Open Co was created earlier this year by the merger of Geru, an eight-year-old online lender, and FTC portfolio company Rebel, a four-year-old startup using AI and bank account data to underwrite risk and assess clients’ financial health. Combining the results of its two predecessors, Open Co says it has helped consumers save more than $500m in interest expenses over the years and has been increasingly establishing partnerships with merchants, retailers and service providers to be closer to its clients’ point of need when requesting credit.