Jacob Zachs

Jacob Zachs is the founder and CEO of Fasten Rewards, a fintech startup redefining what it means to earn loyalty in the automotive world. Under his leadership, Fasten has launched the first-ever rewards platform designed specifically for car owners — letting consumers earn points for everyday auto expenses like auto loan and lease payments, insurance, service, and fuel, and helping dealerships build real loyalty beyond the showroom floor.
Before founding Fasten, Jacob built his career across multiple early-stage ventures. He was employee #12 at Newsela, playing a key role in its scale-up to unicorn status, co-founded the medical device company AiTA Bio, and served as VP of Partnerships at Forage, where he helped navigate the company through Y Combinator and raise a $22 million Series A. Across all these roles, Jacob’s focus has been consistent: build great products that solve overlooked problems.

Fasten Rewards was born from that same mentality — and from a personal pain point. After moving to the suburbs and buying a car, Jacob realized the auto industry had no modern rewards infrastructure. So he built one.

Jacob’s work sits at the intersection of fintech, consumer loyalty, and the often-overlooked complexities of the automotive ecosystem — and he’s on a mission to make car ownership more rewarding for everyone.