Articles by Press Release
Donald Cosenza, CLFP Joins Maxim Commercial Capital as SVP, Business Development
December 16, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Dec. 16, 2025) – Maxim Commercial Capital (“Maxim”) is pleased to announce Donald S. Cosenza, CLFP, has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Business Development. Cosenza brings more than 25 years of senior-level sales and marketing experience at national financial services firms to Maxim, where he will lead the company’s national referral partner marketing strategy.
“Bringing Don aboard is a key accomplishment for our firm,” said Michael Kianmahd, Maxim’s CEO. “His deep experience and proven success in the equipment finance industry are vital attributes to help propel Maxim to the next level and achieve our vision of becoming the nation’s preeminent alternative lender to small and mid-sized businesses.”
Cosenza previously served as chief marketing officer of North Mill Equipment Finance (“NMEF”) for eleven years, where he built a partner program resulting in relationships with hundreds of referral agents and banks nationwide, established NMEF’s brand, and developed and managed all marketing communications platforms. Previously, Cosenza was VP of Marketing for UnitedHealthcare’s national accounts and served as an E-commerce Leader for GE Capital’s factoring business.
“I am excited to join Maxim at such a pivotal moment in the organization’s growth trajectory,” said Cosenza. “The company’s strong leadership, experienced and committed team members, and well-defined strategic plan together provide an exceptional platform to serve the growing needs of small and mid-sized businesses. I am eager to cultivate initiatives to strengthen our market presence and establish a new standard of excellence in the industry, and to reconnect with industry colleagues in the broker and banking communities, many of whom I consider to be personal friends.”
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 heavy equipment, real estate, trucks, and trailers. 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
(213) 984-2727
Fundr Triples Application Processing Capacity and Doubles Monthly Fundings by Partnering with Cloudsquare
December 15, 2025Los Angeles, CA – December 15, 2025 – Cloudsquare, a leading provider of Salesforce-native lending solutions, today announced the successful digital transformation of Fundr, a rapidly growing financing provider. By migrating to Cloudsquare’s automated platform, Fundr has achieved a 3X increase in daily application processing capacity and a 2X increase in monthly fundings, successfully overcoming the operational bottlenecks that previously slowed their expansion.
Prior to the partnership, Fundr faced a challenge common among high-growth lenders: their deal volume was outpacing their infrastructure. Reliance on manual data entry consumed hundreds of staff hours weekly, and their previous platform lacked the data visibility required to meet the strict reporting standards of their institutional credit partners.
“We were growing quickly, but our previous platform just couldn’t give us the visibility or reporting we needed for our institutional credit partner,” said Gerbian King, Founder and CEO of Fundr. “We immediately knew Cloudsquare could meet our data and reporting needs. It was clear their team understood exactly what we needed to scale.”
The implementation of Cloudsquare’s technology provided Fundr with a centralized system that automated the lending lifecycle from start to finish. Key features such as Email Capture Automation pulled deal data directly into the CRM, effectively eliminating manual entry roles and freeing up staff to focus on high-value tasks.
“Fundr’s results show what happens when you stop relying on outdated systems. Too many brokers and lenders are stuck on platforms that slow them down,” said Jeffrey Morgenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloudsquare. “Fundr made the switch and immediately unlocked true automation, real visibility, and the scale their old CRM could never support.”
Since deploying Cloudsquare, Fundr has reported significant operational milestones:
- 3X increase in daily application processing capacity.
- 2X increase in monthly funding volume.
- 2.5X growth in team size to support rising volume.
- Total elimination of manual application entry.
The platform also provided the robust reporting infrastructure necessary for Fundr to secure and maintain institutional credit facilities, a critical step for long-term scalability.
About Cloudsquare
Cloudsquare is the leading end-to-end lending platform, uniquely powered by Salesforce, to deliver unparalleled flexibility and innovation for lenders and brokers. With a commitment to optimizing lending processes through cutting-edge technology, Cloudsquare provides robust, scalable solutions that empower clients to achieve greater efficiency and growth. Celebrated by industry leaders, Cloudsquare has earned a place on the Inc. 5000 list as one of America’s fastest-growing companies and is consistently rated a top service provider on platforms like Salesforce AppExchange, G2, Clutch, and Manifest.
www.cloudsquare.io
About Fundr
Fundr is a rapidly expanding alternative financing company headquartered in New York City and Miami. As a direct funder, Fundr specializes in providing short-term bridge capital and flexible financial products to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across the United States. The company is dedicated to helping businesses access fast, responsible financing while maintaining efficiency and transparency in every transaction.
www.1fundr.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cloudsquare Marketing Email: marketing@cloudsquare.io
Fundfi Merchant Funding Ends the Year with Two New Product Launches in the United States
December 15, 2025December 15, 2025 — Fundfi Merchant Funding has launched two innovative financial products, marking a significant expansion of the company’s solutions portfolio. The new loan product and credit splits program provide businesses with enhanced flexibility and multiple pathways to access capital for growth and operational needs.
