49. Esusu
Nearly 50 million people in the U.S. are considered to be "credit invisible," a number that disproportionately includes low-income and minority Americans, according to research from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. When a consumer is credit invisible, it means that they don't have a credit history with any of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. That is an institutional hurdle which can hold many Americans back from ever reaching financial security.
Fintech startup Esusu is looking to change the way credit is scored, with a focus on housing.
On-time mortgage payments are known to increase one's credit score, while on-time rent payments have not typically been factored into credit reports. Many renters don't have any history of credit. Esusu records rental payment data and reports the information to credit bureaus. Since its launch, Esusu has helped renters by generating over 200,000 new credit scores and raising existing credit scores by an average of over 100 points. Property managers also benefit from the on-time rent payment system.
Esusu founders Wemimo Abbey and Samir Goel grew up watching their families struggle financially as immigrants from Lagos, Nigeria, and New Delhi, India, and those financial obstacles were a founding motivation for Esusu and its goal of helping Americans build strong credit histories.
"When my folks moved here, our journey to pursue the American Dream was just harder than it should have been," Goel told to CNBC in a 2021 interview. "I remember just watching my parents work miracles with no credit and limited financial resources. Abbey and I like to say we are inspired by our experiences."
Esusu has paved a path for itself in the fintech industry by serving as a rent reporting provider for major names in finance and real estate including Goldman Sachs, Mercy Housing and Cushman & Wakefield.
Last year, Esusu expanded its presence in the direct-to-consumer market. Previously, the company was only available for renters living in an Esusu-participating property. With the launch of myEsusu, all renters are now able to use the application and can choose between a free account or a membership that offers additional tools for $2.50 per month, or $29.99 per year. Application users are able to gain credit for paying their rent on time, learn about credit building products and services, view a credit score hub and access financial resources.
Esusu also has partnerships with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase the number of units nationally that report rent as part of credit and improve the credit scores across more Americans.
The company has received backing from tennis legend Serena Williams' venture capital firm Serena Ventures.
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