Tim Pranger, a University of Utah graduate with a background in design, communication, and business, began his tech career as Co-Founder and VP of Strategy at POPi/o, where he pioneered several patents related to video communication in financial services. Following POPi/o’s acquisition, he served as Vice President of Product at Eltropy, and then as Head of Product at Anonyome Labs, establishing himself as a product leader focused on user-friendly interfaces that solve real-world problems.
As Founder and CEO of Appli, Tim leads a company providing AI-powered financial calculators that help lenders create personalized, engaging shopping experiences for financial products. Drawing on his expertise in user-friendly interfaces, Tim developed Appli’s smart calculator platform that combines real-time analysis with generative AI to change basic website tools into interactive advisors. The technology boosts customer confidence and increases conversion rates for financial institutions, with plans to expand beyond lending and deposit accounts into high-value instant approvals and offers for loan shoppers.
Connect with Tim on LinkedIn
Jed Taylor is a seasoned fintech executive and credit union industry leader with nearly two decades of experience driving innovation in digital banking. After earning engineering and MBA degrees from Brigham Young University and the University of Michigan respectively, Taylor co-founded uGenius Technology, where he pioneered the first Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs). Following uGenius’ acquisition by NCR Corporation in 2012, he served as Vice President of Global Branch Solutions, scaling video banking technologies across national and international markets before joining POPi/o as President and later CEO.
As a respected credit union industry leader with nearly two decades of experience, Jed has consistently focused on creating technologies that enhance how financial institutions connect with their members. His expertise lies in developing solutions that balance technological innovation with personal service, helping credit unions and community banks meet the expectations of today’s consumers while maintaining their relationship-focused approach to banking.
Connect with Jed on LinkedIn
Interview questions:
Q1: Tim, you recently launched Appli after co-founding POPi/o (where we worked together). What sparked the idea for this new venture?
Tim: I’ve spent years watching people struggle with financial decisions online. At POPi/o, we focused on human-to-human video interactions. With Appli, I wanted to address an earlier stage of the journey – that moment when someone’s weighing their options for applying for a loan, but isn’t ready to talk to someone yet.
Financial calculators on websites are often overlooked, but often they’re the first step in someone’s borrowing journey. I saw an opportunity to turn them into something genuinely helpful, instead of just number-crunchers sitting at the bottom of a webpage. What if that calculator – using AI – could actually guide you like a knowledgeable advisor would?
Q2: How exactly does Appli differ from traditional financial calculators?
Tim: Traditional calculators just spit out numbers. You put in some information and get a payment amount, but you’re left wondering, “So what? Can I actually get this loan?”
Our smart calculator uses AI to evaluate your inputs and tell you the likelihood you’d qualify for that loan. If you’re not likely to qualify, it explains why and suggests specific steps to improve your chances. If you are likely to qualify, it builds your confidence to move forward with the application.
It’s the difference between a calculator saying “Your payment would be $350” versus “Based on your information, you’re very likely to qualify for this loan with a payment of $350, and here’s why.” That context and guidance make all the difference.
Q3: You’ve mentioned that this helps solve a common problem in lending. Can you explain that further?
Tim: Absolutely. People often hesitate to apply for loans because they’re uncertain if they’ll qualify. They don’t want to waste time filling out a lengthy application or, worse, face rejection.
As Melanie Kennedy from Southwest Financial FCU put it when they started working with us, “With traditional lending calculators, members input their information but don’t get the full picture.” Our approach gives people better insight into their actual lending possibilities before they apply.
I mentioned people hesitate to apply for loans. This hesitation creates a blind spot for credit unions and banks too – they never see these potential borrowers who self-select out of the process. Our calculator bridges that gap, giving genuine guidance while gathering valuable insights for the lender.
Q4: What early results are you seeing from the credit unions that have gone live with Appli?
Tim: We’re working with several credit unions now, including Granite Credit Union in Utah and Southwest Financial Federal Credit Union in Dallas.
What’s been most encouraging is how these community financial institutions are seeing the calculator as more than just a conversion tool – they view it as an extension of their educational mission. Garrett Laws at Granite Credit Union pointed out that their calculator helps members who might not initially qualify understand their path to approval. Even if someone isn’t ready for loan approval today, showing them a path forward aligns with their mission of helping people feel confident about their financial future.
The data insights have been valuable too. Without gathering any personally identifiable information, we’re helping CUs understand which products are getting the most interest, from which locations, and at what terms. That intelligence helps them refine their digital strategies and product offerings.
Q5: How difficult is it for a credit union or bank to implement your technology?
Tim: We’ve made it deliberately simple. Extremely simple. It’s literally a line of code to embed the calculator, and credit unions can create their own custom calculators in minutes. This means they can adapt quickly to new products or changing market conditions.
Take Granite Credit Union’s “vanishing rate auto loan” program. It’s a unique product that rewards their members with rate discounts for consistent on-time payments. They can easily customize our calculator to explain and showcase that specific product.
I’ve always believed that technology should solve problems without creating new ones. If implementation is a headache, adoption will suffer. For that reason we’ve focused on making this as plug-and-play as possible.
Q6: Beyond lending, what other applications do you see for this approach?
Tim: While we’re starting with lending because that’s where the clearest need exists, the approach works for any financial decision. We’re already planning tools for deposit and savings accounts.
I’m particularly excited about using this for high-value lending products like mortgages or business loans. The stakes are higher there, so providing clarity early in the process is even more valuable.
But the core concept – using AI to provide personalized guidance at the exact moment someone is considering a financial decision – could work across the entire financial services industry. There are so many potential use cases. From credit unions to car dealerships, anyone offering financial products could benefit from this kind of intelligent interaction.
Q7: What would you say distinguishes your approach to financial technology?
Tim: I focus on creating tools that people actually want to use. Too often, financial software is clunky and feels like it was designed for the institution, not the customer. That’s why we built Appli with the user experience at the center.
But beyond that, I believe technology should be a bridge, not a replacement. Our calculator doesn’t replace the human element in banking – it builds on it / enhances it by creating better-informed conversations. When a member talks to their credit union after using our calculator, that conversation builds on the education they’ve already received.
In the end, financial decisions are deeply personal. They’re about someone’s hopes, dreams, and security. Often they can be life-changing. Technology that recognizes and respects that will always be more effective than technology that just processes transactions.
Appli, founded in 2024 by POPi/o co-founder Tim Pranger, provides AI-powered financial calculators that help lenders and member service representatives create personalized, engaging shopping experiences for financial products. By combining real-time analysis with generative AI, Appli’s tools boost customer confidence and increase conversion rates for financial institutions. For more information about Appli and its smart financial calculator for credit unions, visit hiappli.com.
Recent News: https://www.hiappli.com/news/
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