Tech People in the Know: Prizeout’s Matt Denham

In what is a recurring feature, Finopotamus profiles interesting and intriguing tech professionals who are positively impacting the credit union industry.

For this issue, we visited with Prizeout’s Chief Strategy Officer Matt Denham. The New York City-based ad-tech company offers payments, rewards, and loyalty solutions to financial institutions (FIs), including credit unions.

By W.B. King

Beginning his career Down Under at ING Group Australia, a global direct savings bank, Matt Denham said his entry into the fintech space in 2007 coincided with the “agile evolution” of software development.

“I felt the future was going to be built around how business and technology teams could work together instead of in silos, so I volunteered to be the product manager for the first agile product [at ING],” Denham, an Australian expat, told Finopotamus. “I’ve never looked back.”

Matt Denham

Before Denham co-founded and became Prizeout’s chief strategy officer in 2019, he spent two years serving as director of product at DraftKings, a Boston-based gambling company that offers sportsbook and daily fantasy sports services.

“When I began, technology teams were often viewed as support functions — they built what the business told them to. Today, they’re strategic partners who drive the business forward,” he shared. “Modern tech organizations are flatter, faster, and more user-focused, with a real emphasis on experimentation, data-driven iteration and ownership.”

‘Why Wouldn’t I?’

When Finopotamus asked Denham to describe his management style, he offered two descriptors: empowerment and accountability. “I believe great teams are built when people understand why something matters and have the autonomy to figure out how to achieve it. I try to lead with clarity of vision but flexibility in execution — creating an environment where technologists feel like builders, not order-takers,” he continued. “Inspiration comes from connecting their work to impact — especially when you can see a product improve someone’s financial life.”

Denham’s approach to business is reflective of the many mentors who helped shape his career trajectory. “People who taught me how to think strategically, how to lead by example, and even how to make the leap from Australia to New York City,” he said. "Each one shaped a different part of who I am as a leader.”

One champion, he recounted, taught him the importance of the “Why Wouldn’t I?” rule. Then head of product development, this gentleman bestowed that the key to building an exceptional product isn’t simply about features.

“Every customer has a point where the value proposition becomes so clear, so compelling, and so frictionless that they naturally say, “Why wouldn’t I use this?” When you reach that moment, you don’t just win a user — you win loyalty, advocacy and long-term behavior change,” he noted.

To pay it forward to Prizeout’s 50-plus employees who collectively serve more than 45 FI clients, Denham said he has an open-door policy. “Whether that’s providing advice, helping other founders think through ideas, or sharing the experiences (and mistakes), I’ve been through to help shape their own journey,” he said. “The best lessons I’ve learned have come from people who took the time to guide me, so I make it a priority to be that resource for others coming up behind me.”

Innovation With Integrity

Prizeout’s mission, Denham explained, is helping FIs transform how they approach rewards. Instead of generic cash-back, for instance, the fintech works with clients on a reward engagement engine that offers members bonus value when redeeming with brands they cherish.

“It’s powered by dynamic integrations that sit seamlessly within digital banking environments, giving credit unions new ways to drive deposits, increase card spend, and enhance loyalty — without needing additional tech lift from their side,” he said. “This demonstrates how fintech partnerships can create win-wins for members and institutions alike.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements in the space, he added, are giving smaller FIs access to personalization and analytics capabilities that were once reserved for large banks. “The next wave of innovation will come from combining those tools with contextual, human-driven experiences — using technology to enhance trust, not replace it,” he said.

While AI seems to enter just about every conversation in the FI space lately, Denham said credit unions continue to thrive because they remain “community-first” organizations. “That alignment makes them ideal innovation partners: they’re pragmatic, but they care deeply about delivering real value,” he noted. “Technology in this space isn’t about shiny features; it’s about impact and accessibility.”

Partnerships with liked-minded fintechs, he added, is necessary because for many credit unions it’s hard to “go it alone” in this fast-paced, evolving industry. “When fintechs and credit unions collaborate, you get the best of both worlds — innovation with integrity,” he told Finopotamus. “Fintechs bring agility and product design expertise; credit unions bring trust and scale.”