Barclays has agreed to acquire GoHenry, a digital money management platform aimed at children aged 6 to 18, from US-based fintech firm Acorns Grow Incorporated.
The deal is expected to complete in Q4 2026, pending regulatory approvals and other conditions. Barclays intends to retain the GoHenry brand and its standalone app following the acquisition. The transaction is projected to reduce Barclays’ CET1 ratio by around 5 basis points upon completion, based on its CET1 ratio as at 31 March 2026, though it is not expected to affect financial guidance or targets for either Barclays Group or Barclays UK for 2026 or 2028.
GoHenry’s platform gives children the tools to manage money through a dedicated app, featuring a prepaid debit card with parental controls, savings goal-setting and financial education lessons. Parents and guardians can monitor and guide their children’s spending habits directly through the app, while family members can also contribute to Junior ISAs on behalf of young users.
Founded in 2012, GoHenry has grown into one of the most recognisable names in UK youth banking, having supported more than 2 million young people in developing money management skills. The platform currently serves in excess of 500,000 children in the UK and holds a Net Promoter Score of +58. The business employs approximately 200 people and operates on a cloud-based technology infrastructure.
For Barclays, the acquisition forms part of a broader strategy to deepen relationships with customers across different life stages, including mass affluent households. By combining GoHenry’s youth-focused proposition with Barclays’ wider banking expertise, the group aims to offer a more continuous banking journey from childhood through to adulthood. Separately, Barclays and Acorns are also exploring further collaboration opportunities to better serve their respective customer bases.
As part of the 2023 acquisition by Acorns, GoHenry helped establish the Acorns Early brand in the US, which has since grown to more than 1.4 million customers. Following the sale of the UK business to Barclays, Acorns will retain both the GoHenry US operations, now trading under the Acorns Early name, and Pixpay, its European offering.
Barclays UK CEO Vim Maru said, “GoHenry has played a pioneering role in creating youth-focused financial services, building a market-leading brand for children thanks to its innovative all-in-one app. We’re excited to welcome GoHenry to Barclays, where it will turbocharge our offering for households and families. GoHenry supports our vision to offer a deep and seamless banking experience to customers through all of life’s big moments, whether opening a very first account, saving for retirement, and everything in between.”
GoHenry founder Louise Hill said, “Our mission has always been to make every kid smart with money. Joining forces with Barclays gives GoHenry a platform to accelerate that mission in the UK. It also enables us to offer GoHenry members a pathway to continue their money journey when they hit 18 – because financial education shouldn’t have a start or end date. GoHenry isn’t going anywhere. What changes is our ability to do more.”
Acorns CEO Noah Kerner said, “At Acorns, we’re bringing financial wellness to the whole family. Acquiring GoHenry in 2023 accelerated that ambitious vision, establishing Acorns Early as a US leader in the kids space with over 1.4 million customers. As we double down on growing the leading financial wellness app for American families, selling the GoHenry UK business to Barclays allows GoHenry to serve many more UK kids and further its important mission.”
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