Press & Media
Helly Shah in the Press
Verified third-party coverage of Helly Shah and Ralo — the AI-native mortgage brokerage she co-founded — from The New York Times, HousingWire, Forbes, Business Insider, Fortune, National Mortgage News, and more. Every link goes to the publisher, and every item is labeled by provenance: independent coverage, interviews, contributed columns, funding briefs, and company announcements are never mixed up.
Written by, interviews with, and features on Helly
- The loan officer engineer: The $11,898 problemA contributed column by Ralo co-founder Helly Shah on per-loan origination costs and how automation is reshaping the loan officer role.
- America’s Enterprising Spirit Is Booming After Decades-Long SlumpA report on the rise of lean new businesses, including how Ralo’s founders built the company with a two-person team.
- Zillow creates buyer hub; AI-forward mortgage brokerage launchesAn industry news roundup covering Ralo’s launch, founders, mortgage automation, and seed financing.
- AI mortgage broker Ralo launches, raises $2.9M seed roundA dedicated feature and founder interview on Ralo’s launch, operating model, early closings, and seed financing.
- Revolutionizing Mortgages with AIHelly Shah discusses her path from engineering and quantitative finance to co-founding the company, then called Approval AI. Published under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI.
- The 10 most exciting AI agent startups at Y Combinator’s Demo DayApproval AI was selected for a list of notable AI agent startups from Y Combinator’s first Spring cohort. Published under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI.
- The Most Promising Startups From the First-Ever YC Spring BatchApproval AI was included among the standout companies from Y Combinator’s first Spring batch. Published under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI.
Company coverage, funding briefs & announcements
- The Race To Reinvent Mortgage OriginationAn NMP cover story on automation in mortgage origination, featuring Ralo among the new generation of AI-native companies, with commentary from CEO Arjun Lalwani.
- Ralo’s seed round featured in Term SheetFortune’s daily deal briefing noted Ralo’s seed financing and participating investors.
- Ralo Raises $2.9M in Seed Funding RoundA funding profile covering Ralo’s founders, product model, backers, and planned expansion.
- Ralo Launches as First AI-Native Mortgage Broker, Announces Seed RoundAn industry publication carried Ralo’s company announcement about its launch and financing.
- The AlleyWatch Startup Daily Funding Report: 6/18/2026The New York startup funding report listed Ralo’s seed round, founders, and participating investors.
- Ralo Launches With $2.9 Million Seed Round to Modernize Mortgage Lending Through AIA company and funding profile covering Ralo’s launch, founders, product, and investors.
- Ralo Raises $2.9M SeedA concise funding brief listing the round, participants, company focus, and intended use of funds.
- Ralo Launches as First AI-Native Mortgage Broker, Announces Seed RoundRalo’s company-issued launch announcement, distributed through GlobeNewswire.
- AI Mortgage PlatformsA product feature on the mortgage workflow then offered under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI. Published under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI.
- One-Click Mortgages: How Approval AI Automates Home BuyingArjun Lalwani discusses automating rate shopping, approvals, and the home-buying mortgage workflow. Published under Ralo’s former name, Approval AI.
On the name: articles published before June 2026 may use Approval AI, Ralo's former company name.
Writing a story? The media kit has approved bios, a headshot, and a press contact. Helly's own columns and essays are on the writing page.