An open-finance layer for debt, not only cash.
Jose Bethancourt built infrastructure that lets a consumer connect debt accounts and authorize payments without sharing a separate password for every lender.
Selection rationale
Why it was selected
Open finance has long handled cash accounts better than liabilities. Bethancourt and Method focused on the harder half of a household balance sheet by identifying debts, retrieving current balances, and routing payoff funds in one flow.
Method reported 30 million passwordless account connections for nearly four million Americans and more than $500 million in payments by January 2025. By March 2026, it reported more than $2.5 billion in payments. Figure separately said more than 6,000 Intellidebt users paid off an average of $24,500 and gained 27 FICO points on average within one month.Method Series B, January 2025Method update, March 2026Figure Intellidebt results, July 2025
The panel selected Bethancourt for solving a neglected infrastructure problem and showing use in real payoff flows. Method reports its own reach, and Figure's borrower outcomes cannot be attributed to Method alone. Debt consolidation can also add collateral risk or extend repayment.
Makes current debt balances and creditor payments available in one authorized flow.
Expanded from $500 million to more than $2.5 billion in reported payments.
Created 30 million passwordless connections for nearly four million people.