When it began two years ago, Deserve, then known as SelfScore, was an analytics and alternative credit scoring company aimed at bringing into the U.S. credit card system people with thin credit files or no credit files, particularly international students in the country. Deserve’s technology was well received by the risk management and credit card departments at top issuers. However, the company quickly realized a greater profit opportunity existed in opening credit card accounts directly. In March 2016, Deserve started issuing credit cards in a partnership with Utah-based Celtic Bank. Si...