Articles by Press Release
Ocrolus launches Encore: A first-of-its-kind, trusted cash flow data sharing platform for small business funding
October 28, 2025NEW YORK, October 28, 2025 — Ocrolus, the leading AI-powered automation and analytics platform for financial decision-making, today announced the launch of Encore, a groundbreaking, double opt-in borrower intelligence sharing platform built specifically for small business funding.
Since 2016, Ocrolus has built the cash flow analytics infrastructure that powers credit scoring models for more than 175 funders, including leading originators such as Enova, Square, PayPal, Rapid Finance, Kapitus, Fora Financial, Bluevine, Libertas and Expansion Capital Group. Trained on over 15 million applications, Ocrolus cash flow analytics have become the de facto language that major SMB funders and capital providers use to interpret bank data.
By uniting the industry around a shared set of standardized cash flow metrics, Encore allows trusted counterparties to instantly share deals, resulting in faster funding decisions, stronger partnerships and broader access to capital for small businesses.
“Lenders have long relied independently on Lendio for SMB flow and Ocrolus for data standardization and cash flow analytics,” said Trent Miskin, Co-founder and CPO at Lendio. “Encore allows our firms to drive a more streamlined experience that eliminates data-processing duplication, shortening speed to offer and improving the embedded experience that SMBs are demanding.”
Traditionally, brokers pre-qualify borrowers with a quick glance at bank statements to estimate revenue and identify competitors, then email the application to a funder who may not trust the reported metrics and re-analyze the original documents from scratch. In some cases, brokers even collect Plaid or Finicity credentials from borrowers and access digital bank data but are counterintuitively instructed to convert the digital data to PDF and send it by email, wasting time and introducing unnecessary data issues. Outdated workflows such as these represent major inefficiencies and security risks in how cash flow data is shared. Encore eliminates these friction points with a seamless, trusted data-sharing experience.
“At Ocrolus, when we ask customers about their priorities, growing origination volume is consistently at the top of the list,” said David Snitkof, General Manager of SMB at Ocrolus. “With Encore, we’re helping brokers and funders say yes more often by enabling them to convert more of their leads, fund larger deals, serve a broader range of industries and access capital faster and more flexibly.”
Encore is now live with an initial group of early adopter partners actively using the platform through the end of the year. Ocrolus will expand availability to a broader group in January 2026.
About Ocrolus
Ocrolus is a leading AI-powered automation and analytics platform for financial decision-making. The company enables lenders to make faster, more accurate credit decisions by automating underwriting workflows, with deep expertise in small business and mortgage lending. Ocrolus ingests and classifies documents, extracts key data, detects fraud, and delivers comprehensive cash flow and income analytics, empowering financial institutions to streamline the borrower experience, scale operations efficiently, and manage risk with precision and confidence. To learn more, visit Ocrolus.com.
CAPEDGE Appoints Kevin Vendel as Director of Mid-Market Lending & Partnerships
October 16, 2025London, UK — October 16, 2025 — CAPEDGE (http://www.capedge.co.uk), the UK non-bank lender specialising in mid-market finance, today announced the appointment of Kevin Vendel as Director of Mid-Market Lending & Partnerships. Vendel will lead CAPEDGE’s engagement with corporate finance boutiques, accountants, and other intermediaries to drive referral-led growth and expand awareness of CAPEDGE’s distinctive lending proposition.
“We’re delighted to welcome Kevin to CAPEDGE,” said David Goldin, CEO of CAPEDGE. “His track record building high-performing teams and scaling mid-market origination via intermediary channels will help strengthen our relationships with advisers and CF boutiques seeking fast, flexible solutions for their mid-sized clients looking for business loans in the range of £500,000 to £3 million+.”
Vendel joins CAPEDGE from TP24, where he served as Commercial Director and led mid-market growth via direct and intermediary channels. Previously, as Head of Sales at FIBR, he developed strong partnership relationships and consistently delivered portfolio growth across SME lending.
