Credit unions lead new investment in Zest AI to accelerate responsible, AI-native lending
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2025
SchoolsFirst, Members 1st, ORNL, Truliant, and Citi Ventures join forces to fuel innovation in credit decisioning.
Columbia, S.C., Nov. 19, 2025 – Carrick partner Zest AI, a leading provider of AI-powered lending solutions, recently announced the successful completion of an oversubscribed, customer-led financing round. The investment was led by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Members 1st Federal Credit Union, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Truliant Federal Credit Union, and Citi Ventures, underscoring broad industry confidence in the company’s responsible, transparent approach to artificial intelligence in lending.
The new investment reflects Zest AI’s strong momentum as financial institutions modernize their underwriting systems with AI-native solutions that enhance credit access, streamline decisioning, and improve portfolio performance. The company’s technology—including its LuLu™ Generative AI lending intelligence platform—is used by nearly 300 lenders nationwide.
“Having our customers become investors is the ultimate validation of our technology and vision,” said Mike de Vere, CEO of Zest AI. “This round reflects both financial and operational confidence from institutions that use our AI solutions every day to transform their businesses and deliver greater value to their customers and members.”
For Carrick, this announcement highlights both the pace of innovation and the strength of collaboration within the credit union system. As a subsidiary of the Carolinas Credit Union League, Carrick helps credit unions access technologies from trusted partners like Zest AI to drive growth and operational efficiency.
Carrick also celebrates the participation of Truliant Federal Credit Union, a Carolinas Credit Union League member, among the investors leading this round.
“Credit unions have always been pioneers in using technology to better serve their members,” said Susan Allred, director of business solutions at Carrick. “Zest AI’s commitment to responsible, explainable AI aligns perfectly with Carrick’s mission to help credit unions harness innovation that delivers measurable value while maintaining trust and transparency. We’re proud to see Truliant among those leading this important step forward.”
Zest AI’s customer-led investment round represents a continued evolution in credit union collaboration—where innovation, transparency, and trust remain at the core of delivering member value.
Interested in learning more about Zest AI and how its solutions can support your credit union’s goals? Carrick Professionals proudly partners with trusted providers like Zest AI to bring effective, forward-thinking tools to the credit union movement. Contact us or use our online matching tool to explore this and other solutions that may be right for your organization.