Experian® today announced the recipients of its 2026 Vision Awards, recognizing Best Egg, Credit One Bank, Fundbox and Valley First Credit Union for their leadership in using data, analytics and technology to create measurable business outcomes and positive impact for consumers and communities.

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Experian’s 2026 Vision Awards ceremony recognized Best Egg, Credit One Bank, Fundbox and Valley First Credit Union for their excellence in analytics, artificial intelligence, innovation and financial empowerment at the annual Experian Vision conference in San Antonio Texas. Pictured left to right: Karen Tatten, Chief Revenue Officer for Financial Services and Data at Experian, Sarvesh Baveja, Chief Risk Officer at Fundbox; Blake Gertz, Senior Vice President of Modeling Risk at Credit One Bank; Karan Gandhi, Senior Director of Credit Risk at Best Egg.

Experian’s 2026 Vision Awards ceremony recognized Best Egg, Credit One Bank, Fundbox and Valley First Credit Union for their excellence in analytics, artificial intelligence, innovation and financial empowerment at the annual Experian Vision conference in San Antonio Texas. Pictured left to right: Karen Tatten, Chief Revenue Officer for Financial Services and Data at Experian, Sarvesh Baveja, Chief Risk Officer at Fundbox; Blake Gertz, Senior Vice President of Modeling Risk at Credit One Bank; Karan Gandhi, Senior Director of Credit Risk at Best Egg.

Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges and evaluated on demonstrated results, creativity, scalability and industry impact. The awards were presented during Experian Vision 2026, held Oct. 5-8 in San Antonio, TX. The four-day client event convened more than 600 senior leaders, data scientists, and decision-makers across several industries to gain insights from experts and preview the latest innovations shaping the future of data-driven decisioning.

“As organizations navigate a rapidly changing landscape, innovation requires more than technology alone. It requires vision, execution and a commitment to creating meaningful outcomes,” said Jeff Softley, CEO of Experian North America. “This year’s winners exemplify what’s possible when organizations combine data-driven decisioning with a clear purpose. We are honored to recognize their achievements and the positive impact they’re making for customers and society.”

2026 Vision Award winners

Excellence in Analytics: Credit One Bank

Credit One Bank is advancing credit risk assessment and expanding responsible access to credit through a rebuilt custom underwriting model developed using Experian data and advanced machine learning techniques within the Experian Ascend Sandbox™. The enhanced model delivered nearly a 50% improvement in Kolmogorov-Smirnov score performance, significantly strengthening underwriting precision and risk assessment capabilities. As a result, Credit One Bank expects to increase credit card offers by approximately 15% while maintaining current loss rates, helping more consumers build or rebuild their financial health while supporting sustainable business growth.

“At Credit One Bank, we’re constantly looking for new ways to leverage data and analytics to better serve consumers while maintaining strong portfolio performance,” said Blake Gertz, Senior Vice President of Modeling Risk at Credit One Bank. “By combining advanced data assets, machine learning capabilities and modern development tools, we’ve enhanced our underwriting approach and expanded our ability to provide responsible access to credit. We’re honored to be recognized by Experian for this achievement.”

Excellence in Artificial Intelligence: Fundbox

Fundbox is advancing embedded capital lending with an AI-driven underwriting approach that enables platforms to deliver faster decisions and broader access to funding for the small businesses they serve. Its AI-powered underwriting engine combines banking, accounting and payment activity with Experian consumer and commercial credit data to evaluate businesses using real-time operating signals, delivering credit decisions in less than 60 seconds with 98% of applications requiring no human review. Since January 2024, the solution has approved more than 50,000 new customers and supported approximately $2 billion in originations.

“Small businesses move fast, and access to capital needs to keep pace,” said Sarvesh Baveja, Chief Risk Officer at Fundbox. “By enabling our partners to embed access to capital into the experiences they provide, and by leveraging AI and real-time business data, we’ve created a more efficient and inclusive underwriting process that helps entrepreneurs get the funding they need when they need it. We’re proud to be recognized by Experian for driving innovation that delivers meaningful outcomes for our partners and the small businesses they serve.”

Excellence in Financial Empowerment: Valley First Credit Union

Valley First Credit Union is expanding financial inclusion and economic opportunity across California’s Central Valley, with more than 70% of its lending supporting low-and moderate-income communities. Through strategic partnerships and purpose-driven lending programs, Valley First helped individuals, families and small businesses move forward financially in 2025, providing $239,000 in microloans, $390,000 in SBA commercial loans, $660,000 through the Modesto Loan Fund and $32,000 in first-time homebuyer assistance grants. Beyond lending, Valley First remains committed to empowering the communities it serves through financial education, one-on-one guided counseling and free resources. Valley First reached more than 4,200 community members and helped nearly 12,900 members build stronger credit and greater financial confidence.

“At Valley First, we believe financial well-being starts with access, education and support,” said Kathryn Davis, President and CEO of Valley First Credit Union. “We’re committed to helping people at every stage of their financial journey, whether that means securing affordable financing, building credit, buying a first home or growing a business. We’re honored to receive this recognition from Experian and proud of the positive impact we’re making throughout the Central Valley.”

Excellence in Innovation: Best Egg

Best Egg received the Excellence in Innovation award for two initiatives focused on fraud prevention and personalized offer experiences. The company built an adaptive fraud-prevention ecosystem that combines Experian data with additional identity and risk signals. From July 2025 to date, the program reduced fraud losses and identified and prevented a significant amount of application volume associated with suspected fraudulent activity, while limiting additional friction for legitimate customers. “By combining multiple data signals, we can respond to evolving fraud threats with greater precision while maintaining a seamless customer experience. We’re honored to be recognized for work that has significantly reduced fraud and strengthened trust,” Karan Gandhi, Senior Director of Credit Risk at Best Egg.

Best Egg also built a real-time personalized offer experience on top of its traditional prescreen process that generated a 17% lift in application submissions, a 35% relative lift in application approval rate and a 32% relative lift in offer acceptance. Expansion to additional loan products increased the number of customers eligible to receive a personalized offer by 37.5%. “Innovation in marketing means using data to better understand customer needs and deliver more relevant options at the right time. By transforming pre-screening into a real-time, personalized experience, we’re helping customers find solutions aligned with their financial goals. This recognition reflects our commitment to creating more tailored customer experiences and stronger business outcomes,” Lorrie Carter, Senior Director of Existing Customer Marketing and Cross-Sell at Best Egg.

For more information about the Experian Vision Awards, visit www.experian.com/business/vision-awards. Submissions for next year’s awards will open on June 1, 2027.

About Experian Vision Awards

The Experian Vision Awards recognize organizations that accelerate action through the use of data, analytics, software and financial empowerment initiatives. The program honors forward-thinking institutions that are creating measurable impact for consumers, businesses and communities through innovation and technology leadership. Award categories for 2026 include Excellence in Analytics, Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, Excellence in Financial Empowerment and Excellence in Innovation.

Judges for the 2026 Vision Awards included senior Experian executives and leaders from across the industry, including:

  • Kevin O’Connor, Executive Vice President, Membership, Sponsorship at Consumers Bankers Association

  • Rhonda Spears Bell, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at the National Urban League

  • Ian P. Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at American Fintech Council

  • Rene Vargas Martinez, Vice President at Inclusiv

About Experian

Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using our unique combination of data, analytics and platforms. We also assist millions of people to realize their financial goals and help them to save time and money.

We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry segments.

We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data and to innovate. A FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 25,200 people across 33 countries. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian and its affiliates. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

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