CAPEDGE was launched to address a clear funding gap for mid-sized UK businesses seeking loans between £500,000 and £3 million. The lender offers a combination of speed, flexibility, and human-led underwriting, with approvals and funding in as fast as a few days — compared to weeks for other non-bank lenders and months for banks. CAPEDGE provides capital for a wide range of purposes, from supporting growth and working capital needs to acting as a bridge solution for businesses awaiting longer-term facilities or liquidity events.
“CAPEDGE was created to serve a segment of the market that has been historically underserved — established, mid-sized businesses that need quick access to capital without the lengthy processes of traditional banks,” said John Rozenbroek, COO/CFO of CAPEDGE. “Our ability to fund within days — not weeks or months — gives businesses the flexibility to act quickly, whether they are bridging to a bank facility, managing a liquidity gap, or pursuing growth opportunities. With Kevin joining to expand our intermediary network, we’re able to deliver that speed and certainty to even more mid-sized clients through trusted advisers.”
“CAPEDGE is solving a real gap for mid-sized businesses that value speed, certainty, and a relationship-driven approach,” added Kevin Vendel. “I’m excited to work closely with corporate finance advisers, accountants, and other intermediaries to bring that proposition to more mid-sized clients.”
About CAPEDGE
CAPEDGE is a UK-based specialist non-bank lender offering flexible business loans between £500,000 and £3 million to mid-sized companies. Designed to bridge the funding gap for firms underserved by both large banks and smaller non-bank lenders, CAPEDGE emphasises speed, certainty, and partnership.
Built on a strong foundation, CAPEDGE is part of the Capify family — a well-established alternative finance provider that has been supporting businesses in the UK and Australia since 2008. While Capify serves small and growing SMEs, CAPEDGE focuses on larger, mid-market businesses that require more capital and bespoke funding solutions tailored to their needs.
It works closely with trusted intermediaries — including corporate finance boutiques and accountants — to deliver fast, flexible capital solutions that help mid-sized clients grow, manage liquidity, or bridge to their next opportunity.
For more information, visit www.capedge.co.uk.
Media enquiries
press@capedge.co.uk
Manatt Expands Nationally-Recognized Financial Services Group with Addition of Partner in San Diego Office
October 15, 2025Gianna Ravenscroft brings deep banking, fintech, nonbank lending and consumer financial services experience to Firm’s Financial Services Group
SAN DIEGO—October 15, 2025—Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today announced the arrival of Financial Services Partner Gianna Ravenscroft to the Firm’s San Diego office. With over two decades of experience in consumer and small business finance, fintech, bank regulatory matters, and complex operational and capital markets transactions, Ravenscroft advises leading banks, fintech companies and other nonbank lenders on regulatory, transactional and compliance matters and guides organizations through accelerated growth and high-stakes regulatory challenges. She has also worked with industry-leading companies to bring new financial services products to market, navigating challenging policy and competitive landscapes, and has addressed cutting-edge legal issues for clients as the industry continues to evolve from both a technological and government regulatory perspectives.
“As we continue to build out our national financial services team, Gianna’s in-house leadership and extensive regulatory experience is a tremendous resource for our many financial services clients facing sophisticated financial, compliance and regulatory challenges at every stage of their growth,” said Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna L. Wilson. “She also brings a unique national practice with relationships across the country coupled with deep ties in the San Diego business community, making her an ideal addition to our office, led by former U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.”
With considerable in-house senior leadership experience heading legal and compliance functions, Ravenscroft counsels clients on corporate governance, investor and capital markets relationships, regulatory compliance and product development. She has played key roles in strategic acquisitions, negotiated a wide range of commercial agreements and supported strategic projects, M&A and regulatory initiatives, in addition to conducting regulatory diligence for institutional investors. Ravenscroft has extensively advised banks, fintechs, captive auto finance companies and investors on compliance, lending and bank regulatory strategy and represented clients before federal and state regulators on transactions, applications and enforcement matters. She has also counseled clients on a wide range of consumer finance issues, including FDCPA, UDAAP, SCRA, bankruptcy and regulatory examinations, and worked with clients on merchant cash advances and managing state and federal regulatory matters.
