Simplify how investors back your raise

Alto makes it easy for your network to invest with retirement capital via a self-directed IRA

Raising capital is complex.
Accessing retirement funds shouldn’t be.

Alto makes it easy for investors to fund your round with retirement dollars via self-directed IRAs.
It's tax-advantaged, efficient and compliant.

Why founders choose to raise capital with Alto

Access to retirement capital

IRAs represent a massive pool of long-term capital. With Alto, you can give your investors the ability use tax-advantaged retirement dollars to participate in your raise.

Streamlined fundraising

Alto’s platform makes it simple for your investors to deploy self-directed IRA funds into your company, reducing friction and helping you close rounds faster.

Compliance built in

When investors use their retirement accounts, Alto ensures the process follows IRS and SEC guidelines, helping you raise capital with confidence and clarity.

You don't need to become a self-directed IRA expert to raise IRA capital

With streamlined onboarding, compliance designed for private markets and continuous investor support,
Alto ensures a smooth experience on both sides of the transaction.

Founder Experience

Turnkey setup with no integration required
Real-time visibility into investor progress
Dedicated compliance and operational support
Funds delivered to you ~2 business days after transfer

Investor Experience

Guided account opening with real-time tracking
Help with rollovers, transfers, and funding
Ongoing support from Alto's investor team
Access to their self-directed IRA for private market investments
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Let's connect

Request a demo or reach out to learn more about raising capital with Alto

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For FAQs and general inquiries, please visit our help center.

case study

How one founder unlocked new growth capital

By enabling investors to use retirement funds, Onsight Real Estate is scaling faster with long-term, mission-aligned backers.

The mission

Onsight Real Estate was founded to fix what wasn’t working: outdated tools that slowed agents down and left buyers with a bumpy experience. CTO and co-founder Ryan Junt and his team built Onsight to modernize the home-buying journey, giving agents intuitive tools that streamline workflows and deliver a smoother path from open house to closing.

Raising with Alto

To scale their vision, Onsight needed more than traditional cash investors. Many friends and family had wealth in retirement accounts; Alto made it easy for them to invest as long-term, mission-driven backers. For many, it was their first opportunity to support a startup through their retirement funds, helping Onsight expand its investor base and accelerate growth.

Advice for founders

Onsight’s leadership emphasizes the importance of education and transparency. Many investors are unaware that investing through a retirement account is even possible, let alone how to do it. Once the team explained the process and introduced investors to a trusted platform like Alto, participation quickly followed.

“A lot of people don’t realize that investing through a retirement account is possible, but working with Alto made the opportunity accessible and clear. Investors were able to complete the process in just a few simple steps, which removed a lot of the usual friction. Alto helped us unlock a broader pool of long-term supporters.”

Ryan Junt
CTO & Co-Founder of Onsight Real Estate

The takeaway?

Retirement capital isn’t just untapped, it’s aligned. Long-term, value-driven investors are often the perfect partners for startups building for the future.

Ready to start raising? Get started now

Resources

Read our latest blog

How startups are unlocking capital with IRA funds

Watch our explainer video

Watch how Alto’s Private Raise Portal makes it easy for investors to fund your round with retirement dollars using self-directed IRAs

Stay in touch

Join our founder community for fundraising insights, success stories and practical resources

Download our SDIRA one-pager

Explore the opportunity that enabling self-directed IRA investing creates

Questions?

Well, we've got answers. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please visit our FAQ page
What is a self-directed IRA?
A self-directed IRA is a type of retirement account that allows investors to go beyond traditional stocks, bonds and mutual funds. With a self-directed IRA, investors can put their retirement dollars to work in alternatives such as private equity, venture capital, startups, real estate, cryptocurrency and more. For founders, this creates an additional pathway for investors to participate in early-stage fundraising using retirement savings.
Why do self-directed IRAs matter for founders?
Self-directed IRAs represent nearly 40% of all U.S. retirement assets (ICI, Q2 2025), creating a significant pool of capital that can be directed into private company fundraising. For founders, this means investors have more flexibility to use retirement dollars when participating in a round, making it easier to hit funding goals within existing networks.
Is it complicated for investors to use a self-directed
IRA?
No. With Alto, investors can set up and fund a self-directed IRA in minutes through a streamlined process that allows them to invest in startups without unnecessary complexity. For founders, this makes it easier for existing investors to participate in a raise.
Is investing through a self-directed IRA compliant?
Yes. Alto ensures the process follows IRS and SEC guidelines, giving both founders and investors confidence that each raise is handled correctly.