About Us
SupportPay is an innovative fintech solution that aims to simplify and streamline the stressful, time-consuming, and conflict-ridden process of managing and splitting finances within modern families. Originally developed as a co-parenting solution, SupportPay has evolved into a groundbreaking platform that has since expanded to offer its innovative solution to any caregiver, aiming to effectively manage and track shared expenses, coordinate schedules, and streamline communication with other family members and loved ones while providing a certified record for court and tax purposes. By addressing the widespread need for efficient and transparent communication around expenses, SupportPay empowers parents and caregivers to effectively manage the financial well-being of their loved ones across multiple households.
Founders Bio
Sheri Atwood, Founder and CEO of SupportPay, is a former Silicon Valley executive with a deeply personal connection to her mission. A single mom and child of a difficult divorce, Sheri’s journey began when she married at 19, completed her undergraduate degree in just 3.5 years, earned an MBA (finished just 10 days before her child’s birth while working full-time), and became the youngest Vice President at Symantec, all by age 25.
In building SupportPay, Sheri raised over $7 million, including a $4 million Series A round in December 2016. However, seven months later, she was removed from her role and replaced by an insider from the investing team. Within three months, the company faced significant losses, including most employees, customers, and stability in the product. Despite her offers to return and rebuild, the board announced a plan to liquidate the company.
Refusing to give up, Sheri formed Smart Family Tech, Inc. in 2018. She took a personal loan, tapped into her remaining savings, and purchased the SupportPay assets. From 2018 to 2020, she bootstrapped the relaunch, self-funding the product and its growth.
Sheri is known for her resilience, energy, and resourcefulness, living by the motto: “Don’t talk about it, be about it!”
Origin Story
My parents divorced when I was 5 years old and they defined what it means to have a "dysfunctional divorce." It seemed, as a young child, the only thing that mattered to either one of them was money, or lack thereof, and this caused a lot of fighting and a lot of conflict. Many years later, when I faced a divorce of my own, I swore I would do everything in my power to make it as amicable as possible. Our divorce was so amicable, I did the entire thing myself.
Yet I found, whether it's a horrible divorce or an amicable one, when it comes to communicating about money with an ex, things can get complex, complicated, and conflict-ridden very quickly. I was a Vice President at Symantec, juggling the responsibility of being a single parent, and tried to manage the process of sharing expenses with my ex-husband. Between tracking expenses, calculating who owed what to whom, and managing getting bills paid, the entire process was very overwhelming. And then I realized all caregivers go through this with their family members. I looked high and low for a solution and, to my surprise, there was no standard process or system to enable parents and caregivers to manage this emotional and conflict-ridden process directly between each other. I was looking for a solution that would save me time and money and help to eliminate the conflict regarding finances so I could focus on spending time with my daughter and loved ones.
Product Overview
Honors and Awards
- Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for Excellence in Technology
- Employee Health Innovation Roundtable (EHIR) Innovator for 2024
- Featured at Venture Atlanta 2024