Case study · Mobile apps
Aghaz: halal goal-based investing mobile app for US investors
A US halal investing app on Google Play: goal-based portfolios, a halal stock screener, a flat fee schedule and a regulated broker behind it.
At a glance
- Who it's for
- US-based Muslims who want to save for personal goals through investments that follow Islamic principles. The listing says Aghaz is for "US-based Muslims".
- Core platform
- An Android app on Google Play in the Finance category, published under the developer name Manzil Inc. The listing links to a website, aghazinvest.com.
- What sets it apart
- Investing is organised around goals (up to 10 per customer, by the listing), with portfolios the listing calls Sharia compliant, a halal stock screener, and a plain fee: 0.49% a year plus $2 a month, as listed.
The live app
Three of the screenshots on the Google Play listing, as shown in October 2026: the launch screen, the goal picker and the portfolio view. Each opens the listing.
The challenge
Many investors in the US want their money to follow their religious beliefs. For Muslim investors that means avoiding holdings that conflict with Sharia (Islamic law). Screening holdings for that takes time.
The product also sits in a regulated field. It has to say clearly who gives the advice, who holds the securities and what it costs, and it must keep to financial rules in everything it says. An app like this has to earn trust before it asks anyone to deposit money.
What the app does
Per the listing, Aghaz is a goals-based investment adviser in an app. A member signs up, answers a few questions about their investing style, then funds a primary account or creates a goal. For each goal, the member sets the purpose, the amount to save and the date it is due. The listing says software then builds a portfolio for that goal.
The listing says the portfolios follow Islamic principles, and that they are certified by IdealRatings (a Sharia-screening data firm) against AAOIFI standards (a body that publishes Islamic finance standards) and reviewed by the company's Sharia scholars.
Key features
As described in the listing's own text, October 2026.
- 01
Goal-based investing
Customers can create up to 10 goals. The listing gives a first car or a house as examples, and the screenshots show template goals such as Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), Vacation, Business and Marriage, plus a Custom Goal.
- 02
Halal portfolios
Professionally managed, automated portfolios the listing describes as Sharia compliant. The portfolio screenshot shows holdings grouped as stocks, ETFs (exchange-traded funds), REITs (real-estate investment trusts), Sukuk (Islamic finance certificates), precious metals and cash.
- 03
Halal stock screener
Members can link other investment accounts, or type in individual stocks, to check whether those holdings fit their values. The listing says access is unlimited for members and that other financial tools are included.
- 04
Personalised insights
The listing says the app gives real-time insights and recommendations for each goal, so the member can see whether it remains on track.
- 05
Stated fee structure
The listing states 0.49% of total investment per year plus a $2 monthly subscription fee, described as having no surprises. Fees as listed, October 2026.
How the service is structured
How the service fits together, as described in the listing.
- Sign-upregister, answer investing-style questions
- Goalspurpose, amount, due date; up to 10
- Halal portfoliosbuilt per goal by software
- Screener and insightslinked accounts, goal tracking
- Regulated partiesSEC-registered adviser, DriveWealth broker
- The listing says Aghaz Investment Advisors is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC, and that securities are offered and sold through DriveWealth, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC.
- Aghaz Investment Advisors gives the advice. DriveWealth handles the securities.
- The listing names IdealRatings and the AAOIFI standard for the halal screening, and adds a review by the company's Sharia scholars.
Platform and listing details
Taken from the Google Play listing.
- Platform
- Available on Android (Google Play)
- Finance category
- Listing
- Developer: Manzil Inc.
- Last listing update: 11 Sep 2023 (a bug-fix release)
- 1K+ downloads (Google Play band)
- Rated for 3+
- Data safety
- No data shared with third parties
- Data encrypted in transit
- May collect location and personal info
- Regulated parties named
- SEC-registered adviser
- DriveWealth (broker-dealer)
- FINRA and SIPC member
- IdealRatings screening
Business value
What the setup enables.
- Turns a values requirement (halal investing) into a clear product promise that a customer can check against named standards and parties.
- Frames saving around life goals the customer already has, such as a car, a home, a business or Hajj, rather than around market jargon.
- Puts the regulated structure and the fees up front in the listing, which helps a first-time investor decide whether to trust the app.
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