BalansBuddy

The Problem

People in debt had to spend 50+ hours on paperwork per application. Existing solutions were chatbots that answered questions but didn't do the actual work. The rejection rate stood at 55% — more than half of all applications failed, often due to incomplete or incorrect documentation.

• 50+ hours of administrative work per application
• 55% rejection rate on debt relief applications
• Chatbots that answered questions but didn't do the work
• Counselors overwhelmed with paperwork instead of helping people
• No multi-language support for diverse populations

The Solution

We built BalansBuddy: a multi-portal platform (client, counselor, municipality) with Ember AI as an autonomous agent. Not a chatbot — an agent that handles creditor correspondence, analyzes bank statements, and detects legal escalations.

Ember AI doesn't just respond to questions. It proactively handles creditor emails (<5 min response, 24/7), analyzes bank statements to detect patterns, recognizes 50+ creditors automatically, and flags legal escalations before they become problems. All in 6 languages.

Results

The impact was immediate and measurable:

• 98% time reduction: Application time dropped from 50 hours to 1 hour
• Rejection rate 55% to 5%: Complete, accurate applications through AI assistance
• Creditor response <5 min: 24/7 automated correspondence handling
• Counselor capacity doubled: Focus shifted from paperwork to people
• 6 languages supported: Serving diverse communities without language barriers
• 50+ creditors recognized: Automatic detection and appropriate handling

Technical Architecture

Built for security, scale, and reliability:

Key Insights

Building BalansBuddy taught us critical lessons about AI in social services:

• Agent vs. chatbot: The difference between answering questions and doing the work is everything
• Trust through transparency: Every AI action is logged and reviewable by counselors
• Multi-portal complexity: Three user types with completely different needs, one coherent system
• Encryption is non-negotiable: Financial data requires military-grade security
• Language inclusivity: Debt doesn't discriminate — neither should the solution

Relevance for Clients

This project demonstrates our ability to:

• Build AI agents that autonomously handle complex workflows
• Design multi-portal platforms with role-based access
• Handle sensitive data with enterprise-grade security
• Deliver measurable impact: 98% time reduction, 10x fewer rejections

If you need an AI solution that doesn't just answer questions but actually does the work — we've built it.