Yendo’s $50M Series B, Nova Credit’s Data Play, and Nubank’s U.S. Push
Klarna, Affirm, Mastercard, Walmart, Happy Money, and Zillow round out a week of AI-driven partnerships, payments innovation, and credit-building breakthroughs.
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Fintechs are doubling down on innovation across credit, data, and AI. Yendo’s $50 million Series B will fund an AI-powered bank built on vehicle equity. Nova Credit is rethinking underwriting with cash-flow data, and Nubank is applying for a U.S. bank charter to bring its 123 million-customer model stateside.
Meanwhile, Klarna joins forces with Google Cloud to make shopping more creative, Affirm supports Google’s new Agent Payments Protocol, and Mastercard’s latest platform uses AI and data to lift approval rates. Walmart and Happy Money unveil AI-first lending and retail experiences, while Zillow and Esusu partner to make rent count toward better credit.
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$50M Series B Fuels Yendo’s AI Credit Platform Unlocking $4T in Consumer Assets
Image: Yendo
Yendo, the fintech innovator behind the first vehicle-secured credit card, just locked down a $50 million Series B funding round to fuel its mission. The company plans to use the cash to expand beyond secured lending and build an AI-powered digital bank for the millions of Americans often overlooked by traditional financial institutions. Yendo's platform unlocks credit for consumers by using the equity in their cars, a move that it says has already saved people hundreds of millions in interest and fees. The company's AI-driven system slashes underwriting and asset verification costs by up to 95%, allowing it to offer credit limits up to 8 times higher than traditional lenders. With this new funding, Yendo is gearing up for a wave of new product launches in the fourth quarter of 2025. Joining the company's board are Lyft co-founder Logan Green and Spice Expeditions founder Nick Huber. [BusinessWire]
Nova Credit Raises $35M Series D to Accelerate Cash Flow Underwriting Revolution
Nova Credit, a company that helps lenders see a fuller financial picture, just nabbed $35 million in a Series D funding round led by Socium Ventures. The credit infrastructure and analytics company is betting big that traditional credit bureau data provides an "incomplete" and "inaccurate" picture of a consumer's financial health. Their cash flow underwriting solution offers a more granular, real-time view, giving businesses the clarity they need to grow responsibly. This new funding will accelerate the build-out of the Nova Credit Platform, which aims to make real-time financial data as accessible and reliable as traditional credit data. Big players like Chase, PayPal, and Yardi are already deploying the company's tech for their lending and tenant screening operations. With this new capital, Nova Credit is poised to continue its "transformation" of how credit decisions are made.[BusinessWire]
Happy Money Expands Capabilities of Hive, Its Proprietary Lending Platform Powering Faster Credit Decisions and Partner Growth
Image: Happy Money
Happy Money, a consumer finance company focused on responsible lending, just unveiled major upgrades to its proprietary platform, Hive. The company enhanced its technology to speed up credit decisions, reduce friction for borrowers, and more efficiently connect with its funding partners. These improvements are already working, driving a "more than 400%" increase in monthly loan originations year-to-date. For borrowers, this means a faster process, with most applicants receiving a decision within seconds. As Americans continue to tackle high-interest debt, Happy Money is investing heavily to make its platform smarter and more scalable. The move also benefits its partners, like credit unions, by providing a transparent way to fund loans and grow their membership. [PR Newswire]
Nubank Applies for U.S. National Bank Charter
Nubank, one of the world's largest digital financial services platforms, just filed an application for a U.S. national bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), signaling a "long-term vision" to expand its platform beyond Latin America. This move is a preparatory step that positions Nubank to explore new opportunities within the U.S. financial landscape, where it eventually plans to offer deposit accounts, credit cards, lending, and digital asset custody. CEO David Vélez noted that while the company's "core focus remains on delivering growth" in existing markets, the U.S. charter will help them better serve their current U.S.-based customers. Co-founder Cristina Junqueira has already relocated to the U.S. full-time to lead this endeavor for the customer-centric, tech-driven platform. The company, which already serves nearly "123 million customers" across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, posted a "record revenue of $$$3.7 billion" in Q2 '25. By working closely with regulators, Nubank believes it will soon be in a position to expand its offering to the broader U.S. market. [Nubank]
Zillow and Esusu Partner to Expand Credit-Building for Renters Nationwide
