Articles by Press Release
NMEF Announces Strategic Joint Venture With Oaktree to Accelerate Growth in FMV Leasing Platform
June 10, 2025JUNE 10, 2025, NORWALK, CT – North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC (“NMEF” or “North Mill”), a leading commercial equipment lessor located in Norwalk, Connecticut, today announced a new partnership with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”), a global investment firm with deep expertise in credit and asset-backed finance. The collaboration launches a joint venture designed to grow NMEF’s fair market value (FMV) equipment leasing platform, alongside Oaktree’s investment in the venture.
The combined capital commitment from Oaktree and NMEF will support the funding of $350 million in FMV equipment lease originations initially, with additional capital capacity available to continue funding the venture.
This partnership combines NMEF’s established origination network and servicing capabilities in the equipment leasing space with Oaktree’s institutional capital base and investment team. This new extension of NMEF’s platform will focus on FMV leases across a wide range of essential-use equipment including construction, medical, logistics, and manufacturing assets.
“This marks a major step forward in our efforts to deliver flexible, value-driven leasing solutions to the market,” said David Lee, Chairman and CEO of North Mill Equipment Finance. “We’re excited to work with a partner like Oaktree who shares our long-term vision and brings deep understanding of asset-backed investing.”
Under the terms of the agreement, NMEF will originate and service all transactions through their national network of independent originators and vendors. North Mill will also invest alongside Oaktree in the venture.
“We’ve built a strong and scalable platform, and this partnership allows us to bring it to a broader investor base,” said Lee Bergeron, Senior Vice President of Structured Products at NMEF. “Together with Oaktree, we’re well-positioned to meet growing demand for flexible equipment financing solutions.”
Paul Cheslock, Vice President of Structured Products at NMEF, added, “This collaboration gives us the capacity to do more of what we do best—helping businesses acquire the equipment they need with creative and sustainable financing options.”
From Oaktree’s perspective, the partnership is a natural fit with their investment strategy. “We’re pleased to partner with North Mill 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 North Mill 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.
About North Mill Equipment Finance (NMEF)
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, 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.
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.
Register for The 7th Annual Alternative Finance Bar Association Conference
May 21, 2025
The AFBA Conference is BACK.
If you are an attorney in this industry, you won’t want to miss the Alternative Finance Bar Association’s (AFBA) 7th Annual Conference, here in NYC June 9-10. They will be covering current events in the legal world of alternative finance, including the latest regulatory and caselaw developments, upcoming CA collections requirements, rapidly changing NY law, bankruptcy strategies and a lot more. This is an extremely reputable bar association with top notch attorneys in the field.
For more detailed agenda information & a registration link, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/afba-7th-annual-conference-tickets-1317879616409
CS Lend 4.0 Fuji Release Unveiled: Cloudsquare Launches AI-Driven Enhancements to Modernize Loan Management
May 21, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA – May 20, 2025 – Cloudsquare, the leading Salesforce-powered lending platform, proudly announces the release of CS Lend Spring 2025—a major evolution in lending automation that equips brokers and lenders with powerful AI-driven tools to streamline operations, speed up decision-making, and scale with precision.
What’s New in CS Lend Spring 2025?
IntelliParse: AI-Powered Document Processing
Automate the parsing of ISO applications and bank statements. Extract borrower data directly from PDFs and sync structured records into Salesforce—faster, more accurately, and with no manual entry.
DataMerch Integration: Fraud Prevention Built In
Verify merchants instantly with native access to DataMerch inside CS Lend. Search, tag, and manage merchant risk without switching platforms.
Commission Module: Streamlined ISO Payouts
Set flexible commission rules, automate payouts, and generate ACH-ready files. Gain complete visibility into earnings and eliminate spreadsheet-based tracking.
File Management Enhancements
Classify, organize, and retrieve files with smart attribution and improved metadata. Spend less time searching and more time closing.
The Spring ’25 Release gives lenders the edge they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced MCA and lending markets. From reducing underwriting time to preventing risk and automating ISO payments, Cloudsquare continues to lead in delivering technology that drives speed, scale, and smarter lending decisions. Find out more on our blog: https://link.cloudsquare.io/8oLA
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 merchants 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.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cloudsquare Marketing Email: marketing@cloudsquare.io
Dragin Technologies Launches the First True AI Pre-Underwriting Tool for Revenue-Based Financing, Redefining the Future of Digital Business Intelligence
May 16, 2025New York, NY — May 16, 2025 — Dragin, the automation engine behind some of the fastest-growing and largest revenue-based financing companies, announces the launch of its latest breakthrough: True AI Web-Based Pre-Underwriting. This powerful new AI tool delivers real-time digital presence analysis to deal teams just before offers are made.
Designed for Revenue-Based Financing
In an industry where speed, accuracy, trust, and decision confidence drive every dollar moved, Dragin’s new AI functionality equips funders with a clear picture of a merchant’s online credibility and activity, automatically pulled before a human ever touches the file.