“Gianna’s proven track record advising financial institutions and fintechs on significant transactions, compliance and product innovation, in addition to having a deep understanding of the evolving consumer finance regulatory landscape, makes her an ideal addition to our team,” said Craig Miller, Partner and Leader of Manatt Financial Services. “Strengthening our ability to support clients navigating these related matters, Gianna embodies the collaborative, business-focused approach that distinguishes our practice and will add immediate value for our clients across the country.”
Prior to joining Manatt, Ravenscroft served as Director and Deputy General Counsel for Lending, Banking & Capital Markets at a global financial technology platform, where she led legal strategy for one of the company’s fastest-growing business units. She also served as General Counsel of an alternative finance company and was Associate General Counsel at a digital financial services company offering online banking products. Earlier in her career, Ravenscroft was Managing Counsel at one of the largest global captive auto finance companies, where she advised on legal risks and regulatory requirements across the company’s consumer credit products and services. She has practiced in the Financial Institutions Group at a global law firm and began her legal career at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
“Manatt’s unique blend of legal and consulting services, combined with its reputation as one of the top consumer financial services advisors in the country provides an unparalleled platform for me to help clients succeed in today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape,” said Ravenscroft. “I am excited to join Manatt’s dynamic, collaborative team and partner with clients to scale and innovate while helping them address the legal, business and compliance risks that evolve quickly in today’s changing business environment.”
Ravenscroft is the latest financial services arrival to the Firm in the last year, joining other recent hires including investment funds Partner Peter Tsirigotis, leading blockchain and cryptocurrency Partner James Williams and banking and regulatory Special Counsel Hope Adams.
Ravenscroft earned her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and B.A. from University of San Diego.
Maxim Commercial Capital Delivered Creative Financing Solutions in Q3 2025
October 13, 2025LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (October 13, 2025) – Maxim Commercial Capital (“Maxim”) announced it countered industry trends during the third quarter of 2025 by delivering essential hard asset secured financing to small and mid-sized businesses across the nation. Maxim is a national provider of loans and leases from $10,000 to $3 million collateralized by class 6 and 8 trucks, trailers, construction and agricultural heavy equipment, and real estate. The company fuels entrepreneurship by offering attractive financing rates and terms for underserved market segments, including startups and borrowers with challenged credit.
“It was a noteworthy quarter for our team,” noted Michael Kianmahd, Maxim’s CEO. “Despite the industry-wide slowdown in originations, we stayed on course to structure and fund deals during trying economic and market conditions. We were thrilled to welcome Lyndon Elam as Chief Operating Officer and continued to develop and roll out performance enhancing technology tools.”
Maxim experienced a good flow of applications for over-the-road (OTR) used truck and trailer financing during the period. While strong demand held used truck prices steady, many lenders retracted, leaving vendors and buyers scrambling for reliable financing. Funded deals during the period included a $45K 2020 Kenworth T680 with 528K miles for 26% down for a subprime startup owner operator with a 621 FICO; a $48K 2020 Kenworth T680 with 501K miles for 25% down for an experienced subprime owner operator with a 581 FICO; and a $23K 2020 Utility Dry Van for an existing customer with challenged credit for 25% down.
In addition to OTR trucks and trailers, Maxim is a leader in financing vocational trucks, such as tow trucks and dump trucks, and helping borrowers consolidate expensive MCA debt by lending against owned heavy equipment and real estate. As equipment leasing rates became more expensive during the period, Maxim received applications from borrowers with strong contracts seeking to purchase equipment.
Creatively structured deals during the third quarter include 60% purchase financing for a newer, rapidly growing construction company to buy a $40K 2025 Equipter RB4000 to improve efficiency on construction sites. Traditional lenders had turned down the business owner due to her 681 FICO, newly opened $60K auto loan, and $25K in student loan debt. Another startup entrepreneur with a business plan to haul construction material and a committed driver got the $106K 2020 Mack GRANITE 104BR Dump Truck she wanted for 34% down, despite her 541 FICO and discharged bankruptcy from 2018.