Zillow, the popular real estate marketplace, is teaming up with Esusu to help renters get the credit they deserve. This groundbreaking partnership allows any renter to report their on-time rent payments to all major credit bureaus for just $20 a year. Previously, Zillow only offered this for free to renters paying through its platform, but now they're expanding their reach significantly. By joining forces with Esusu, a financial technology platform that specializes in rent reporting, they are aiming to help millions improve their financial standing. With about 87% of renters not seeing these payments on their credit reports, this initiative helps bridge a major gap. Renters using Esusu have already seen an average credit score increase of 45 points. This collaboration helps turn responsible renting into real financial progress, potentially making the dream of homeownership a little more accessible. [Zillow]
UWM and Bilt Announce Partnership to Transform the Mortgage Experience with Rewards Throughout Homeownership
Image: Detroit Free Press
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the country's largest mortgage lender, just announced a "groundbreaking" partnership with Bilt, the loyalty platform for housing. This team-up allows UWM customers to earn Bilt Points on every on-time mortgage payment, transforming a major expense into a rewarding experience. The move completes the housing journey on Bilt's platform, which already helps members earn points on rent. By joining forces, they're creating a seamless path from renting to owning, all while racking up valuable rewards. This collaboration also empowers mortgage brokers with new tools to maintain client relationships long after closing. The phased rollout of this new program is set to begin in early 2026.[ Bilt]
Klarna and Google Cloud Enter Strategic AI Partnership to Bring More Engaging Shopping Experiences to Millions of Klarna Users
Global digital bank and flexible payments provider Klarna just announced an AI-first strategic partnership with Google Cloud to inject serious creativity and personalization into the shopping experience for its more than 114 million users worldwide. Forget boring campaigns—Klarna is fully embracing Google Cloud's complete AI stack, using models like Gemini 2.5 Flash Image to whip up dynamic digital "lookbooks" and hyper-personalized marketing. The digital bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, David Sandström, happily reported that early pilots combining the AI models with Klarna’s consumer insights are already driving a "50%" boost in order growth and a "15%" jump in the time users spend in the app. This collaboration helps the teams achieve creative velocity and ensures every shopper experiences engaging, high-quality visual content suited to their preferences. The partnership also includes a security upgrade, empowering Klarna to use Google Cloud’s advanced machine learning models to combat fraud and money laundering with greater accuracy. This move proves that when a business makes customer engagement more enjoyable, the result is a "substantial" win for both the user experience and the bottom line. [Google]
Affirm Extends Collaboration with Google as a Supporter of Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)
Image: Affirm
Affirm, the payment network that offers flexible pay-over-time options, is extending its work with Google by supporting the new Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open standard for securely handling agent-led payments. Affirm's existing technology, which already works across various platforms like wallets and chatbots, makes it a natural fit for this "next era of commerce". The company is helping to embed its transparent Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) model directly into the architecture of agentic commerce. Google views this collaboration as crucial for building the "open, secure, and scalable frameworks" needed for the future of commerce. The integration continues Affirm's partnership with Google, which includes support for Google Pay and Chrome's autofill feature. Affirm states that its contribution will help bring "more flexibility, more control, and transparent terms" to consumers using agent-led commerce. [Affirm]
Mastercard Payment Optimization Platform Uses the Power of Data to Drive More Approvals
Mastercard just launched the Payment Optimization Platform (POP), a new service that uses the "power of data" to drive better approval rates for merchants. This network-based service leverages real-time transaction data and will soon integrate "cutting-edge AI capabilities" to enrich authorization messages. Early pilot results show the platform delivers a "9% to 15%" increase in transaction conversions, a "game-changer" for its partners. POP works by evaluating "over a trillion combinations" of data to create the most optimal authorization in near real-time, helping to solve the challenge of maximizing transaction approvals in e-commerce. Mastercard continues the roll-out of POP with key partners like Adyen, NEOPAY, Tap Payments, and Worldpay, who will use the intelligence to gain "incremental revenue." [Mastercard]
Walmart Partners with OpenAI to Create AI-First Shopping Experiences
Image: CNN
Walmart is jumping into the AI shopping game by partnering with OpenAI, allowing you to buy items directly from ChatGPT. The retail giant and its subsidiary Sam’s Club are shaping a new way to shop, connecting with customers at every step from idea to purchase. This "AI-first" approach aims to shift the shopping experience from reactive to proactive. The goal is for the AI to learn your patterns, plan ahead, and anticipate your needs before you even do. This isn't their first AI initiative, as they already use it to improve product catalogs and customer service resolution times. The company is also working to boost AI literacy among its associates. [Walmart]
