What is Earnest's business focus and history?
Earnest is a fintech company based in San Francisco, founded in 2013 by Louis Beryl and Ben Hutchinson. It offers student loan refinancing and private student loans, focusing on making higher education accessible and affordable. Earnest was acquired by Navient Corp. in 2017 and continues to operate as a distinct brand.
Earnest Corporate Details & Core Services
Earnest is a technology-enabled fintech lender offering student loan refinancing and private student loans, focusing on making higher education accessible and affordable.
Earnest Contact Information & Official Links
| Website | https://www.earnest.com |
| Social | |
| Email id | hello@earnest.com |
| Phone number | +1 (888) 601-2801 |
| Head office address | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Tags | Fintech Student Loans Education Finance |
What are Earnest's Key Business Metrics & Stats?
| No of employees | |
| Founded year | 2013 |
| Type | private |
| SAICS CODE | 6141 |
| NAICS Code | 522291 |
| Industry | Financial Services |
| Location | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Parent Company | navient.com |
| Subsidiary Company | goingmerry.com |
| Pricing Strategy | Fixed interest rates: 2.99% - 12.78% APR, Variable interest rates: 0.94% - 11.44% APR, No origination, prepayment, or late payment fees |
How much funding has Earnest raised to date?
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Funding Amount | USD 15 |
| Stage | Seed |
| Latest Valuation | 155 Million (USD) |
| Lead Investor | Andreessen Horowitz |
| Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, Maveron, Collaborative Fund, Atlas Venture |
What are Earnest's Core Products?
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Student Loan Refinancing | Earnest offers refinancing options for existing student loans, allowing borrowers to consolidate and potentially lower their interest rates and monthly payments. |
| Private Student Loans | For students currently enrolled in school, Earnest provides private student loans to cover educational expenses, featuring flexible repayment options and competitive interest rates. |
| Going Merry Platform | Acquired by Earnest in 2021, Going Merry is a platform that helps students find and apply for scholarships and financial aid, aiming to reduce the need for loans. |
What are the latest developments at Earnest?
| Date | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feb, 2024 | Partnership | Earnest and FinWise Bank announced a strategic partnership to support the growing portfolio of in-school student loans. |
| Jul, 2024 | Award | Earnest was honored among CNBC's World's Top FinTech Companies for its impact on higher education accessibility and affordability. |
| Sep, 2021 | Acquisition | Earnest acquired Going Merry, a financial aid and scholarship platform, to expand access to free scholarship and financial aid tools for students. |
| Apr, 2019 | Product Launch | Earnest launched private student loan products to modernize the student loan application process. |
| Oct, 2017 | Acquisition | Navient announced the acquisition of Earnest, a leading financial technology and education finance company. |
What industry awards and recognitions has Earnest received?
| Date | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| , 2016 | Recognition | Earnest was included in Fast Company's World's 50 Most Innovative Companies list. |
| Jul, 2024 | Award | Earnest was honored among CNBC's World's Top FinTech Companies for its impact on higher education accessibility and affordability. |
Earnest VS SoFi VS Credible VS CommonBond VS Splash Financial VS Upstart : 2026 Comparison
| Feature | Earnest | SoFi | Credible | CommonBond | Splash Financial | Upstart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Strengths | Student Loan Refinancing, Private Student Loans, Going Merry Platform | Student Loan Refinancing, Private Student Loans, Personal Loans, Home Loans, Investing, Credit Cards, Banking, Crypto, Insurance, Financial Insights, Small Business Financing, SoFi Plus | Personal Loans, Student Loan Refinance, Private Student Loans, Home Purchase Loans, Home Refinance Loans, Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC), Auto Loans, Auto Refinance Loans, Credit Cards, High-Yield Savings Accounts, Home Insurance, Auto Insurance, Life Insurance | Student Loan Refinancing, In-School Loans, Parent PLUS Loan Refinancing, Employer Student Loan Benefits, Residential Solar Financing | Personal Loans, Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), Student Loan Refinancing, In-School Student Loans, Medical School Loan Refinancing | Personal Loans, Car Loan Refinance, Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), Short-Term Relief Loans |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2011 | 2012 | 2011 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Stock Name/Ticker | SOFI (Nasdaq) | UPST (NASDAQ) | ||||
| Type | private | public | private | private | private | public |
| Global Employees | 5000 | 216 | 150 | 101 | 1193 | |
| Revenue (Annual) | $() | $3.7 Billion(2024) | $36.2 Million(2025) | $15 Million(2025) | $13.7 Million(2022) | $1 Billion(2025) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | San Francisco, California, United States | Durham, North Carolina, United States | New York, New York, United States | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Latest Valuation | $155 Million | $8.7 Billion | $6.2 Billion |
What are Earnest's official legal and registration details?
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Legal Name | Earnest LLC |
| Cin number | |
| GST number | |
| Registration number |
Who is in Earnest's executive leadership team?
| Name | Designation |
|---|---|
| CEO | David Green |
| Chief Product Officer | Nick Norcross |
| Group Product Manager & Head of Experimentation | Will Cole |
| Director of Engineering | Raymond Murthi |
| Head of Product Engineering | Nikhil Desai |
Where are Earnest's primary office locations?
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| San Francisco | United States |
What are the current business signals and market intelligence for Earnest?
| Spending next 3 months | Enhancing data security measures, Expanding product offerings, Strengthening customer support services |
| Pain points | High interest rates on existing student loans, Complexity in loan application processes, Limited access to financial aid for international students |
| Sales motion | Direct-to-consumer online applications, Partnerships with educational institutions, Collaborations with financial advisors |
| Buyer Persona | Undergraduate and graduate students, Recent graduates with existing student debt, International students studying in the U.S. |
| Type of customer | Students seeking private loans, Graduates looking to refinance student loans, International students requiring financial assistance |
| Key customer domain | Higher education financing, Student loan refinancing, International student loans |
| Annual ACV | Private student loans: $10,000 - $50,000, Student loan refinancing: $20,000 - $100,000, International student loans: $15,000 - $60,000 |
What is Earnest's annual revenue history?
| Year | Revenue (USD) |
|---|---|
What are Earnest's risk management and compliance ratings?
| GDPR RIsk | No |
| Privacy Risk | No |
| Company Ratings | |
| Glassdoor Rating | 3.9 |
What are Earnest's business model and service classifications?
| Saas | No |
| Offline Stores | No |
| Service | No |
| Ecommerce | No |
| Exporter | No |
| Mobile App | No |
| Retail | No |
| B2B | No |
| B2C | No |
| Manufacturing | No |
| Wholesale | No |
| Importer | No |