Mona Raises $3.5M Seed Led by Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners for AI Small-Business Capital Platform

Mona Closes $3.5M Seed Round

San Francisco-based financial technology company Mona has raised a $3.5 million seed round led by Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, according to funding data dated September 28, 2026. The round also included Wisdom Ventures, Alumni Ventures and Eric Schmidt.

What Mona Does

Mona operates an AI platform designed to help small businesses across the United States access capital and financial coaching. The company addresses a persistent problem for entrepreneurs: the complexity of finding and applying for the right funding.

Through Mona, entrepreneurs complete a single common application. The platform then uses that application to surface best-fit grants, loans and government funding, streamline the application process, and deliver ongoing guidance that pairs AI with human coaching.

Founding Team

Mona was founded by Andrew Leon Hanna and Anny Dow. The company's approach combines technology-driven matching with human support, a hybrid model aimed at helping small-business owners navigate a fragmented funding landscape.

Traction

According to the company, Mona has supported thousands of small businesses and helped entrepreneurs secure millions in affordable capital. Its traction spans cities including Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York City and San Francisco — a footprint that covers both major coastal hubs and underserved markets in the Midwest and Southeast.

The Investor Base

The seed round brings together a mix of venture funds and notable individual backing:

• Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners led the round.
• Wisdom Ventures participated.
• Alumni Ventures participated.
• Eric Schmidt also invested.

The presence of a high-profile technology investor alongside institutional funds signals confidence in Mona's AI-plus-coaching model for small-business finance.

Why This Round Matters

Small-business lending and grant discovery remain highly fragmented in the U.S. Entrepreneurs often juggle multiple applications, eligibility rules and funding sources with limited guidance. Mona's single-application approach, backed by AI matching and human coaching, targets that friction directly.

For acquisition watchers, several factors stand out:

• Data and matching engine. A platform that ingests a common application and maps it to grants, loans and government programs accumulates valuable data on small-business funding needs and outcomes.
• Geographic spread. Traction in Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York City and San Francisco suggests the model works across diverse local economies, not just tech-centric markets.
• Hybrid service model. Pairing AI with human coaching can improve completion rates and outcomes, creating a defensible service layer that pure software competitors may lack.
• Ecosystem fit. Banks, fintech lenders, community development financial institutions and government agencies all have incentives to reach small businesses more efficiently — potential strategic partners or acquirers.
• Investor signal. Backing from Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, Wisdom Ventures, Alumni Ventures and Eric Schmidt provides both capital and credibility for the next stage of growth.

What to Watch

With fresh seed capital, Mona is positioned to expand its platform, deepen its coaching operations and reach more small businesses across the U.S. Key questions include how the company monetizes its matching and coaching services, whether it moves into direct lending or remains an origination and guidance layer, and how it scales human coaching alongside AI as volume grows.

For now, the $3.5 million seed round led by Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners gives Mona additional runway to pursue its goal of making affordable capital more accessible to American small businesses.