JPMorgan CEO Sounds Alarm on Auto Market Bankruptcies
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is sounding the alarm on the auto market, warning that a 14-year credit party might be winding down. The head of the nation's largest bank told reporters that lending standards have gotten a bit too loose. He pointed to the recent bankruptcies of car parts company First Brands and subprime lender Tricolor Holdings as the canaries in the coal mine. Dimon didn't mince words, telling an analyst, "When you see one cockroach, there are probably more," suggesting more trouble could be lurking. That particular "cockroach," Tricolor, cost the bank a cool $170 million in charge-offs for the quarter. These collapses are raising eyebrows about the hidden risks for banks like JPMorgan, Jefferies, and Fifth Third that finance private companies. [PYMNTS]
Americans Are Falling Behind on Their Car Payments
The U.S. economic engine is sputtering as more Americans are falling behind on their car payments. Since the pandemic, consumers have faced "surging" sticker prices, leading many, especially lower-income families, to take out longer loans for used cars. Now, the cracks are showing, with delinquency rates on subprime auto loans hitting a record high of over 6% this year. This financial strain led to an estimated 1.73 million vehicle repossessions last year, the highest since 2009. The recent bankruptcy of subprime lender Tricolor Holdings further highlights the stress on borrowers with little to no credit history. Despite these warning signs, some auto finance arms, like those at General Motors, are loosening credit, and Wall Street doesn't seem too spooked. Meanwhile, Ford is trying to move unsold F-150s by targeting low-credit buyers with lower interest rates. [WSJ]
Instacart Announces First End-to-End Retail Media Solution on TikTok
Image: CNN
Instacart is teaming up with TikTok to let you shop for groceries right from your "For You" page. The leading grocery technology company announced a new partnership that plugs its valuable first-party shopper data directly into TikTok's ad platform. This means consumer brands can now use Instacart's insights to target you with ads for products you're actually likely to buy. The collaboration aims to help advertisers meet consumers at the "moment of inspiration," turning a viral recipe video into an immediate purchase. Brands can manage and measure the entire campaign, from targeting to closed-loop sales data, all within the TikTok Ads Manager. This move makes Instacart the first retail media network to offer such a complete, end-to-end solution natively on the popular video app. [Instacart]
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Other News We’re Reading
(AI) Goldman Sachs Makes AI the Centerpiece of Q3 Earnings [PYMNTS]
(Fraud) Fraud Costs Businesses Nearly 8% of Their Equivalent Revenues Globally, TransUnion Reports [TransUnion]
(M&A) Exclusive: Coinbase and Mastercard have both held advanced talks to buy stablecoin startup BVNK for around $2 billion [Fortune]
(AI) Salesforce Announces Support for Agentic Commerce Protocol in Collaboration with Stripe [Salesforce]
(AI) Visa Introduces Trusted Agent Protocol: An Ecosystem-Led Framework for AI Commerce [Visa]
(AI) Razorpay Unveils Agentic Payments on ChatGPT with NPCI: India’s First AI-Powered Conversational Payment Experience [Razorpay]
(Lending) Plaid launches LendScore [Plaid]
(B2B Payments) The Next Frontier: Why Embedded B2B Finance Is Breaking Out in 2025 [PYMNTS]
(Cards) Truist's Visa Infinite launch sets new super-regional standard for premium small business cards [Truist]
(Partnerships) Klarna set to land with Qatar Airways, bringing flexible payments to 17 markets [Klarna]
(Funding) Resistant AI Raises $25 Million in Series B Funding to Empower AI Agents to Fight Fraud and Fincrime [Resistant AI]
(Funding) Fincrime defence firm Resistant AI secures $25m Series B [Fintech Global]
(M&A) Revolut acquires AI travel agent startup Swifty incubated at Lufthansa Innovation Hub [Revolut]
(Crypto) Stripe launches stablecoin subscription payments on Polygon and Base [FinanceFeeds]
(AI) 70% of finance professionals see AI driving the future of cross-border banking [DeepL]
(Regulation) Revolut's UK banking licence held up on concerns over global risk controls, FT reports [Reuters]
(AI) Personatech–By The Founders Of Shoptalk, Groceryshop & Fintech Meetup–Launches the Events Industry’s First Revenue-Generating AI Event Tech & Networking Programs [Business Wire]
(Regulation) How Will California's AI Regulations Impact Fintech Startups and Crypto Solutions? [OneSafe]
(Fraud) Thredd Launches First-to-Market Fraud Solution in Collaboration with Featurespace [Business Wire]
(AI) Visa Introduces Trusted Agent Protocol: An Ecosystem-Led Framework for AI Commerce [Visa]
(Regulation) SEC Relaxes Rules for IPO Prep Amid Government Shutdown [PYMNTS]
(Tokenization) MQube Tokenises £1.3bn Mortgage Debt in European First [Fintech Magazine]
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