Here’s what it uncovers:
- Ownership and business addresses
- Business website, social media pages, storefront images, and location markers
- Incorporation information, SOS details, and NAICS codes
- Legal exposure including lawsuits, arbitration, and personal risk
- News coverage and media presence
- Financial signals and business health
- Registrations and licenses
- Customer reviews (Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, etc.)
- Top social media posts and engagement
How It Works
The moment a deal hits your inbox, Dragin’s proprietary automation stack kicks in, extracting deal info, organizing docs, applying pre-decline logic, and now, launching the AI agent. In under 30 seconds, it builds a hyperlinked, easy-to-read Digital Presence Report and attaches it directly to the CRM deal view. No clicks, no searches, no lag.
Why It Matters to Funders
For revenue-based financing companies, every delay risks a lost deal. Every gap in diligence risks a burned book. Dragin AI closes those loops.
✔️ Cost savings
✔️ Faster pre-qual checks
✔️ Early fraud detection
✔️ Deal confidence pre and post contracts
✔️ Fewer merchant falloffs post contracts
✔️ Streamlined ISO and internal decisioning
From Dragin’s Founder
“In the revenue-based financing space, you need to move fast without missing the red flags,” said Mark Ross, CEO of Dragin. “This tool gives funders real time signals, whether the merchant is real, active, and viable, before you send an offer. No more hours of review.”
Part of a Larger Ecosystem
Dragin AI is just one tool in Dragin’s full-stack deal automation platform, which includes:
- Email parsing and file classification
- Bank PDF and application extraction
- Pre-qualification, auto-approve, and pre-decline logic
- Instant CRM syncing
- Auto-contract generation
- Merchant offer portal for real-time negotiation
and much more
About Dragin Technologies
Developed specifically for the revenue-based financing, alternative lending, banking, and insurance spaces, Dragin’s suite of underwriting tools automate deal intake, streamline underwriting, and gives funders a smarter way to scale. With its Machine Learning and AI-driven tech stack and its powerful CRM suite, DraginForce, Dragin is powering the next wave of fast, AI-powered, and compliant funding operations. Learn More About Dragin at https://www.dragin.io
LendSaaS Embeds AdvanceIQ.ai’s SRI to Help Originators Filter, Price, and Allocate with Confidence
April 29, 2025NEW YORK, April 29, 2025 — AdvanceIQ.ai, a data intelligence platform powering smarter risk assessment and portfolio optimization in the SMB alternative lending sector, today announced a strategic partnership with LendSaaS, a leading Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) origination and servicing platform. Through this partnership, AdvanceIQ.ai’s SMB Risk Index (SRI) — a purpose-built scoring model for SMB financing — is now fully integrated into LendSaaS, providing users with fast, actionable insights directly within their existing workflows.
With SRI embedded into the platform, LendSaaS customers can seamlessly filter opportunities, price risk with greater precision, and allocate capital more effectively — all without disrupting current processes.
“LendSaaS has established itself as a key platform for MCA originators,” said Tomo Matsuo, Founder and CEO of AdvanceIQ.ai. “By integrating SRI, LendSaaS users gain instant access to tailored risk scores and portfolio intelligence, empowering them to make smarter, data-driven decisions at the top of the funnel and improve portfolio performance.”
The SMB Risk Index (SRI) is engineered specifically for the alternative SMB financing space. Trained on real-world MCA performance data, it leverages intuitive, widely adopted underwriting attributes to help originators reduce operational overhead, improve pricing strategies, and optimize capital deployment. Fully integrated into LendSaaS, SRI enhances underwriting workflows, minimizes manual effort, and supports confident, scalable growth.
“As competition in the MCA space intensifies, our customers need every advantage to assess risk quickly and confidently,” said Josh Carcione, Owner and Founder of LendSaaS. “Partnering with AdvanceIQ.ai gives them access to a purpose-built scoring model and portfolio tools that cut through the noise and drive faster, more informed decisions.”
This integration further reinforces LendSaaS’ commitment to offering a comprehensive and customizable platform that supports MCA originators from application to funding — and beyond.
About AdvanceIQ.ai
AdvanceIQ.ai is a data intelligence platform powering smarter risk assessment and portfolio optimization in the SMB alternative lending sector. The company provides the SMB Risk Index (SRI), a specialized scoring model for evaluating SMB risk profiles, as well as portfolio intelligence solutions that help originators, brokers, and investors reduce acquisition costs, improve underwriting consistency, and maximize portfolio profitability. Learn more at www.advanceiq.ai.
About LendSaaS
LendSaaS is a leading software solution in the MCA industry, known for its comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline and optimize the lending process. From origination to servicing, LendSaaS provides lenders with the technology they need to succeed in a competitive market. Learn more at www.lendsaas.com.
