Upstart

About Upstart

Upstart is revolutionizing the lending industry by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to make credit more accessible and affordable. Founded in 2012, this AI lending marketplace partners with banks and credit unions. They use a proprietary underwriting model that analyzes over 1,800 signals per borrower, including education and work experience, not just traditional credit scores. This allows Upstart to identify creditworthy individuals often overlooked by conventional systems. Their platform processes over one million predictions per borrower, leading to higher approval rates and lower loss rates for their partners. Upstart offers a range of financial products, including personal loans, automotive retail and refinance loans, home equity lines of credit, and small dollar 'Relief' loans, all designed to move people forward financially.

How We Work

Upstart embraces a digital-first philosophy, offering most team members the flexibility to work from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. While remote work is standard, the company intentionally fosters connection through regular in-person onsites and planning sessions, typically held quarterly for 2-4 consecutive days. This approach balances individual flexibility with collaborative innovation. Upstart values a bias for action, continuous learning, and professional growth, encouraging employees to take ownership of their development. The culture emphasizes transparency, accountability, and a mission-driven approach to solving complex problems. Weekly all-hands meetings keep everyone informed and engaged with leadership. Team members often find the pace extremely fast, driven by a desire to make every second count.

Engineering at Upstart

Engineering at Upstart is all about transforming the lending process through advanced AI. You'll build and optimize the core infrastructure that powers machine learning models for underwriting, fraud detection, conversion, and verification. The platform runs over one million predictions per borrower, using more than 1,800 signals. Upstart has been transitioning from a monolithic web stack to a microservice architecture, presenting interesting challenges in building scalable, reliable, and auditable software in a regulated financial environment. Engineers work with technologies like Python, Java, Kotlin, Postgres, AWS RDS, and Kafka. They focus on delivering intuitive and impactful experiences across web, mobile, and AI-powered channels, constantly experimenting and iterating to improve borrower outcomes and operational efficiency. The team prioritizes continuous learning, with a focus on building self-serve tooling and optimizing for low-latency inference.

Why Join Us

• Drive meaningful impact by expanding access to affordable credit for millions of Americans, solving a critical societal problem.
• Innovate at the forefront of AI and machine learning, working on complex problems that reshape the future of finance.
• Grow your career in a digital-first, flexible environment that values professional development and offers significant ownership.
• Collaborate with talented, mission-driven colleagues who prioritize speed, integrity, and data-driven decisions.
• Benefit from a strong total compensation package including competitive pay, annual equity grants, and a generous 401(k) match.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly.
• Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year.
• Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage, with Upstart covering 90% to 100% of the cost.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans.
• Paid time off, sick and safe time, company holidays, and paid family and parental leave.
• Annual wellness allowance and annual productivity allowance for tools and resources.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options.
• Financial wellness resources and an Employee Assistance Program for mental health support.