Buffalo-based edtech startup is reporting fast traction through higher ed networks that include SUNY, UNC and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
Buffalo-based ed tech startup Arbol recently inked two new customers, Marquette University and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, that showcase its deepening relationships within specific higher ed networks.
Arbol’s customer base is now growing through several different networked systems, notably SUNY, UNC and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
The traction is a showcase for Arbol’s AI-enabled financial services platform, which clears the confusion about college finances, allows students and families to create a transparent financial map to graduation and allows colleges to deliver proactive support at scale.
“Colleges know their students need support dealing with financial clarity and income gaps, but the demand for this support simply outstretches their bandwidth,” cofounder and CEO David Gonzalez said. “Arbol can deliver that capability at scale with our automated platform, which leads to meaningful increases in enrollment and retention for our customers.”
Arbol was founded in 2021 by cofounders Gonzalez and Favio Osorio and built its platform after thousands of hours in the trenches with students and college staff. Since that time, students at partner colleges have used Arbol to generate more than 10,000 financial plans and close $15M in financial gaps, driving enrollment and retention growth.
The company has been supported by Techstars, Village Capital, the University at Buffalo’s Cultivator accelerator program and received investments from UB, Launch NY, the Buffalo Angels and the WNY Impact Investment Fund.
Over the past year, interest has accelerated across Arbol’s pipeline as affordability has become a dominant conversation in higher education, fueled by decades of rising college costs and recent policy changes that make it harder for parents to borrow.
While students have options to pay, financial aid teams at colleges rarely have the bandwidth to communicate effectively about the real cost of college and available options, Gonzalez said.
The new customers represent two important use cases for the Arbol platform.
Driving enrollment growth: Marquette will launch Arbol this month for more than 15,000 admitted students. Arbol helps students and families understand what college will cost and how they can pay for it, making it easier for more admitted students to enroll.
Driving retention: UNC Charlotte is going live this fall with its Financial-Plan-To-Graduation initiative, incorporating Arbol into the program so every incoming freshman builds a clear, personalized plan to pay for all four years through the first-year experience course. The goal is to remove financial uncertainty early, scale support beyond what a small team can do on its own and drive stronger retention.