Both products, now available to qualifying merchants, have been developed in response to evolving small business needs and direct feedback from Fundfi’s client base. They offer competitive terms and streamlined processes specifically tailored for small and medium-sized businesses.
Innovative Financing Solutions
Fundfi’s new loan product provides traditional financing with terms designed specifically for merchant operations, supporting businesses with capital for expansion, equipment purchases, inventory management, and working capital needs.
“We’ve listened closely to our partners and identified clear gaps in the market,” said Efraim Kandinov, Co-Founder and CEO of Fundfi Merchant Funding. “These new products reflect our commitment to providing flexible, practical funding solutions that align with how modern businesses actually operate. The credit splits program, in particular, offers a payment structure that moves with your business when sales are strong, you pay more; when they’re slower, your payments adjust accordingly.”
The credit splits program represents an innovative approach to funding repayment, allowing businesses to allocate credit card processing revenues toward funding obligations. This seamless integration between payment processing and capital access creates a natural cash flow alignment for merchants.
“Our clients have varied and evolving financing needs, and a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work anymore,” said Natasha Dillon, Co-Founder and CFO of Fundfi Merchant Funding. “These products allow us to better serve businesses at different stages of growth and with different capital requirements. Whether a client prefers a traditional loan structure or the flexibility of credit splits tied to their daily sales, we now have solutions that work for them.”
Comprehensive Financial Partnership
The dual product launch demonstrates Fundfi’s commitment to innovation and responsiveness in the revenue-based financing space. While these new offerings are only available in the United States, company leadership has indicated that this represents part of a broader strategy to position Fundfi as a comprehensive financial partner for small businesses.
The new offerings complement Fundfi’s existing suite of financing solutions, providing business owners with multiple pathways to access capital based on their specific circumstances, goals, and cash flow patterns.
About Fundfi Merchant Funding
Fundfi Merchant Funding provides innovative financing solutions to small and medium-sized businesses across the United States and Canada. With a focus on flexible terms, responsive service, and business-focused solutions.
Brean Capital to Acquire Depository & Insurance Investment Banking, Equity Research, and Institutional Equity Sales Businesses from Janney Montgomery Scott
December 15, 2025Acquisition significantly expands Brean Capital’s financial institutions franchise and strengthens its leadership position in depository and insurance advisory.
NEW YORK – Brean Capital, LLC (“Brean Capital”), a leading independent investment bank focused on capital markets and advisory services, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Depository & Insurance Investment Banking, Equity Research, and Institutional Equity Sales businesses from Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”). The transaction brings to Brean Capital a team of approximately 50 investment bankers, research analysts, and institutional sales professionals with deep sector expertise and a long track record of advisory excellence.
The incoming team includes respected sector specialists across depository and insurance investment banking, supported by established equity research and institutional sales professionals serving a wide range of financial institution clients nationwide. These individuals bring nationally recognized capabilities in M&A advisory, capital raising, equity research, and institutional distribution, and expand Brean Capital’s presence across key financial hubs including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and San Francisco.
“We are proud to welcome this exceptionally talented team to Brean Capital,” said Robert Fine, Chief Executive Officer and a principal owner of Brean Capital. “Their sector leadership and long-standing client relationships are perfectly aligned with our vision for the continued expansion of our financial institutions platform. This acquisition significantly enhances our advisory capabilities across depository and insurance markets and positions Brean Capital to deliver even greater insight, execution, and value to clients across the country.”
“We are excited to join a firm with the focus and resources to support our clients and accelerate the growth of our platform,” said Matt Veneri, Head of Investment Banking at Janney. “Brean Capital has an entrepreneurial culture and a long track record in the financial institutions space. We look forward to contributing to the firm’s continued success and bringing enhanced capabilities to our clients.”
“We have long admired the Janney team’s quality of work, the strength of their client relationships, and their deep understanding of financial institutions,” added Peter McNierney, Executive Managing Director at Brean Capital. “We believe the cultural fit is excellent, and the integration will allow for even greater collaboration and value creation for our clients.”
Over the past several years, the incoming Janney teams have executed more than 300 capital markets and M&A transactions totaling roughly $20 billion, consistently ranking among the nation’s most active advisors in community bank M&A and capital raising. They also provide equity research coverage for 140+ publicly traded depository and insurance companies, making them a significant contributor to the sector’s research landscape.
Brean Capital’s expanded platform will now comprise more than 225 professionals across investment banking, equity research, and institutional sales, serving corporate, institutional, and municipal clients nationwide.
