CleverDome uses insider's view to build software for indie brokers

In the complex world of financial services, some of the most compelling technology startups are the ones that come from inside the industry itself.

“Necessity is the mother of invention. We came to the conclusion that there was nothing out there to meet our needs, so we wrote our own software,” said David Shindel, president of United Planners Financial Services, an independent broker-dealer in the early-launch phase of a document management software venture.

Called CleverDome, the venture offers two middleware solutions, Media Integrated View Unification and Source of Accurate Record, which allow brokers to view and manage documents in the cloud.

“United Planners' three partners are the angel investors, if you will, of CleverDome,” Mr. Shindel said.

United Planners split off from Pacific Life Insurance Co. in 2007 and is now majority-owned by its registered representatives. The firm is a limited partnership comprising Mr. Shindel, chief executive Thomas Oliver and chief financial officer Michael Baker.

The three partners are also partners in CleverDome, a limited liability company whose partners additionally include Mr. Spradlin and technology engineer Matt West. All five CleverDome partners will share in profits if and when profits are realized.

United Planners' tech engineers originally built the middl