Pro.com Co-Founders Reunite to Launch OnTrade, an AI Startup for Wealth Management

The move signals growing demand for specialized AI agents in finance, as high-profile talent shifts from Big Tech to vertical SaaS.

If you’ve tracked the rise of vertical AI—specialized tools for specific industries—you’ll recognize the pattern.

Former Pro.com co-founders Craig Williams and Jeremy Fong are back with OnTrade, a new startup targeting wealth management with AI agents.

Their return underscores a broader trend: top talent leaving generalized AI platforms to build niche solutions for industries hungry for automation.

Why Wealth Management?

Finance has long been a proving ground for AI, but most tools focus on either consumer chatbots or institutional trading algorithms. OnTrade appears to target the gap in between: advisors and firms managing high-net-worth portfolios. While details are scarce, the founders’ background in Pro.com—a home-services platform that used AI for contractor matching—suggests they’ll apply similar logic to matching clients with investment strategies.

The launch aligns with other high-profile moves, like Jeff Dean’s departure from Google to start an unnamed AI venture. Big Tech’s loss is vertical AI’s gain.

The Global Push for Specialized AI

OnTrade isn’t operating in a vacuum.

Governments and investors are doubling down on industry-specific AI, like Karnataka’s Rs 200-crore startup fund for AI skilling programs.

The message is clear: the next wave of AI adoption will be led by tools that speak the language of their users—literally and figuratively.

For developers, this means opportunity. Vertical AI startups often prioritize integration over raw model performance, leaning on APIs and modular design. If you’re building agents for finance, healthcare, or logistics, now’s the time to explore niche use cases.

What’s Next

Watch OnTrade’s early hires. Pro.com’s success hinged on blending domain experts (contractors) with AI engineers. If the team recruits heavily from wealth management—not just Silicon Valley—it’ll signal a deeper vertical play.

For more specialized AI agents, browse the directory. The race to automate industries is just beginning.