Bloom Credit Named a Semifinalist in Filene’s 2027 FiLab Testing Menu

bc Filene FiLab Finalist press release x

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bloom Credit Named a Semifinalist in Filene’s 2027 FiLab Testing Menu

Bloom+ advances to sponsor evaluation out of a record applicant pool, with a vote to advance to collaborative testing set for January 2027

CHICAGO, August 20, 2026 (announcement date to confirm with Archie Group) — Bloom Credit, a financial data infrastructure company, today announced that it has been named a semifinalist in Filene’s 2027 FiLab Testing Menu. Filene received more than 120 submissions this year, including 118 fintech applications, a 39% increase over 2025 and the largest applicant pool in FiLab history. Bloom+ is one of 27 semifinalists advancing to sponsor evaluation, made up of 25 fintech solutions and 2 Discovery Tests.

Filene is a research and innovation organization built around a network of credit unions. FiLab connects new financial technology with credit unions ready to test it, running each pilot on the credit union’s behalf and sharing the results with its member network. Semifinalists will present at the FiLab Symposium in Kansas City, August 25 through 27, where credit union leaders, strategic partners, and innovation experts will hear pitches and vote on which solutions advance to collaborative testing beginning in January 2027. Tushar Mukhija, Bloom Credit’s Head of Strategy and Partnerships, will present Bloom+ at the Symposium.

In Filene’s Testing Menu, Bloom+ is listed under the Lending, Payments & Deposits category and the Advancing Impact track, described as: “Giving credit where credit is due.”

Bloom+ enables credit unions to report members’ recurring non-credit payments, including rent, utility, and Telecom bills, to the major credit bureaus. Members permission their own deposit data, and Bloom+ identifies eligible payments and reports them through Metro 2® formatted furnishment, without requiring a new account or additional spending.

Members with no prior credit score reach an average starting score of 657 after enrollment. Members with an existing score see a lift of 16 to 23 points within 72 hours. Credit unions see measurable engagement gains as well, including a 31% increase in bill pay activity, a 13% increase in deposits, and 61% of enrolled members securing a new loan within 90 days.

“Filene’s network is exactly the kind of credit union relationships we built Bloom+ to serve,” said Tushar Mukhija, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at Bloom Credit. “Getting in front of their judges and their member credit unions at the Symposium is a real opportunity to show what consumer permissioned data can do for people who’ve been overlooked by traditional credit models.”

“Being named a FiLab semifinalist tells us something we already believed: credit unions want a better way to serve members who don’t fit the traditional credit file,” said Christian Widhalm, CEO of Bloom Credit. “We built Bloom+ to close that gap, and it’s good to see that resonate with an organization like Filene.”

Credit union leaders and innovation experts will vote following the Symposium on which solutions advance to collaborative testing in January 2027.

 

About Bloom Credit

Bloom Credit is a financial data infrastructure company. Bloom’s API platform, strategic relationships, and critical innovations, such as Bloom+ for consumer-permissioned data (CPD), enable access to validated financial data and reporting in real time. The company’s fintech solutions empower organizations to create, launch, and grow new classes of credit products, increase business relevance, and better address their consumers’ needs. For its accomplishments in transforming the credit data ecosystem, Bloom Credit has earned Finovate’s Best of Show (2024) and Tearsheet’s Data Innovation Award (2024) and has been recognized by Finovate for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (2025) and the CU Times Luminaries Awards (2025). The company is backed by leading venture investors including Crosslink Capital, Allegis Capital, and Commerce Ventures. To learn more, visit BloomCredit.io.

 

Media Contact

Jeanne Yurman 

Archie Group for Bloom Credit
[email protected]

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