--- title: "Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide" description: Stefan Waldhauser on 5 years of StocksGuide – from a pandemic side project to a platform with 3 million investors. Get 40 % off in the anniversary sale. image: https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2004_05_49.png --- [![StocksGuideFianl](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/StocksGuideFianl.svg "StocksGuideFianl")](https://stocksguide.com/en) - [Portfolios](https://stocksguide.com/en/portfolios) - [Screener](https://stocksguide.com/en/screener) - [Charts](https://stocksguide.com/en/charts) - [Alerts](https://stocksguide.com/en/stock-metric-alerts) - Tools - Discover stocks - [Stock Screener](https://stocksguide.com/en/screener) - [Indices](https://stocksguide.com/en/indices) - [Sectors](https://stocksguide.com/en/sectors) - [Dividend-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-strategy/topscorer) - [Growth-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/topscorer) - [Levermann-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/levermann-strategy/topscorer) - Analyze stocks - [Charting](https://stocksguide.com/en/charts) - [Dividend Calender](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-calendar) - [Earnings Calender](https://stocksguide.com/en/earnings-calendar) - [Dividends-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-strategy) - [Growth-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/strategy) - [Levermann-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/levermann-strategy) - Monitor stocks - [Dashboard](https://stocksguide.com/en) - [HGI Watchlist](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/high-growth-investing-watchlist) - [Aristocrats](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividend-aristocrats) - [Notifications](https://stocksguide.com/en/users/edit#notifications) - [Hig-Tech-Wikifolio](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/high-tech-stock-picking-wikifolio) - [Elite Dividend Stocks](https://stocksguide.com/en/continuity-toplists/listen) - [Blog](https://blog.stocksguide.com) - [Portfolios](https://stocksguide.com/en/portfolios) - [Screener](https://stocksguide.com/en/screener) - [Charts](https://stocksguide.com/en/charts) - [Alerts](https://stocksguide.com/en/stock-metric-alerts) - Tools - Discover stocks - [Stock Screener](https://stocksguide.com/en/screener) - [Indices](https://stocksguide.com/en/indices) - [Sectors](https://stocksguide.com/en/sectors) - [Dividend-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-strategy/topscorer) - [Growth-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/topscorer) - [Levermann-Topscorer](https://stocksguide.com/en/levermann-strategy/topscorer) - Analyze stocks - [Charting](https://stocksguide.com/en/charts) - [Dividend Calender](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-calendar) - [Earnings Calender](https://stocksguide.com/en/earnings-calendar) - [Dividends-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-strategy) - [Growth-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/strategy) - [Levermann-Strategy](https://stocksguide.com/en/levermann-strategy) - Monitor stocks - [Dashboard](https://stocksguide.com/en) - [HGI Watchlist](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/high-growth-investing-watchlist) - [Aristocrats](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividend-aristocrats) - [Notifications](https://stocksguide.com/en/users/edit#notifications) - [Hig-Tech-Wikifolio](https://stocksguide.com/en/high-growth-investing/high-tech-stock-picking-wikifolio) - [Elite Dividend Stocks](https://stocksguide.com/en/continuity-toplists/listen) - [Blog](https://blog.stocksguide.com) Search Search - [Contact Us](https://stocksguide.com/en/contacts/new) - [Contact Us](https://stocksguide.com/en/contacts/new) Search Search ![Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2004_05_49.png) May 28, 2026 | [News](https://blog.stocksguide.com/topic/news) # Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide StocksGuide is built for investors who don't want to guess but want to understand: finding stocks, analysing them with substance, and following them systematically – modern, clean, and with AI support. We're celebrating our 5th anniversary. Co-Founder Stefan Waldhauser looks back at the wild ride from a pandemic side project to a stock analysis platform trusted by over 3 million investors worldwide – and explains why StocksGuide keeps growing even in the age of AI. As an anniversary gift: 40 % off Premium and Unlimited in your first year – only until 3 June 2026. Only for new customers. [Stefan Waldhauser](https://blog.stocksguide.com/author/stefan-waldhauser) Table of Contents 1. [The Essentials in 15 Seconds](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#essentials) 2. [A Founding Story Like No Other](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#founding) 3. [A Dream That Came True](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#dream) 4. [The AI Thesis – and Why It Didn't Hold](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#aihype) 5. [Pride, Gratitude, and the Next 5 Years](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#pride) 6. [A Birthday Gift for You](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#gift) 7. [FAQ on Our 5th Anniversary](https://blog.stocksguide.com/founded-in-the-pandemic-grown-despite-the-ai-hype-5-years-of-stocksguide#faq) On 26 May 2026, the platform behind StocksGuide turned 5 years old. Time to pause for a moment and reflect. What a wild ride it has been – founded right in the middle of the Corona pandemic as a Swiss public limited company, today one of the most-used stock analysis platforms with investors all over the world. In this post I'll tell you how it all came to be, why the platform keeps growing in the age of AI, and what I'm most proud of after 5 years. And yes – we've prepared a birthday gift for you. 