Candescent, a leading independent digital banking technology provider, today announced that OneUnited Bank, a multi-year, award-winning Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the largest Black-owned bank in the United States, is using Candescent’s extensible platform to deliver personalized digital banking experiences aimed at enhancing financial wellness and keeping pace with the fast-changing needs of its customers.

OneUnited Bank and Candescent continue building on their longstanding collaboration to provide a seamless user experience and engaging digital solutions addressing OneUnited Bank’s mission. OneUnited Bank aims to unite urban communities by offering personalized banking experiences that evolve with customers' needs, enhance financial wellness and support the economic advancement of underserved populations. Leveraging Candescent’s open API extensible platform, OneUnited Bank has recently developed and deployed an enhanced money management experience, resulting in a 33 percent increase in customer adoption of digital banking tools. Features include resources to enhance financial literacy, expanded digital account opening capabilities, and same-day digital card issuance.

“As a digital-first bank, we’re no longer just competing with other community institutions – we’re competing with fintech apps in the App Store,” said Jim Slocum, Chief Information Officer at OneUnited Bank. “It’s not about whether a financial institution can build something; it’s about how quickly and effectively they can deliver it, how naturally it fits into the user experience, and how well it reflects the needs of their community. Candescent’s sophisticated platform gives us the ability to easily create valuable experiences for our customers while allowing us to compete with modern, sophisticated third parties.”

Candescent Extensibility Solutions provide an API-first platform built on a microservices architecture. With intuitive developer tools, robust APIs, UI extension frameworks and a growing Marketplace of pre-integrated fintech solutions, the platform gives banks and credit unions flexibility to:

• Customize their digital banking experience with hundreds of integrated features.
• Scale their operations efficiently as user demands grow.
• Personalize interactions using data-driven insights.
• Integrate with third-party fintech solutions for enhanced functionality.

“Our customers rely on us in critical financial moments, like rebuilding credit, managing cash flow, and accessing short-term funds,” Slocum continued. “Working with Candescent, we can provide a more adaptable, future-ready banking experience. We’re able to build and integrate features that align with our customers’ needs. We’re not just delivering on our digital banking strategy, we’re gaining the speed and flexibility of a fintech – without sacrificing control, compliance, or consistency in the customer experience.”

“Today’s digital banking platforms need to be flexible, open and extensible in order to enable a differentiated experience,” said Gareth Gaston, Chief Product Officer of Candescent. “With a truly extensible platform, institutions like OneUnited Bank can move faster, integrate smarter, and deliver digital experiences that grow with their customers. This is about more than technology – it’s about giving banks the tools to lead the next chapter of digital banking on their own terms.”

About OneUnited Bank

OneUnited Bank is a multi-year, award-winning Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the nation’s largest Black-owned bank, the first Black-owned internet bank in America, and one of Inc Magazine’s Best in Business in Finance. Founded in 1968, the bank is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with branches in Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida. OneUnited Bank is committed to providing affordable financial services that support economic development in urban communities. The bank leverages state-of-the-art technology to promote financial literacy, , and empower future generations. Through its innovative digital banking solutions, including the AI-driven WiseOne™ Insights, OneUnited Bank offers personalized financial guidance to help customers make informed decisions and build generational wealth.

About Candescent

Atlanta, Ga.-based Candescent is the largest independent digital banking platform in the United States. With a comprehensive, digital-first product suite, Candescent drives success for its financial institution clients by delivering a seamless experience that elevates and connects digital and physical banking channels. Candescent currently serves more than 1,300 banks and credit unions representing nearly 30 million registered users. For more information, visit www.candescent.com.

Website: www.candescent.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/candescent-tech/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Candescent-tech/videos

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250717957087/en/

OneUnited deepens ties with Candescent, adopting its API-first, microservices-based platform to scale operations, personalize banking with data, and tap into a growing Marketplace of pre-integrated fintech tools and hundreds of customizable features.