No monthly fees, no overdraft charges, no branches. Chime built a banking business on the one thing banks usually sell - and turned the swipe of a debit card into a public company.
StellarFi is an Austin-based fintech and public benefit corporation that helps people build credit without taking on debt. Members link recurring bills - rent, utilities, streaming, phone - and StellarFi pays them, then reports the on-time payments to the major U.S. credit bureaus each month. Founded in 2021 by serial entrepreneur and former U.S. Marine Lamine Zarrad, the company targets the roughly 150 million Americans with thin files or credit scores below 680, turning ordinary monthly bills into a path to a better score. The product has since expanded into a tiered, behavior-based credit card.
Bright Money is a San Francisco-based fintech building an AI-led financial wellness app that helps Americans pay down credit-card debt, build credit, and grow savings. Its MoneyScience engine analyzes income, spending and APRs to automate payoff strategies and round-ups for users carrying high-interest debt.