👇 ## 💡 The Essentials in 15 Seconds - aktien.guide – the German-language platform behind StocksGuide – was founded on **26 May 2021**, right in the middle of the Corona pandemic. As a Swiss AG, without the two founders ever having met in person. - What began as a nightly side project of two stock-market enthusiasts is today one of the **most-used stock analysis platforms** for retail investors – known as aktien.guide in the DACH region, StocksGuide internationally. - Together, aktien.guide and StocksGuide are trusted by over **3 million investors worldwide** today. - Despite the AI hype, the platform keeps growing – with a **very low churn rate**. - For our 5th anniversary: **40 % off** Premium and Unlimited in your first year – only until **3 June 2026**. [Get the Anniversary Offer](https://lp.stocksguide.com/biggest-sale-of-the-year) ## **A Founding Story Like No Other** Tino Wendland and I founded aktien.guide – the platform you know as StocksGuide internationally – right in the middle of the Corona pandemic. At the time, without even meeting at a notary's office in person. Born as a Swiss public limited company, in the middle of lockdown. It sounds strange, but back then it was simply the only option we had. ![ChatGPT Image 28. Mai 2026, 03_56_42 (7)](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(7).png?width=600&height=338&name=ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(7).png) What began as a side project of two passionate stock-market enthusiasts is today one of the most-used stock analysis platforms for retail investors. I'm not writing this to pat ourselves on the back. I'm writing it because, honestly, I sometimes still can't quite believe it myself. ## **A Dream That Came True** Personally, StocksGuide made a dream of mine come true. After more than 35 years on the stock market, I was finally able to have a talented and highly motivated team build all the analysis tools I had wished I had as a young investor – tools that used to be reserved for the pros. The team poured all these ideas into an interface that, to this day, remains simple and clear. Time and again, I hear that StocksGuide is by far the easiest tool to get started with stock analysis on the market. That's exactly how it should be – and I'm incredibly proud of it. Because that was always our goal: not a tool exclusively for pros, who usually know what they're doing anyway. But one for everyone who wants to get started. ## **The AI Thesis – and Why It Didn't Hold** Over the past two years, I've heard again and again that subscription-funded SaaS tools like StocksGuide would lose their reason to exist in the age of AI. ChatGPT and the like, the argument went, would make classic software tools obsolete. And yet, to this day, the number of paying users, our revenue and especially the engagement of StocksGuide users keeps growing – with a still very low churn rate. Our users love StocksGuide, they recognise the added value, and they are happy to pay a fair price for support in their stock-picking process – even in the age of AI. A big part of this comes from the fact that StocksGuide has continuously evolved over the past 5 years and has integrated AI very early on. Both in internal processes and the development of the platform (so you get more and more new features faster), and through using AI in the right places inside the product itself. ![ChatGPT Image 28. Mai 2026, 03_56_42 (8)](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(8).png?width=600&height=338&name=ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(8).png) Thanks to AI, there are now features that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: - Real-time explanations of short-term stock price movements - Summaries of international earnings calls in clear, accessible English - AI insights into business models, strengths and risks in the context of an individual stock All in one place. For us, AI isn't a threat – it's a tool, when you use it in the right places. ## **Pride, Gratitude, and the Next 5 Years** On this 5th anniversary, I look back with pride and gratitude at what a small international team has built together, working purely virtually. And I'm looking forward to evolving the platform with this team over the next 5 years. ![ChatGPT Image 28. Mai 2026, 03_56_42 (7)](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(7).png?width=600&height=338&name=ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(7).png) We have countless ideas ahead – many of which will be implemented step by step with AI. And some of them, deliberately, without. ## **A Birthday Gift for You** If you've been thinking about getting a StocksGuide subscription, now is the right time. For our 5th anniversary, new customers get 40 % off Premium and Unlimited in their first year – only until 3 June 2026. ![ChatGPT Image 28. Mai 2026, 03_56_42 (10)](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(10).png?width=600&height=338&name=ChatGPT%20Image%2028.