“One reason I was attracted to join Maxim is their creative, flexible approach to working with equipment vendors, finance brokers, and borrowers,” said Elam. “Our team takes the time to optimize financing structures, such as by asking about excess equipment or real estate collateral to improve advance rates or helping a borrower understand true affordability based on cash flow. This results in high approval to submission rates which is a key goal for all lenders.”
About Maxim Commercial Capital
Maxim Commercial Capital helps small and mid-sized business owners nationwide by providing loans and leases (“financing”) from $10,000 to $3 million secured by trucks, trailers, heavy equipment, and real estate. It funds equipment purchase financings and leases, working capital, and debt consolidations. Maxim’s more creative financing structures leverage equity in real estate and owned heavy equipment to facilitate growth and preserve customers’ cash. As a leading provider of transportation equipment financing, Maxim supports startup and experienced owner-operators and non-CDL small fleet owners by funding loans and leases for class 8 and class 6 trucks, trailers, and reefers. Learn more at www.maximcc.com or by calling 877-776-2946.
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Contact:
Michael Kianmahd, CEO
Maxim Commercial Capital
michael@maximcc.com
(213) 984-2727
deBanked & Reliance Financial Sponsor Major Community Event in Jersey City
September 23, 2025deBanked and Reliance Financial have teamed up to support and sponsor one of Jersey City’s signature community events, The Zombie Opera. Produced by local non-profit Undead Arts, The Zombie Opera, an outdoor Halloween-themed opera, is attended by 5,000 people each year in Downtown Jersey City. With the Opera known as a “phenomenal day of community and commerce” both deBanked and Reliance Financial are proud to support it and the local business community. This year’s Zombie Opera will take place on October 25 between 6:30 – 8pm at Hamilton Park in Jersey City, NJ.
About deBanked
deBanked, founded in 2010, operates trade media and events for the small business finance and fintech industries. This is deBanked’s 2nd year sponsoring the event.
About Reliance Financial
Reliance Financial is a U.S.-based provider of revenue-based financing solutions offering up to $5,000,000 per transaction. The company is committed to delivering fast, transparent, and flexible funding to growing businesses nationwide. Led by industry veteran Aryeh Miller, Reliance has helped thousands of companies unlock working capital without giving up equity or control.
If you’re interested in joining as a sponsor, email info@debanked.com.
Fundfi Merchant Funding Expands Credit Facility for Second Time This Year, Supporting Record Numbers of Small Businesses
September 19, 2025Revenue-based financing leader continues aggressive growth trajectory as demand for alternative lending solutions surges
New York, NY – Fundfi Merchant Funding, a leading provider of revenue-based financing solutions, announced today the expansion of its credit facility for the second time in 2025, positioning the company to serve an unprecedented number of small and medium-sized businesses across North America. This latest facility increase reflects the company’s continued growth and commitment to supporting small business owners who are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional lending channels.
The expansion comes at a time when Fundfi Merchant Funding is helping more businesses than ever before, with loan originations reaching new heights as small business owners turn to flexible financing solutions that align with their cash flow patterns rather than requiring fixed monthly payments.
“This second facility expansion in one year demonstrates our unwavering commitment to being there for entrepreneurs when they need capital most,” said Efraim Kandinov, CEO and co-founder. “We’re seeing incredible momentum in our market, and this expansion allows us to maintain our rapid response times while supporting the diverse financing needs of North American small businesses.”
The revenue-based financing model has gained significant traction among business owners who value the flexibility of repayments tied to their revenue performance. Unlike traditional loans, this approach allows businesses to pay more during strong months and less during slower periods, providing crucial breathing room for companies navigating seasonal fluctuations or market uncertainties.
