IRVINE, Calif. — LendAPI, a leader in digital lending orchestration and decisioning technology, today announced that it has been selected as one of the 27 semifinalist solutions chosen for Filene Research Institute’s prestigious FiLab 2027 Test Menu.

LendAPI was chosen from a record applicant pool of over 120 fintech submissions, which represents a 39 percent surge over the prior year and marks the largest applicant pool in FiLab’s history. Selected under the Lending, Payments & Deposits category, LendAPI’s platform will be evaluated by credit union sponsors seeking to scale credit access, automate digital onboarding, and expand their consumer lending portfolios.

Demonstrating Instant Product Deployment in Kansas City

The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming FiLab Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri, where nearly 70 credit union executive leaders, industry strategists, and innovation directors are gathering in person.

During the event’s pitch sessions, LendAPI will demo its low-code digital onboarding and loan origination platform, showing credit unions firsthand how they can configure and launch new financial products in minutes without heavy IT overhead or months of custom development. Credit union attendees will participate in strategic discussions and vote on solutions to advance to FiLab’s live collaborative testing cohort.

Comprehensive Capabilities: Product Studio, Rules Studio, and Integration Panel

LendAPI gives financial institutions unprecedented speed and agility to deploy complex financial solutions. The core platform architecture features three key modules:

• Product Studio: Allows credit unions to build custom consumer and commercial application flows, forms, and product configurations visually without writing code.

• Rules Studio: Enables credit union risk teams to build, test, and adjust complex automated underwriting rules, credit risk logic, and approval workflows in real time.

• Integration Panel: Connects credit unions instantly to a pre-built ecosystem of over 130 integrated fintech partners, including identity verification, credit bureaus, core banking systems, fraud detection, and payment rails, all ready for deployment at a moment's notice.

LendAPI: Driving Growth and Portfolio Expansion for Credit Unions

Since 2024, LendAPI has been directly empowering credit unions and Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs) to modernize their lending architecture, deepen member relationships, and expand loan portfolios.

LendAPI’s flexible technology stack enables financial institutions to deliver custom financial products, including:

• Embedded Digital Lending: Streamlined consumer loan application workflows that convert digital traffic into funded loans seamlessly.

• Payroll Advance and SEG Solutions: Innovative payroll-linked products designed to serve Select Employer Groups (SEGs) across various sectors, delivering safe, low-friction liquidity to members while building long-term account loyalty.

• Automated Decisioning Rules: Low-code, customizable underwriting and workflow engines that empower credit unions to optimize risk limits, automate processing, and scale responsibly.

The Power of FiLab and Filene Research Institute

For over eight decades, Filene Research Institute has stood as the premier non-profit think tank for the credit union movement. Named after Edward Filene, a pioneer of the credit union model, Filene conducts cutting-edge academic research and operates innovation incubators designed to strengthen consumer financial well-being.

As Filene’s dedicated innovation laboratory, FiLab bridges the gap between emerging fintech capability and operational credit union adoption. Over the past decade, FiLab has tested, validated, and scaled transformative financial technology, providing a trusted framework for credit unions to test new ideas safely before full deployment. By evaluating solutions across 4,000 credit unions nationwide, FiLab ensures institutions of all sizes can access state-of-the-art tools to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

About FiLab

FiLab is the innovation laboratory of Filene Research Institute. Designed to test and scale transformative financial products, FiLab connects credit unions with vetted fintech solutions to evaluate real-world performance, measure business impact, and drive sustainable growth across the cooperative finance ecosystem.

About Filene Research Institute

Filene Research Institute strengthens organizations through innovative research and incubation to improve consumer financial well-being. As an independent cooperative finance think tank, Filene's network connects leaders and bright minds to transform lives through innovation, research, and collaboration. Learn more at filene.org.

About LendAPI

LendAPI is a cloud-native, low-code digital origination and decisioning platform designed to help financial institutions launch lending, deposit, and onboarding products in minutes. Operating directly with credit unions and CUSOs, LendAPI helps institutions grow membership, streamline application workflows, and deliver tailored financial products to their communities. Learn more at lendapi.com.