Filene Research Institute selected seven projects for credit unions to test in 2027, spanning scam screening, investing and other services that could shape how members interact with their institutions.
At the Kansas City symposium held Aug. 25-27, participants representing close to 40 credit unions and system partners chose the entries, Filene said. The institute described the field as more than 120 applications.
For business-member research, Filene chose Crux Analytics, whose planned work uses AI. Eko with AI, powered by Kiro, was selected for digital investing and portfolio guidance. Filene said Falkin is designed to help members screen suspected scams before sending money or making investments.
Three other selections focus on lending, compliance and access: KeySavvy for private-party auto lending, Themis for compliance and risk workflows, and Traduality’s Fire Lingo platform for multilingual member services, Filene said.
The final entry, Discovery: Financial Well-Being Response System, is a research effort on recognizing financial strain and possible responses. Filene said researchers will combine consumer research with a synthetic-data sandbox. These are planned evaluations; the announcement did not report results from the 2027 cycle.
Filene describes FiLab as a structured pilot platform intended to give credit unions evidence about solutions before they commit to wider investment. Participating institutions test offerings together and share findings, according to the institute.
The new slate follows a 2026 cycle in which seven tests involved more than 250 employees across 27 organizations. Filene said it expects to share that cycle’s results and lessons in the coming weeks. An Aug. 19 announcement named 27 semifinalists and said the collaborative cohort formed through the later selection process would begin in January 2027.
