Optimal Blue Wins 2025 AI Pioneer Award for Transformative Capital Markets Innovation

Company recognized by PROGRESS in Lending for embedding generative AI across the mortgage life cycle

PLANO, Texas – Oct. 15, 2025 – Optimal Blue today announced it has been named a winner of the 2025 AI Pioneer Award by PROGRESS in Lending. The inaugural award honors companies that are not just experimenting with artificial intelligence, but actively transforming lending through real-world AI applications.

“At Optimal Blue, we treat AI as a living, breathing product that is perpetually evolving,” said Erin Wester, chief product officer at Optimal Blue. “This AI Pioneer award recognition validates the work our teams have done to embed generative AI into every corner of the capital markets ecosystem. We’re proud to be leading the way with innovations that deliver real impact for originators, executives, and secondary teams alike.”

Optimal Blue’s award-winning AI suite includes Ask Obi, Originator Assistant, and a family of CompassEdge AI assistants – all delivered at no additional cost to clients. These tools help lenders make faster decisions, uncover hidden opportunities, and maximize profitability in ways previously out of reach.

Ask Obi, launched in early 2025, is a generative AI assistant designed for lending executives. It transforms complex capital markets data into instant, visual insights –  enabling margin benchmarking, outlier detection, and investor strategy optimization with just a plain-language question.

Embedded in the Optimal Blue® PPE, Originator Assistant, automatically identifies alternate loan scenarios with more competitive pricing. It removes human bias from loan structuring, highlights pricing breakpoints, and empowers originators to present stronger borrower options with greater confidence.

Within CompassEdge, specialized AI assistants tackle secondary-market-specific challenges – from profitability analysis and pipeline risk modeling to hedge selection and trade confirmation. These capabilities save secondary teams up to 30 hours a month, freeing time for strategic decision-making and revenue growth.

Building on the success of its inaugural event, the 2026 Optimal Blue Summit returns February 23-25 in Scottsdale. The Summit brings together clients, integration partners, and industry thought leaders for three days of strategic insights, meaningful connections, and forward-looking conversations. It’s where Optimal Blue unveils its latest solutions and shares how Optimal Blue is using generative AI, automation and real-time data to address actual capital markets challenges.

For more information about the 2025 AI Pioneer Award and a full list of winners, visit the PROGRESS in Lending website.

About Optimal Blue

Optimal Blue is the only modern, proven end-to-end capital markets platform bridging primary and secondary mortgage markets. We help lenders operate efficiently, manage risk, and maximize performance on every loan. Our cloud-native, API-first platform is powered by automation, generative AI, and real-time data. With over 20 years of experience and leading market share, we deliver measurable ROI through pricing accuracy, margin protection, and seamless connectivity. Trusted by lenders nationwide, Optimal Blue empowers smarter decisions and scalable growth in any market. Learn more at OptimalBlue.com.

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Media Contact
Olivia DeLancey, Optimal Blue
904.854.5459
Olivia.DeLancey@OptimalBlue.com