Nova Credit Launches Dating App to Help Newcomers and Locals Find Love*

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Apr. 1, 2020 - Nova Credit, a global credit bureau enabling immigrants access to credit, has launched a new direct-to-consumer dating service. The app, named “Score!”, matches any U.S. immigrant with a local American, based on analysis of their credit scores and other behavioral insights. It is available on both iOS and Android, and has an early user rating of 4.1 stars.

Recent data released from the Advanced Population Research Institute of Louisville’s Foreign-born Overseas Observations: Longitudinal Study shows that non-U.S. born residents are not only remaining longer in the U.S. (from an average of 6 years in 2000 to 11 years in 2020), but also more likely to marry a local (from 4% in the 1980s to a peak of 12% last year). Nova Credit Head of Product Melanie Aliperti offered, “as we’ve run deeper user research, we’ve found that the quest for love is becoming a more significant theme and requested feature - particularly as newcomers seek deeper cultural integration and mingling.” 

The feedback from early beta users has been promising. Priyanka from India described her experience, “Bumble, Raya, Tinder -- I’ve been on them all. But with Score!, I found an app that felt right for me. I shared stories of my Indian heritage and favourite Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, rather than trying to just fit in with American cultural references of Tiger King. And in meeting [now-partner, name removed for confidentiality], I’ve found an American who values my international perspective.”

Nova Credit’s analytic capabilities in finance remain at the forefront of the application’s design, leveraging the latest trends in behavioral economics and machine learning. Users are prompted to upload their credit score, whether domestic or international, and the algorithm extrapolates their romantic preferences and partnership viability. Nova Credit CEO Misha Esipov expounds: “The financial industry has known for decades that credit insights are the strongest predictors of personality and ultimately compatibility. We have the richest data insights of any industry as well as some of the best data science talent. With this launch, we are proud to expand the remit of our industry and the impact on our consumers”.

Nova Credit partners with leading credit bureaus and data partners around the world to deliver international credit and bank transaction data to lenders in the United States, translating this data into a U.S.-equivalent credit score. Through its Credit Passport®, Nova Credit accelerates the integration of these consumers into the U.S. financial system. In the past, it would have taken roughly five years to build home country-equivalent credit history for consumers new to the United States.  Founded by immigrants, the firm has a diverse team from around the globe who are creating a world beyond borders to help newcomers arrive and thrive.

*Please note that this post was made on April 1st before getting too excited :) Learn more at www.novacredit.com.