%20Mai%202026%2c%2003_56_42%20(10).png) [Get the Anniversary Offer](https://lp.stocksguide.com/biggest-sale-of-the-year) ## **FAQ on Our 5th Anniversary** When exactly was StocksGuide founded? aktien.guide – the platform behind StocksGuide – was founded on **26 May 2021** as a Swiss public limited company in the middle of the Corona pandemic. The real beginning goes back even earlier, when Tino Wendland built a stock screener out of a hobby over many late nights, which we then developed further together. Does AI make stock analysis tools obsolete? No – and our numbers show this clearly. Despite the AI hype, StocksGuide keeps growing, user engagement is high, and our **churn rate is very low**. General AI tools like ChatGPT can do a lot, but they don't provide a curated, verified data foundation for systematic stock-picking. That's exactly where StocksGuide comes in – and we use AI on top, in the places where it brings real added value. What AI features does StocksGuide offer? Currently, among other things: **real-time explanations** of short-term stock price movements, **summaries of international earnings calls**, and **AI insights** into the business models of individual stocks. More AI-powered features are coming in the next few months. What's coming new in 2026? The focus is, among other things, on expanding the **Value Investing** area, and the new **Ownership tab**, which shows – beyond insider transactions – who actually owns a company. We'll also continue to integrate AI further, always where it brings real benefits to our users. How does the anniversary offer work? For our 5th anniversary, new customers get **40 % off Premium and Unlimited** in their first year. The offer is valid until **3 June 2026**. From the second year, regular prices apply, and you can cancel anytime. ![Stefan Waldhauser](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stefan%20Waldhauser.jpeg?width=70&name=Stefan%20Waldhauser.jpeg) ### Written By: Stefan Waldhauser Stefan Waldhauser founded his own software company years ago, internationalized it and sold it to Silicon Valley. Since 2016, he has managed one of the most successful model portfolios on the wikifolio platform. He co-founded an equity fund on the topic of digitalization (The Digital Leaders Fund), which was awarded the top rating of five stars by Morningstar. Stefan is now a co-founder and investor at aktien.guide AG. ## You May Also Like ### [![Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/2-4.png) *Jul 02, 2026 | Dividends* Amundi Stock Analysis: 5% Dividend Yield with Europe's Largest Asset Manager.](https://blog.stocksguide.com/amundi-stock-analysis) ### [![Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/monday.com%20DE-5-1.jpg) *Jun 25, 2026 | Levermann* TRATON Stock Analysis: Order Boom Meets Attractive Valuation](https://blog.stocksguide.com/traton-stock-analysis) ### [![Founded in the Pandemic, Grown Despite the AI Hype: 5 Years of StocksGuide](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/monday.com%20DE-2.jpg) *Jun 17, 2026 | HGI* monday.com Stock Analysis: A SaaS Platform with 24% Growth—Almost a Steal!](https://blog.stocksguide.com/monday.com-stock-analysis) [View more blog posts](https://blog.stocksguide.com/tag/dividends) [![StocksGuideFianl](https://blog.stocksguide.com/hubfs/StocksGuideFianl.svg "StocksGuideFianl")](https://stocksguide.com/en) Binzallee 30, Zürich 8055 © 2024 aktien.guide AG - StocksGuide - [Features](https://stocksguide.com/en/product) - [Plans](https://stocksguide.com/en/premium) - Company - [About](https://stocksguide.com/en/about-us) - [Contact us](https://stocksguide.com/en/contacts/new) - [Privacy Policy](https://stocksguide.com/en/privacy-policy) - [Imprint](https://stocksguide.com/en/imprint) - Discover Stocks - [Blog](https://blog.stocksguide.com) - [Earnings Calendar](https://stocksguide.com/en/earnings-calendar) - [Dividend Calendar](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividends-calendar) - [Stock Screener](https://stocksguide.com/en/screener) - [Elite Dividend Stocks](https://stocksguide.com/en/continuity-toplists/listen) - [Dividend Aristocrats](https://stocksguide.com/en/dividend-aristocrats) - [Stocks](https://stocksguide.com/en/stocks) - [Glossary](https://lp.stocksguide.com/glossary) **Disclaimer** aktien.guide AG assumes no liability for the information presented, its accuracy and completeness. The content offered here is for illustrative purposes only and is in no way to be understood as an invitation to buy, hold or sell securities. [Disclaimer of liability](https://aktien.guide/impressum) For some links aktien.guide AG may receive an affiliate commission. This helps us to provide free products and content on StocksGuide. 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