# Adam Carmel

> Adam Carmel is the San Francisco-based founder and CEO of Polly, a mortgage capital markets software company founded in 2019. Previously the founder and CEO of Ethos Lending, he developed an internal pricing engine after encountering limitations in existing software. His subsequent work focuses on mortgage pricing, workflow automation and loan-level profitability.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Polly
- **Organizations:** Polly (PollyEx, Inc.), Ethos Lending, Provident Funding Associates L.P.
- **Education:** BS, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, University of Southern California, BA, Political Science and Government, University of Southern California
- **Known for:** Founded Ethos Lending and subsequently Polly., Named a 2024 HousingWire Vanguard., Listed among the 2025 Inman Best of Finance Award winners.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Entered the mortgage industry; worked at Provident Funding Associates, later as a vice president.
- **2013** — Started his own mortgage company, Ethos Lending, according to his 2025 first-person account and the company’s LinkedIn founding year.
- **2014-2019** — Founder and CEO tenure at Ethos Lending listed in career databases.
- **2019** — Founded Polly after the mortgage business was sold, according to his account.
- **2022** — Polly announced a $37 million Series B led by Menlo Ventures.
- **2024** — Polly announced $25 million in growth equity led by 8VC.
- **2026** — Polly introduced PollyOS with its Hedge system on October 6.

## Achievements

- Founded Ethos Lending and subsequently Polly.
- Named a 2024 HousingWire Vanguard.
- Listed among the 2025 Inman Best of Finance Award winners.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Polly launched PollyOS, bringing pricing and eligibility, hedging and loan trading onto a common data foundation.
- **2026-10** — Discussed product readiness, customer feedback and advisors Rob Kessel and Gary Malis on Chrisman Commentary.

## Links

- Website: https://polly.io/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-carmel-98600068/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/adam-carmel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22