Natasha Dillon, CFO and co-founder, emphasized the strategic timing of the expansion: “We are bullish on the growth of the small business footprint in North America and anticipating tighter lending from more traditional financing avenues. Fundfi is committed to being the reliable capital partner these businesses need to thrive. This facility expansion allows us to maintain our commitment to fast approvals and quick funding, ensuring small businesses can access capital when opportunities are presented.”
The credit facility expansion enables Fundfi Merchant Funding to:
- Accelerate funding timelines for approved businesses
- Support larger financing amounts for established companies
- Expand into new industry verticals and geographic markets
- Maintain competitive rates despite rising market interest rates
As traditional lenders face increasing regulatory pressures and risk management concerns, alternative lending providers like Fundfi Merchant Funding are filling a critical gap in the market. Small businesses, which represent the backbone of the North American economy, often struggle with the lengthy approval processes, extensive documentation requirements, and rigid repayment structures of conventional business loans.
With this second facility expansion in 2025, Fundfi Merchant Funding reinforces its position as a leading alternative to traditional small business lending, continuing to provide entrepreneurs with the flexible capital solutions they need to grow and thrive.
About Fundfi Merchant Funding:
Founded by Efraim Kandinov and Natasha Dillon, Fundfi Merchant Funding is a revenue-based financing company dedicated to providing flexible capital solutions to small and medium-sized businesses across United States and Canada. The company’s innovative approach aligns repayment schedules with business cash flow, offering small businesses an alternative to traditional bank loans. For more information, visit fundfimerchantfunding.com.
Media Contact:
Sasha Kandinov
Fundfi Merchant Funding
sasha@fundfimerchantfunding.com
Dragin Technologies Unveils the Industry’s First AI Merchant Integrity Dashboard, Setting a New Standard for Underwriting Accountability
September 17, 2025New York, NY — September 17 2025 — Dragin Technologies, the automation engine powering some of the fastest-growing revenue-based financing companies, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking AI Merchant Integrity Dashboard, the first tool of its kind designed to ensure clean, accurate, and trustworthy underwriting decisions.
This new AI-powered feature combines every critical data source in the underwriting process — application forms, bank statements, credit reports, background checks, Dragin’s proprietary AI Web Report, and even the merchant’s interview — into a single, intelligent report. It then cross-references every data point to uncover discrepancies, validate claims, and flag potential risks before an offer is made.
How It Works
The AI Merchant Integrity Dashboard automatically reviews and cross-verifies all data points across multiple documents. It checks everything from business addresses to revenue patterns, ensuring consistency and truthfulness at every step.
For example:
- If a merchant claims their revenues are steadily increasing, the AI will verify this against actual bank statement data.
- If the merchant says they have “great credit,” Dragin will confirm that claim and flag missed payments or delinquencies.
- Business addresses are cross-checked between the application, background checks, and banking data to catch mismatches or fraudulent entries.
Every red flag identified by the AI must be manually reviewed and approved by an underwriter before a deal can move forward, creating a new layer of accountability and transparency in the underwriting process.
Why This Matters
For revenue-based financing companies, speed and accuracy are essential — but so is trust.
With the AI Merchant Integrity Dashboard, underwriters can no longer miss critical details or claim ignorance after a deal closes.
Key benefits include:
- Early fraud detection through cross-document analysis
- Cleaner, fully reconciled deal data for every file
- Reduced merchant default rates by catching inconsistencies up front
- Stronger underwriting accountability, protecting funders from costly mistakes
“This changes everything,” said Mark Ross, CEO of Dragin Technologies.
“For the first time, funders can hold their teams accountable for every detail in a deal. Our AI does the heavy lifting, surfacing risks that used to take hours — or never got caught at all. No more guessing. No more missed red flags.”
