MINNEAPOLIS–An “anomaly” in the live audience voting that took place at NACUSO’s recent Reimagine 2026 Conference has led to a new winner being named in its Next Big Idea competition.
NACUSO said Duome actually won the voting, and not Charm Security, which had been announced as the winner and presented with the $10,000 winner’s check at the event, as the CU Daily reported here.
Duome is a fintech company and CUSO that seeks to makes homeownership more attainable by co-investing 25% to 45% of a home’s purchase price alongside qualified buyers. Its market is renters who can’t pull together enough money to get into a home, according to a presentation the company made as part of the presentation.
Duome, along with Charm Security, Crebit and Starlight were the four finalists who vied for the title of Next Big Idea winner at the NACUSO meeting in Orlando.
Total Votes Exceeded Voters“Following a post-event audit of the Next Big Idea Competition voting, NACUSO identified an anomaly in the live audience voting: the total votes recorded exceeded the number of attendees in the room, and a review with our polling vendor confirmed irregularities concentrated within a small window of the voting period,” NACUSO said. “We take the integrity of this competition seriously. After review by our executive committee, the first-place prize and $10,000 have been awarded to Duome as the highest-vote recipient. Thank you to all four finalists and NACUSO members and supporters for your participation and engagement.”
More About the Company
Duome said it partners with impact investors to provide equity support (up to 45% of the purchase price), reducing the size of the mortgage needed. The program is designed for income-stable, under-resourced buyers who are constrained by high down payments and monthly costs, according to Berg. The buyer holds the title and is responsible for mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance, while Duome acts as an equity partner. When the home is sold or refinanced, Duome shares in the appreciation of the home’s value.
“Credit unions are built to take on the housing affordability crisis,” Eric Berg, co-founder of Duome, said in a statement. “It’s an urgent problem — in over 79% of U.S. counties, the median household income cannot afford the median home price. Duome helps credit unions serve the members who are being priced out, without forcing them to build a new program, create new underwriting, or take on operational complexity they are not staffed to manage. This recognition matters because it reflects the credit union community’s belief that this problem is solvable.”
