Why KeyBank Acquired Small Business Lending Platform from Bolstr
KeyBank announced last week the acquisition of a digital lending platform for small businesses created by Bolstr. The lending platform will allow KeyBank to more efficiently serve small businesses for their SBA and traditional lending needs, according to Jamie Warder, Head of KeyBank Business Banking.
“We found Bolstr to have a very flexible capability…and we believe that having the platform will allow us to get to a decision faster,” Warder told deBanked.
Founded in 2010 by Charlie Tribbett and Larry Baker in the Chicago area, Bolstr created a marketplace that connected small business borrowers to institutional and retail accredited investors, or individuals. KeyBank acquired the platform that facilitated this, but not the company. Bolstr no longer operates as it had, but it will continue to work with its current clients, according to Warder.
Warder said that with this acquisition, KeyBank, a regional bank, hopes to attract more small business customers who are looking for speed and ease in obtaining a loan. He thinks that with Bolstr’s platform, KeyBank can be more competitive, although he didn’t say that the bank’s qualifications for obtaining loans would necessarily change.
The Bolstr platform includes features like easy eSignatures, information gathering and digital questionnaires. Already, KeyBank has hundreds of thousands of small business customers, Warder said. The bank, which is headquartered in Cleveland, OH, is more than 100 years old and operates in 15 states.
Last modified: June 25, 2018
Todd Stone was a reporter for deBanked.
