Upstart Holdings’ AI Lending Revolution: Surging Growth, Stock Turmoil, and What’s Next for UPST
Company Overview: AI-Powered Lending Platform Upstart Holdings is a financial technology company founded in 2012 that has pioneered AI-driven lending. Instead of lending directly like a bank, Upstart runs a cloud-based platform that underwrites personal loans using artificial intelligence models, then connects approved borrowers with banks and credit unions that originate the loans gurufocus.com. Upstart earns fees from banks for the referrals and loan performance, rather than charging borrowers directly (the loans are made by partner lenders). This model allows Upstart to function as a tech intermediary – essentially an AI credit decision engine and marketplace – rather than a