About Brean Capital
Founded in 1973, Brean Capital is an independent investment bank that delivers high-quality investment ideas and comprehensive banking services to institutional investors and corporate clients. The firm provides Fixed Income Strategy as well as corporate finance and advisory investment banking. Its fixed income business spans sales, trading, and banking across a broad range of products, including mortgage- and asset-backed securities, U.S. Treasuries and government agency securities, structured products, corporate bonds, and municipal securities.
Contacts:
Robert Fine
CEO
212-702-6500
Channel Strategic Growth Delivers $1B Milestone and ABS Upgrades
December 9, 2025Minnetonka, MN, December 9, 2025 – Channel, a leading independent provider of equipment finance and working capital solutions to small businesses across the U.S., proudly announces a major milestone in the growth and performance of its Equipment Finance (EF) platform, surpassing $1 billion in originations in under four years.
Built de novo beginning in late 2019, the EF division moved from concept to soft launch in 2020, officially entering the market in early 2021. Without acquiring a portfolio or inheriting legacy assets, the team designed and executed the entire product from the ground up including credit strategy, processes, technology, and partner relationships. Since launch, the platform has scaled rapidly and responsibly, crossing the $1B in originations threshold through disciplined execution, strong credit performance, a deepened partner network, and a commitment to thoughtful, responsible growth.
Channel’s financial strength and consistency were further highlighted by recent upgrades issued by Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA). KBRA upgraded two classes of notes on Channel’s 2022 ABS transaction and upgraded three classes of notes and affirmed one class of notes on its 2023 ABS transactions. These positive rating actions reflect solid credit support, strong investor confidence, stable asset performance, and the company’s commitment to rigorous, transparent portfolio performance. These upgrades follow a series of successful ABS issuances that have broadened investor relationships and strengthened Channel’s market position.
“This team built the EF product from scratch and crossed a billion dollars in originations in just four years, an extraordinary accomplishment by any measure,” said Adam Peterson, CEO of Channel. “The continued positive response from investors, including the recent upgrades from KBRA, reinforces the stability and strength of what we’re building. We’re energized by the momentum and look forward to further leveraging the ABS marketplace as we scale with discipline and purpose.”
This milestone reflects Channel’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, well-structured opportunities to its investor community while continuing to support small businesses nationwide with reliable, accessible financing solutions.
About Channel | Established in 2009, Channel is a leading full-service independent lender offering a single source solution for both equipment finance and working capital to small businesses exclusively through equipment finance companies. To date, Channel has funded over $3 billion to more than 30,000 business in over 45,000 transactions across the U.S. With headquarters in Minnetonka, MN, the company has additional locations and business units operating from Kennesaw, GA, Mount Laurel, NJ, Des Moines, IA, and Marshall, MN.
YES Leasing Expands Credit Facility With BMO
December 8, 2025Miami, FL – December 8, 2025 – YES Leasing, a Miami-based commercial equipment leasing and finance company, today announced the successful renewal and increase of its senior credit facility with BMO. The facility provides YES Leasing with ample capacity to support its nationwide growth and fund an expanding portfolio of equipment finance transactions.
“The increased credit facility reaffirms our business model and our disciplined approach to serving small businesses with non-prime credit,” said Quade Koffler, Chief Operating Officer at YES Leasing. “With BMO’s support, we will continue advancing our vision of becoming the most trusted, efficient, and client-centered leasing partner in the non-prime market. BMO’s deep industry expertise and longstanding commitment to equipment finance make them an exceptional partner.”
Tony Syracuse, YES Leasing’s Chief Revenue Officer, added, “This facility enables YES Leasing to expand upon our 50-year track record of getting tough deals done. By working with YES Leasing, our brokers are converting more deals for their vendors than ever before.”
The renewed facility enables YES Leasing to fund a wide range of commercial equipment up to $350,000, including construction, landscaping, utility and specialized industrial assets.
About YES Leasing
YES Leasing is a small-ticket equipment financing company founded in 1975 with offices in Miami, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. The company specializes in providing commercial equipment leasing and financing to business owners without established credit. YES Leasing funds leases directly and serves a nationwide network of referral partners. For more information, visit www.yesleasing.com or contact sales@yesleasing.com.
NMEF Completes $502 Million Acquisition of Midland Equipment Finance Portfolio
December 3, 2025December 3, 2025 | NORWALK, CT – North Mill Equipment Finance LLC (“NMEF”), a leading independent commercial equipment lender and lessor headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the equipment finance portfolio of Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (“Midland”) (Nasdaq: MSBI).
With the addition of the Midland portfolio, NMEF continues to expand its scale and diversification across the equipment finance market, bringing total gross receivables under management to nearly $3 billion. NMEF partnered with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”) for this transaction, which underscores the strong institutional demand for high-performing commercial finance assets originated and managed by NMEF. NMEF has partnered with Orion First, a Concord company, to service the Midland portfolio, ensuring continuity and excellence for customers.
