Kampala, Uganda, 29 October 2026 — Otic Group, an AI technology company serving financial services, government and enterprise, today announced a partnership with gnuGrid CRB, a credit reference bureau licensed by the Bank of Uganda. The partnership integrates gnuGrid CRB's credit data into Otic Group's Credit Intelligence Platform (CIP). Financial institutions can now assess customers who reach them through WhatsApp, web chat and other digital channels against trusted credit information before any opportunity reaches a credit officer.
Customers are moving to digital channels. Lending decisions need to keep up.
More and more customers start their financing journey with a message rather than a branch visit. They ask about products, eligibility and requirements on WhatsApp and other channels they already use every day. For financial institutions, each of these conversations is a potential credit opportunity. But speed alone is not enough: every opportunity also has to meet the institution's risk standards.
The partnership between Otic Group and gnuGrid CRB brings these two needs together. Institutions get the reach and speed of AI-driven customer engagement, backed by verified credit information.
How CIP works with gnuGrid CRB
CIP is an AI-powered customer and credit agent that each institution deploys under its own brand and on its own channels. It answers customer questions using only information the institution has approved, then helps turn borrowing interest into a qualified credit opportunity.
With gnuGrid CRB integrated, CIP can now:
1. Understand the customer's need, including purpose, amount and other key details, through a natural conversation in the customer's preferred language.
2. Enrich each opportunity with gnuGrid CRB credit data, including credit scores and credit reports, alongside identity and KYC checks.
3. Pre-screen the customer against the institution's own product rules, eligibility criteria and credit policy.
4. Prioritise and route the opportunity to the right relationship or credit team, with its information status and a recommended next action.
Final credit decisions remain with the institution. CIP does not approve, price or decline any application. It prepares the information so authorised staff can decide faster and with more confidence.
What this means for financial institutions
1. Faster credit decisions. Opportunities arrive with customer information, credit data and pre-screening already in place, reducing manual back-and-forth.
2. Earlier visibility of risk. Credit bureau data is available at the start of the journey, so potential risks can be identified before an application progresses.
3. Growth without added exposure. Institutions can serve more customers through digital channels while applying the same credit policies and controls.
4. Full institutional control. The institution decides what the AI knows, what it can do and who makes every credit decision.
Availability
The gnuGrid CRB integration is available to banks, SACCOs, microfinance institutions and other lenders using CIP. Institutions interested in deploying CIP can contact Otic Group at solutions@oticgroup.net.
About gnuGrid CRB
gnuGrid CRB Limited is the first and only indigenous credit reference bureau in Uganda. Licensed by the Bank of Uganda, gnuGrid CRB collects credit and transaction data on individual and business borrowers, then validates and organises it into profiles. These are shared as credit reports and scores, helping lenders make better-informed decisions.
About Otic Group
Otic Group is an AI technology company that helps organisations apply artificial intelligence to real business operations. It develops and deploys AI platforms, agents and digital solutions across financial services, government and enterprise, supporting customer engagement, operations, decision-making and growth. Its Credit Intelligence Platform (CIP) gives financial institutions an AI-powered customer and credit agent that answers, qualifies and routes customers across WhatsApp, web chat and other channels.