By Vikas Rao
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As I step into the role of Chief Technology Officer at Dark Matter Technologies, I see an exciting opportunity for credit unions to embrace a new era of innovation. Your members want more than just digital speed and convenience — they want experiences built on trust, transparency, and a genuine understanding of their needs.
At Dark Matter, our mission is to deliver technology that keeps pace with expectations and helps you exceed them — enabling you to serve your members with greater efficiency, stronger compliance, and more personalized service.
Bridging Technology and Member Value
With a decade in mortgage fintech, I’ve learned that technology and product development are not separate disciplines. When they work in harmony, they deliver measurable value to institutions and, most importantly, to the members they serve. For credit unions, technology is about relationships. That’s why I’m working closely across Dark Matter teams to ensure sales, account management and professional services are aligned. When we remove silos, we create the seamless experiences that credit unions want for their members. Our technology group is positioning itself as a vendor and a trusted partner, guiding credit unions on their innovation journey.
Our core platforms, including the Empower® LOS, the AIVA® AI assistants, the Elevate Loan Servicing System and the Exchange℠ network, already provide a strong foundation. But modernization is critical to help credit unions lower costs, streamline workflows and deliver better member experiences.
For example, our investment in servicing technology is designed to enhance performance and reduce operational costs — savings that credit unions can reinvest in member service and growth initiatives. Every enhancement we pursue is measured against this principle: will it deliver tangible value to the lenders and members who depend on us?
Opening the Door to Innovation
Earlier this year, we launched the Developer Platform, which gives credit unions and partners secure access to our APIs. This shift enables credit unions to build custom solutions that fit their unique needs while benefiting from our platform's security and stability. It creates an ecosystem where innovation is not locked behind vendor walls but shared with the institutions closest to the member.
We’re also committed to applying artificial intelligence in ways that deliver real, practical value to credit unions. We will integrate the Model Context Protocol into our platform, allowing credit unions to safely deploy AI agents that plug into their mortgage systems. This will give originators and processors intelligent tools to automate routine tasks and improve decision-making. Already, we’re using tools like GitHub Copilot internally to boost developer productivity, and we’re helping clients adopt similar tools through our Developer Platform.
Leading Industry Transformation
The mortgage industry is evolving quickly, and technology will determine which institutions thrive. At Dark Matter, we intend to lead that transformation. By modernizing platforms, integrating AI responsibly, and always keeping member value at the center, we’re helping credit unions position themselves for long-term success.
Our clients deserve a partner who anticipates needs and solves problems before they arise. As Dark Matter’s CTO, I’m committed to delivering that standard.
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Vikas Rao joined Dark Matter in April 2024 as Deputy Chief Product Officer, following five years at Ellie Mae (ICE Mortgage Technology), where he led product strategy for the Encompass loan origination platform and the Developer Connect API suite. As Dark Matter’s CTO, he has redefined the company’s product vision, culminating in the launch of the Dark Matter Developer Platform, and was recently named a 2025 HousingWire Insider.