Chicago - BCU and AviaryAI are excited to announce a significant strategic partnership as BCU invests in AviaryAI, a cutting-edge AI startup specializing in AI communications for financial institutions. This partnership emerges after a highly successful 
collaboration during the recent hurricane relief efforts, which demonstrated the profound impact of outbound AI voice agents on member support.
In the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, BCU leveraged AviaryAI's sophisticated voice agents to reach out to members impacted by the disaster. Over 55,000 AI-driven calls were made, connecting with 45% of the members contacted. These calls provided crucial information on hurricane assistance options, including fee reimbursements, emergency loan assistance, and guidance on insurance claims, and allowed members to interact with the AI technology as they would a real person.
"The safety and well-being of our members is always our top priority," said Mike Valentine, President and CEO of BCU. "The success of the hurricane relief campaign with AviaryAI showcased how artificial intelligence can provide timely, compassionate, and effective support to our members when they need it most. Our investment in AviaryAI reflects our commitment to leveraging innovative technologies to enhance the member experience while preserving the personal touch that sets us apart as a financial institution."
Enhancing Member Services Through Innovation
The investment will enable BCU to further integrate AviaryAI's advanced AI voice agents into its member service operations. Members will benefit from improved accessibility to essential services, personalized assistance, and quicker response times. The goal is to create a seamless experience for all members through proactive support.
"AviaryAI is honored to deepen our partnership with BCU," said Blesson Abraham, CEO of AviaryAI. "Together, we are setting a new standard for member communication within the credit union industry. Our voice agents are designed to deliver personalized and empathetic interactions at scale, and we are excited to expand these capabilities for BCU's members."
A Commitment to Member Well-Being
BCU has always been at the forefront of embracing technologies that align with their promise to be "Here Today For Your Tomorrow." By investing in AviaryAI, BCU is taking a significant step toward ensuring that members have access to the support they need, precisely when they need it.
"Our members are part of the BCU family - their goals are our goals," added John Sahagian, Vice President, Chief Data Officer of BCU. "This partnership is about strengthening that relationship and ensuring we can offer support that is both proactive and meaningful. A great deal of care goes into crafting the AI bot’s messaging to reflect our values - delivering empathetic, two-way interactions that feel genuine and human."
BCU and AviaryAI will continue leveraging their partnership to make a positive impact, most recently by supporting BCU members affected by the Southern California wildfires.
About BCU: BCU is a not-for-profit, member-owned Credit Union that is fiercely dedicated to Empowering People to Discover Financial Freedom. At just over $6B in assets, BCU is driven by its commitment to providing a fast, easy, secure banking experience and extraordinary service for close to 360,000 members. The BCU field of membership includes employees and families of large employers that are focused on the financial well-being of their workforce; those who live or work in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and the island of Puerto Rico; and subscribers of BCU’s wholly-owned Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO), Life. Money. You.® within communities and Fortune 100 workplaces throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. All BCU members enjoy lifetime access to financial services and well-being programming that inspire confidence through the brand promise “Here Today For Your Tomorrow.”
To learn more about how we can help you realize your financial dreams, visit BCU.org.
Members of the media can obtain more information by visiting BCU.org/About-Us/Media-Relations.
About AviaryAI: AviaryAI is a leading AI startup backed by Y Combinator, specializing in AI Communications for credit unions, banks, and insurance companies. AviaryAI is dedicated to transforming customer engagement through generative artificial intelligence, delivering scalable and empathetic communication solutions for the financial industry. To learn more about AviaryAI, visit helloaviary.ai. For more information, please contact: [email protected].