“This transaction marks a strategic success for all parties and underscores NMEF’s strength in sourcing, structuring, and executing complex transactions that deliver meaningful value to our stakeholders.” said David C. Lee, Chairman and CEO of NMEF. “Completing the acquisitions of both the Midland portfolio and Pawnee in 2025 is a remarkable accomplishment—either one alone would have made this an exceptional year.”
“The Midland portfolio acquisition and institutional funding partnerships with the likes of Oaktree further demonstrate our disciplined approach to capital deployment and portfolio management,” said Mark Bonanno, President and Chief Revenue Officer of NMEF. “By combining the Midland portfolio with our established funding channels, we were able to unlock significant economic value through both gain-on-sale income and recurring servicing revenue.”
“The coordination between our team and Oaktree was exceptional,” said Tom Lyle, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “This was a highly structured transaction that required speed, trust, and precision. We are proud of the collaborative effort that brought it to a successful close and look forward to welcoming those former Midland employees who are joining the NMEF family.”
From Oaktree’s perspective, the partnership is a natural fit with their investment strategy. “We’re pleased to partner with NMEF to support the next phase of growth for their FMV platform and bring long-term value to their customers,” said Rana Mitra, Managing Director at Oaktree. “We are excited to partner with an extremely high-quality originator and servicer like NMEF as we continue generating attractive asset-backed finance exposures for our investors,” said Brendan Beer, Portfolio Manager for Oaktree’s Asset-Backed Finance and Structured Credit strategy.
Stephens Inc. served as financial advisor to Midland. Macquarie Capital served as financial advisor to NMEF on its partnership with Oaktree for this transaction. Truist Bank and Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch provided debt financing to the Oaktree funds. Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP served as legal counsel to Midland, Moore & Van Allen PLLC served as legal counsel to NMEF, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal counsel for Oaktree, and Morgan Lewis and Bockius LLP served as legal counsel for the banks.
About NMEF
NMEF is a premier lender working with third-party referral (TPR) sources to finance small to mid-ticket equipment commercial leases and loans ranging from $15,000 to $3,000,000 and up to $5,000,000 for investment grade opportunities. NMEF accepts A – C credit qualities and finances transactions for many asset categories, including medical, construction, franchise, technology, vocational, manufacturing, and material handling equipment. NMEF is majority owned by an affiliate of InterVest Capital Partners and is headquartered in Norwalk, CT, with regional offices in Irvine, CA, Fort Collins, CO, Plymouth, MN, Voorhees NJ, and Murray, UT. One of NMEF’s controlled affiliates, BriteCap Financial LLC, is a leading non-bank lender providing small businesses with fast, convenient financing alternatives such as working capital loans since 2003 from its main office in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit www.nmef.com and www.britecap.com.
About Oaktree
Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $203 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented, and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, equity, and real estate. The firm has more than 1,200 employees and offices in 25 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.oaktreecapital.com.
NMEF Raises $30 Million in Corporate Notes Through Brean Capital
November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 | NORWALK, CT – North Mill Equipment Finance LLC (“NMEF”), a leading independent commercial equipment lender and lessor headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, is pleased to announce the successful extension and upsize of their investment-grade rated corporate notes to $30.0 million. The company intends to use the net proceeds to support its growth and the funding of new originations.
“We appreciate the commitment and ongoing support of our existing investors, and the confidence new investors have shown in our platform,” said Mark Bonanno, President & Chief Revenue Officer of NMEF. “This transaction further diversifies our capital stack, providing us additional stability in the marketplace.”
“The investment grade rating attained in this transaction further illustrates the strength of our balance sheet and the capital raised offers us increased operational flexibility to fund our rapid growth” said Pier Snider, Chief Financial Officer of NMEF.
Brean Capital, LLC served as the company’s exclusive financial advisor and sole placement agent in connection with the transaction.
About North Mill Equipment Finance
NMEF is a national, premier lender who works with third-party referral (TPR) sources to finance small to mid-ticket equipment commercial leases and loans ranging from $15,000 to $3,000,000 and up to $5,000,000 for investment grade opportunities. NMEF accepts A – C credit qualities and finances transactions for many asset categories including but not limited to medical, construction, franchise, technology, vocational, manufacturing, renovation, janitorial and material handling equipment. NMEF is majority owned by an affiliate of InterVest Capital Partners. The company’s headquarters are in Norwalk, CT, with regional offices in Irvine, CA, Fort Collins, CO, Voorhees NJ, and Murray, UT. For more information, visit www.nmef.com. One of NMEF’s controlled affiliates, BriteCap Financial LLC, is a leading non-bank lender providing small businesses with fast, convenient financing alternatives such as working capital loans since 2003 from its main office in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit www.britecap.com.
