Teaching children and teens financial literacy and how to manage their money is important, but it can be a major challenge for parents. That’s what the Goalsetter app, which appeared on “Shark Tank” Season 10, Episode 15, was designed to do. Created by Tanya Van Court, the app was a Venmo-like digital savings platform that focuses on financial education.
Inspired by studies that suggest children with savings accounts are more likely to attend and graduate college, the app rethinks how we give gifts and money to kids. It provides a way for parents, extended family, and friends to give children money as a gift and encourages kids to set savings goals. It also gives parents different options for dispensing allowances, including automatic transfers or payment for completing chores.
Van Court brought Goalsetter to “Shark Tank” for a $200,000 investment in exchange for 4% equity in the company. While the Sharks were intrigued by the platform, financial challenges and risks involved led most of the Sharks to back out. Only Kevin O’Leary, intrigued by the company’s relationships with banks, offered the money but wanted 25% equity. Van Court declined and walked away without a deal.
What happened to Goalsetter after Shark Tank?
Goalsetter did far better attracting investors after its “Shark Tank” appearance. As of 2026, the company raised $31 million from various investors, including NBA players Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, who saw value in the app as an learning tool. As the company has grown, it has increased emphasis on education and socioeconomic justice, targeting the racial wealth gap by encouraging young people of color in particular to learn financial literacy through things like quizzes the child has to pass in order to use their debit card. In an ironic twist, Goalsetter even partnered with shark Mark Cuban (who did not make an offer on the show) for a Black History Month initiative.
That said, Goalsetter recently made some major changes. The app is no more, with the company instructing users to remove all funds by Feb. 13, 2026. As the company’s website explains, “Goalsetter is transitioning away from the Goalsetter App so we can focus solely on our fantastic education program.” These include games and interactive education content aimed at middle and school students and financial educational tools for all ages.
As for Tanya Van Court, she remains CEO of Goalsetter. While her “Shark Tank” pitch was unsuccessful, she called her experience on the show “amazing” in an interview with Her Agenda, saying “It’s been wonderful exposure for us and I’m grateful for the opportunity.” Since then, she has been named one of the most powerful women in financial technology by American Banker. This is a case where turning down the Sharks was the right choice as with Ring and MTailor.