Part of Dragin’s Full Automation Suite
The AI Merchant Integrity Report is the latest innovation in Dragin’s end-to-end deal automation platform, which includes:
- Automated email parsing and document classification
- AI-powered application and bank statement reader
- Pre-qualification and pre-decline logic
- DraginForce CRM with built-in automation suite
- Real-time ISO portal for faster deal negotiations
- End-to-end deal tracking and syndication portal
About Dragin Technologies
Dragin Technologies builds the tools that power the future of revenue-based financing. With advanced AI, machine learning, and automation technology, Dragin enables funders to scale faster, reduce risk, and make smarter decisions. Its flagship CRM, DraginForce, and cutting-edge automation modules are trusted by some of the largest and fastest-growing funders in the industry.
Learn more at www.dragin.io
MoneyThumb and deBanked Release Survey Findings on Fraud Trends Among Small Business Funders
September 16, 2025Document Falsification Emerges as Top Concern
San Diego, Calif. (September 16, 2025) – A new study conducted by MoneyThumb, a leader in automated document evaluation and fraud detection solutions, in partnership with deBanked, a leading publication for MCAs, reveals an alarming trend in the small business lending sector: fraud is not only on the rise but is significantly impacting the cost of doing business, especially for smaller funders operating in an increasingly uncertain economic environment.
As small businesses continue to grapple with supply chain pressures, shifting tariffs, and a volatile economic outlook, lenders are seeing a direct correlation between economic strain and elevated fraud risk. When margins are tight and working capital is harder to secure, the incentive for applicants to falsify documents, or even attempt synthetic identity fraud—increases. Most of this fraud cannot be detected visually, making traditional underwriting processes insufficient on their own. This hidden risk doesn’t just weigh on the funder, it ultimately raises the cost of loans for all borrowers, including honest small business owners.
The survey polled a broad range of Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) providers, funders, and alternative lenders to assess how often they encounter tampered documents or fraudulent information during the application process. Respondents ranged from small firms processing fewer than 10 applications per month to large institutions handling over 500.
Key findings include:
- Nearly 54% of respondents report that 2–10% of the applications they receive contain fraud.
- Nearly 60% are “very concerned” about fraud.
- A staggering 90% cite document falsification or forgery as the most pressing issue.
- More than half of respondents say fraud has increased year over year.
- Smaller funders are disproportionately affected: funders processing fewer than 100 financial applications per month report fraud in 11.8% of applications—more than double the rate reported by larger funders (5.6%).
- 88% of funders are still reviewing documents manually, which wastes countless hours per month, is prone to human error and increases labor costs.
“Fraud is evolving just as quickly as the economy is shifting,” said Ryan Campbell, CEO of MoneyThumb. “In a time when rising tariffs and inflationary pressure are already squeezing small businesses, fraudulent applications add another layer of risk that funders can’t afford to ignore.”
Sean Murray, Founder of deBanked, added: “Relying solely on manual review simply isn’t sustainable. The funders who embrace intelligent automation will not only reduce losses but also serve more businesses—faster and more fairly.”
Up to seven percent of revenue, billions of dollars and thousands of hours are lost every year due to fraudulent applications in the lending industry. MoneyThumb’s Thumbprint® patented technology leverages AI and advanced algorithms to identify subtle discrepancies and inconsistencies that can’t be seen manually. Over the last year, Thumbprint® has reviewed more than 10M statements and identified over 500,000 fraudulent or altered documents.
As macroeconomic uncertainty continues into Q4 2025, the report underscores the need for technology-driven solutions that can scale fraud detection without sacrificing underwriting speed or accuracy.
About MoneyThumb
MoneyThumb is an advanced automation software solution that streamlines the lending underwriting process by converting bank statements instantly into actionable data. By exponentially increasing efficiency, accuracy and the detection of fraud – MoneyThumb empowers lenders and accountants to make faster, more informed and accurate decisions. MoneyThumb is headquartered in Encinitas, California, and serves customers globally. For more information visit www.moneythumb.com.
About deBanked
deBanked is a leading publication covering non-bank finance, alternative lending, and fintech since 2010. It is a trusted source for insights, news, and trends in the MCA and small business lending space.
Media Contact:
Tracy Rubin
JCUTLER media group
tracy@jcmg.com
