By MeaCulpa (and AI empowered)
Lincoln, Neb., September 2025
Nestimate, a Lincoln, Nebraska–based financial technology company, has closed a $3 million funding round aimed at accelerating its work helping retirement plan fiduciaries integrate lifetime income solutions into defined contribution plans (such as 401(k)s). The raise marks a meaningful step for the company—and for Nebraska’s growing role in fintech innovation.
What Nestimate Does & How It Works
Founded in 2022, Nestimate offers a software-analytics platform designed to help fiduciaries, plan sponsors, advisors, insurers, and recordkeepers evaluate, select, and monitor guaranteed income options (for instance, in-plan annuities) as part of retirement plans. In plain terms, the company aims to make it easier for 401(k) holders—and those who oversee those plans—to move beyond simply accumulating savings toward generating retirement income.
One way to think about Nestimate’s value: many employers and plan fiduciaries find it difficult (in terms of expertise, risk, and logistics) to evaluate annuity or other “lifetime income” products. Nestimate packages much of that complexity and due-diligence work into a toolset that is software-led—and supplemented by human experts—to support fiduciary decision making.
Key features of Nestimate include:
- Analytics, evaluation, and modeling tools to compare retirement income strategies with precision.
- A guided due diligence workflow to help fiduciaries meet legal or regulatory requirements when choosing guaranteed income products.
- Ongoing monitoring and support. Its platform is not just for selection, but for monitoring performance over time and ensuring that providers continue to meet expectations.
Why the Funding Raise Is Newsworthy
The recently closed funding round is notable for several reasons:
- Amount and Support – Nestimate raised $3 million in this round. The lead investor was S3 Ventures, with participation from PruVen Capital, TIAA Ventures, and Invest Nebraska among others.
- Strategic Momentum – With these funds, the company plans to scale up product development, improve customer support, and expand into new “frontiers of retirement”—presumably meaning more product offerings, integrations, or perhaps regulatory jurisdictions.
- Industry Relevance – Retirement income is increasingly a focus in U.S. retirement policy and public expectation. Many Americans fear outliving their savings; legally and practically, fiduciaries (who oversee retirement plans) face pressure to include income guarantees or stable income options. A tool like Nestimate addresses a gap.
- Signal for Nebraska – It underscores that high-growth fintech / retirement solutions are being built outside the traditional hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, etc.). It strengthens the narrative that Nebraska is capable of generating meaningful fintech innovation and venture capital activity.
Founders & Leadership
- Kelby Meyers is the founder and CEO of Nestimate. He started the company in 2022. Meyers has over a decade of experience in financial services, particularly with insurance and annuity products. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska. He also holds certifications/designations relevant to fiduciary work (e.g. Certified Plan Fiduciary Adviser etc.).
- Josh Anderson, the COO, joined in 2024. He has experience leading strategic innovation and account product strategy, especially in workplace retirement plans (including roles at Franklin Templeton, Raymond James, and Fidelity). He is a CFA charter holder. iHeart
Other leadership and the broader team blend technology, retirement policy, fiduciary practice, and consulting experience. The site notes “more than 100 years of combined experience in retirement income, defined contribution, and fiduciary process.”
Why This Matters for Nebraska
Nestimate’s rise and recent funding are significant locally for several reasons. First, it continues to illustrate the quality and quantity of Nebraska’s FinTech community. Second, it continues to underline the ability of Nebraska startups to build traction with customers and investors. Finally, it reaffirms that companies like Invest Nebraska are critical to the state’s startups and the Lincoln-Omaha ecosystem.
Nestimate’s $3 million raise signals both confidence in and need for better solutions in the retirement-income space. The company is building something that could reshape what a “401(k) plan” means—moving from savings to guaranteed lifetime income options. For Nebraska, it adds another chapter to the state’s emerging tech and fintech story, and suggests that significant innovation doesn’t have to be coastal.
