Vanilla

Founder Steve Lockshin provides the strategic vision. Beyond the C-suite, Vanilla's Abstraction Services team — composed of former practicing attorneys — interprets client estate documents uploaded by advisors. That in-house legal layer is paired with the Vanilla Attorney Network for complex structures, meaning the firm blends software with human review rather than a pure SaaS approach.

The firm states that no client data is ever used to train AI models. Vanilla AI (V/AI) operates in a secure, compliant environment where AI-generated outputs are clearly marked and editable. Firms can enable or disable V/AI at the practice level, a posture designed to meet the risk tolerance of large enterprise RIAs.

Vanilla does not deploy capital into portfolio companies. Its business model is software revenue sold to financial advisors and wealth management firms. The platform covers the full wealth spectrum — from foundational plans to ultra-high-net-worth structures — but owns no equity stakes in client assets.

Confirmed users disclosed by Vanilla include Vanguard, Mariner, Robinhood, Coastal Bridge Advisors, and Robertson Stephens. Advisors at these firms use the software for estate health checks, document review, scenario modeling for GRATs and SLATs, and charitable strategy comparisons.

Yes. Vanilla describes its platform as the only patented estate planning solution built specifically for financial advisors. The patent protection covers its visual estate mapping and AI-driven workflow integration, though no patent numbers are published on the site.

Vendor. Vanilla licenses its software platform to RIAs and broker-dealers. Advisors use white-labeled tools and AI to enhance client-facing deliverables, but the firm does not share in advisory fees, hold assets, or exert discretion over portfolios.

Revenue comes from platform subscriptions, not transaction fees. The software's scenario modeling, document abstraction, and V/AI features are designed to increase advisor share-of-wallet by surfacing planning opportunities that trigger additional billable services under each advisor's fee schedule.