America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 › Upstart
#83 of 100 – Financial Services

Upstart

Online personal, auto-refinance and home-equity loans priced by AI models, applied for at upstart.com.

By Abhimanyu Ghosh, Chairman, WCRC, with the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit · November 2026

Consumer Trust 70/100
Upstart ranked #83 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 by WCRC
Trust Score71.04out of 100
US D2C rank#83 of 100
HeadquartersSan Mateo, CA
Founded2012
Latest revenue$1,043.9M total revenue (FY2025)
Trust pillar70/100

The Upstart story

Upstart was founded in 2012 by Dave Girouard, Anna Counselman, Paul Gu and is owned today by Upstart Holdings, Inc. (public, Nasdaq: UPST). It is one of 16 Financial Services brands in this year's ranking, where it places #14.

Why people trust Upstart

Fast online decisions that look beyond credit scores, opening credit to people thin-file lenders turn away.

The watch-out

Loans are funded by bank partners and capital markets, so volumes can dry up when credit markets tighten.

Why Upstart ranks #83

Strongest of the four trust-led pillars

Brand Positioning, scored 80 out of 100.

Room to grow

Brand Love, scored 64 out of 100.

The WCRC D2C Trust Score gives 80% of the weight to Consumer Trust, Brand Recall, Positioning and Brand Love. Upstart scores 71.04 overall.

Pillar profile

Consumer Trust & Sentiment (32%)
70
Brand Recall (18%)
68
Brand Positioning (15%)
80
Brand Love (15%)
64
Product, Innovation & Delivery (10%)
78
Digital & Financial Soundness (6%)
70
Governance & ESG (4%)
70

Versus its nearest rivals

81Oscar HealthInsurance · 72.0882Rent the RunwayFashion · 71.6483UpstartFinancial Services · 71.0484VivintHome · 70.9485OportunFinancial Services · 70.48

Questions people ask

What rank is Upstart in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026?

Upstart ranks #83 of 100 in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026, with a WCRC D2C Trust Score of 71.04 out of 100.

Why is Upstart trusted?

Fast online decisions that look beyond credit scores, opening credit to people thin-file lenders turn away.

What is Upstart's revenue?

$1,043.9M total revenue (FY2025), as per the company's filed accounts or published results.

Who owns Upstart?

Upstart is owned by Upstart Holdings, Inc. (public, Nasdaq: UPST). It was founded in 2012 and is based in San Mateo, CA.

What is Upstart's biggest challenge?

Loans are funded by bank partners and capital markets, so volumes can dry up when credit markets tighten.

Key facts

BrandUpstart
Company / ownerUpstart Holdings, Inc. (public, Nasdaq: UPST)
HeadquartersSan Mateo, CA
Founded2012
Founder(s)Dave Girouard, Anna Counselman, Paul Gu
Latest revenue$1,043.9M total revenue (FY2025), as per company filings
SectorFinancial Services
Country of originUnited States

Sources

  • Annual report (Form 10-K) and financial results filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Company website, official announcements and press releases
  • Published interviews and statements by the founders and leadership
  • WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer ratings and reviews, complaint records, search demand and social data
Want the full picture? For the detailed methodology, a brand's full assessment report, or the other factors behind a score, contact the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at consulting@wcrcint.com.
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Disclaimer
  1. Who was considered. Only brands whose owners publish financial results, or that have publicly stated their own revenue, were considered. Brands that do not publish revenue have not been assessed or ranked. Not being on this list says nothing about a brand's quality.
  2. Eligibility. Ranked brands were founded in the United States, are US-controlled today, were born selling direct to consumers and still sell mainly direct. The rules are applied as of November 2026.
  3. Independent opinion. This ranking is WCRC's independent research and opinion, based on publicly available information as of November 2026. It is not an endorsement of any brand. No brand paid to be included, and inclusion cannot be bought.
  4. Not advice. Nothing on this site is investment, financial, insurance, medical, legal or purchasing advice. Do not rely on it to make decisions of that kind.
  5. Scores. WCRC D2C Trust Scores are provisional assessments by the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at the time of research. They are opinions, not measurements, and may be revised.
  6. Revenue and facts. Revenue is shown as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission or published in company results, or, where marked, as stated by the company itself. Some figures are for a parent segment or a run rate, as noted. WCRC has not audited any figure. Facts are checked twice against public sources, but errors are possible.
  7. Trademarks. Brand names, logos and trademarks belong to their owners. Their use here is for identification only and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by WCRC.
  8. Use of the badge. Ranked brands may use the WCRC badge only as provided, linked to their page, and unaltered. Any other use of the WCRC name, badge or data needs WCRC's written permission.
  9. Rights and AI. © 2026 WCRC. All rights reserved. The WCRC D2C Trust Score and its methodology are proprietary. Copying, text and data mining, and use of this content to train artificial intelligence models are not permitted without written permission; WCRC expressly reserves these rights, including under Article 4 of EU Directive 2019/790.
  10. Corrections. To report an error or ask for a review, write to consulting@wcrcint.com. Corrections are made promptly.