resources, we help users understand the power of consistent investing and compounding returns. Whether it’s saving for a house deposit or another major milestone, we have helped many users reach their goals. Our aim is to empower users of all ages to take control of their financial future, no matter where they start.
ISB: What makes fixed income an ideal investment vehicle in these times?
GR: The markets have seen some green over the last few weeks, in part due to the fact of the Federal Reserve finally cutting interest rates in the US. Rate cuts globally are already predicted by many experts and the market itself is anticipating around five rate cuts in Australia by this time next year. This will, of course depend, on inflation and unemployment rates meeting the RBA’s targets to start cutting rates. This is historically good for investments. However, there is still some global uncertainties in all markets with the US election and geopolitical tensions – we believe investors still have reason to be a little bit cautious. Should the market correct, we would typically expect to see investments in fixed-income outperform equities.
ISB: Why is ethical investing an important aspect of your venture?
GR: Our mission is to leave your savings and the environment much better than we found them. We’ve made it our mission to support responsible investment with our ESG policy. It’s important to us and our brand that we’re being responsible and conscious with our investments. We’ve also committed to planting a tree after every first funding and you can choose to plant trees when you refer a friend to the app. We’ve planted over 13,000 trees since inception, and we look forward to planting many more.
ISB: As siblings running this venture, how do you ensure a healthy business relationship?
GR: Our strong business relationship is built on a few key principles. We each manage different areas of the business, which creates clear accountability and helps us avoid overlapping responsibilities. Our complementary skill sets also play a significant role – Ali’s expertise covers areas where I’m less experienced, and vice versa, allowing us to bring diverse strengths to the table. Above all, we share a deep trust in each other, which enables us to make confident decisions, knowing we’re both fully committed to the success of the business.
ISB: What is your vision for Blossom in the next couple of years?
GR: Our vision for Blossom is to become the go-to platform for savers who want to take charge of their financial future and to be the trusted home for fixed-income investing. In the next five years, we aim to help hundreds of thousands of savers with a range of products tailored to different life stages. We also have global aspirations, with plans to launch in New Zealand by the end of this year and expand into larger international markets soon after.
