NAO
How NAO made private market investing accessible from €1,000 via state in the art mobile app
- Client:NAO Co-Investment GmbH
- Year:2021 → ongoing
- Industry:Fintech
- Scope:
- Product Strategy & Discovery
- UX / UI Design
- Ruby on Rails Backend Engineering
- React Native (iOS & Android)
- KYC & Investment Bank Integrations
- DevOps (AWS)
- Project Management
- Founding Phase Support
- Core Team Recruitment
Intro
NAO is a German fintech startup that democratizes access to private and alternative market investments. Through a mobile-first platform, it allows everyday investors to participate in opportunities that were previously reserved for institutions - starting from just €1,000, with full compliance and a seamless user experience.
Project Timeline
- 2021Q4
Discovery & MVP
- 2022Q1
MVP Launch
- Q2
Feature Expansion & Refinement
- 2023
Hiring Support & Technical Scaling
- 2024
Ongoing Product Development
The challenge
NAO was a bold new idea: enable access to complex private market investments for retail investors
The challenge is to make often complex investment products accessible to anyone, even though they are usually targeting experienced investment professionals who operate on behalf of their UHNWI or family offices. This comes with a lot of educational responsibilities to explain such offerings. In addition, many parts of the investment process and available documentation are stuck in the past - heavily paper-based and not at the level now expected from best-practice investment applications like Robinhood or Trade Republic.
MVP Highlight
From Vision to Complex Investment Product In Months
NAO partnered with YND to turn an ambitious investment vision into a fully operational fintech product - delivered in months not years.
Seamless Tech Meets Compliance
Working with banks and custodians not built for digital-first use required translating complex systems into smooth, app-based experiences - an area where YND brings a perfect mix of pragmatism and deep fintech know-how.
Integrated Regulated Providers
YND built a backend that orchestrates key partners:
- Baader Bank for custodial and current accounts
- BAFIN-compliant video identification
- Risk, sanctions, and PEP screening
Proven Fintech Expertise
With over a decade of experience in fintech, YND bridges regulation and technology - delivering fast, secure, and user-friendly platforms at scale.
Release Highlights
MVP to maturity — Seamless, Scalable, and Secure
Backend Built for Flexibility and Scale
YND developed a modular backend architecture that orchestrates key providers - Banking-as-a-Service, video identification, and risk screening - while avoiding vendor lock-in. This setup gives NAO full control over the onboarding and transaction flow, enabling long-term adaptability and negotiating power as the business scales.Unified Codebase, Cross-Platform Delivery
Built with React Native, NAO runs on both iOS and Android from a single, efficient codebase. This streamlined approach enabled rapid development, consistent functionality across platforms, and reduced maintenance overhead - all delivered by YND’s mobile team end-to-end.
Award-Winning User Experience
NAO’s sleek, modern interface was designed with a focus on clarity, responsiveness, and best-in-class UX standards. This attention to detail earned NAO praise in the press and the Fintech of the Year 2024 award.Fully Embedded Mobile Onboarding
Integrated IdNow’s BAFIN-compliant video identification directly into the app for a smooth, end-to-end onboarding experience - all within a single mobile flow.Secure by Design
Implemented step-up authorization to protect sensitive actions like order placements, enhancing security without compromising usability.
Outcome
“YND has been a key partner in turning our idea into a working product – guiding us from the initial concept through to a successful MVP launch. Beyond that, they remained a driving force in the continued development of our technology, playing a central role in evolving the platform into what is now the leading private equity app in Germany. Their technical excellence and strong software architecture capabilities have laid a solid foundation for scaling our platform. The team consistently delivers on time, communicates effectively in both in-person and virtual settings, and integrates smoothly with our internal workflows. Most of all, we appreciate how approachable they are - making collaboration both effective and enjoyable.”
Features
Full Technical Partnership
YND acted as NAO’s extended product and engineering team: managing design, tech, and delivery from end to end.
Even as NAO grows internally, YND remains a strategic partner - helping with hiring, scaling, and mentoring new team members while continuing product development.
Regulatory-Ready, Investor-Friendly
- A backend system orchestrating between the key underlying providers (BaaS, Ident providers, Risk Checks)
- A fully mobile onboarding process on the application including integration of the IdNow Video ident flow fully embedded into the application
- Step up authorization mechanisms for protection of sensitive operations like order placement
Mobile-First Investing
From day one, NAO was engineered for mobile - with beautiful, intuitive flows built in React Native and backend powered by Rails. Cross-platform experience ensures users can invest securely anytime, anywhere.
Summary
In under 5 months, the NAO MVP was launched - complete with backend, mobile apps, and secure integration with financial partners. Built with tight iterations, lean decision-making, and strong founder collaboration.
- Under 5monthsDelivered full MVP - from zero to live, regulated investment app
- 90%Providedof the whole concept, design and engineering team for the complete Development of the MVP
- FullscopeBuilt mobile apps and backend for KYC, investment flows, and compliance
- GermangrantApplication successfully supported
- Helpedrecruitand onboard NAO’s internal developement team
- JuststartingWe're still in ongoing development