Edge Capital Expands Credit Line with Plains Commerce Bank, Increasing Lending Capacity
April 25, 2025
Boise, ID – 04/23/2025 – Edge Capital is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its credit facility through a strengthened partnership with Plains Commerce Bank. This increased credit line enhances Edge Capital’s ability to meet rising demand and provide more flexible funding solutions to its growing network of partners and clients.
The expanded warehouse lending line through Plains Commerce Bank allows Edge Capital to offer greater loan availability, faster turnaround times, and continued reliability for businesses seeking strategic financial support.
“We’re proud to deepen our relationship with Plains Commerce Bank,” said Dusty Wasmund, Chief Operating Officer of Edge Capital. “This increased capacity means we can better serve our clients, scale with demand, and continue delivering on our promise of speed and flexibility in lending.”
Edge Capital is actively seeking new partnerships and welcomes inquiries from brokers, lenders, and businesses interested in working together.
To explore partnership opportunities, contact us at partners@myedgecapital.com
Plains Commerce Bank now offers Plains Pay (www.plainspay.com) for seamless payment solutions and competitive warehouse lending lines to support the evolving needs of lenders in the fintech sector. Contact them today at sales@plainspay.com.
Congressman Dan Meuser Visits CFG Merchant Solutions™ to Discuss Small Business Finance and Regulatory Trends
April 24, 2025
CFG Merchant Solutions™ (CFGMS™), a leading provider of revenue-based financing, was honored to welcome Congressman Dan Meuser (R-PA, 9th Congressional District) to its New York office for a discussion on the evolving landscape of small business finance and the importance of regulatory transparency.
During his visit, Congressman Meuser engaged with CFGMS leadership and staff to exchange insights on the current regulatory climate impacting small business funders. As a prominent member of the House Financial Services Committee—where he serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations—and the House Small Business Committee, Rep. Meuser’s visit underscored his ongoing efforts to ensure small businesses have access to responsible, innovative funding solutions.
“CFGMS is committed to setting the highest standards of compliance, disclosure and transparency in our industry,” said Bill Gallagher, President at CFG Merchant Solutions. “We’re proud to work alongside policymakers like Congressman Meuser who understand the critical role small businesses play in our economy and who are advocating for smart, balanced regulation.”
Rep. Meuser has represented Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District since 2019. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Revenue, where he was credited with making the department more efficient and customer focused. Earlier in his career, he was an executive at Pride Mobility Products, helping the company grow from $2 million to over $400 million in annual sales.
CFGMS continues to lead the industry in championing ethical, growth-driven funding practices for small businesses across the country. The company remains steadfast in its mission to expand access to capital while fostering transparency and accountability.
About CFG Merchant Solutions™
CFG Merchant Solutions™ (“CFGMS™”) is an independent, technology-enabled alternative funding platform focused on providing capital access to small and mid-sized businesses that have historically been underserved by traditional financial institutions and may have experienced challenges obtaining timely financing. CFGMS™ uses its historical transactional data, proprietary underwriting, predictive analytics, and electronic payment technologies and platforms to assess risk, and provide access to flexible and timely capital.
Media Contact:
Nick DeFeis
Head of Marketing
CFG Merchant Solutions™
(844) 662 – 3467
ndefeis@cfgms.com
cfgmerchantsolutions.com
FundThrough Acquires Ampla, Strengthening its Digital-First Invoice Funding Solution
April 22, 2025HOUSTON and TORONTO – April 22, 2025 – FundThrough, the leading fintech invoice factoring platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced its acquisition of Ampla, the leading provider of financial technology solutions for consumer brands offering working capital, business banking, corporate cards, and analytics. Ampla surpassed +$2B of loan originations and handled +$5T of transaction volume through its platform. This strategic acquisition strengthens FundThrough’s digital-first ecosystem, creating an unrivaled platform explicitly designed for small businesses that sell to larger companies and wait to get paid after invoicing.
Building on its successful acquisition of Bluevine’s factoring business in 2021, FundThrough again demonstrates its ability to identify and seamlessly integrate game-changing SMB technologies. Today, FundThrough’s expanding footprint now delivers crucial invoice factoring solutions across diverse B2B sectors, including retail, manufacturing, oil and gas, technology, professional services, and food supply and agriculture, with 85 percent of its funding helping American clients.
“Business owners have increasingly been forced to act like banks for their much larger customers who extend invoice payment terms beyond reasonable lengths. They need a seamless way to bridge the cash flow gap, and FundThrough provides a tech-enabled financial solution,” said Steven Uster, FundThrough’s CEO. “Now, Ampla’s technology significantly enhances FundThrough’s AI-powered model, enabling us to level the playing field further. With Ampla, we can scale faster, enhance our credit underwriting and monitoring processes, and help even more businesses solve their number one pain point, cash flow. I’m excited to work with Anthony, a proven entrepreneur with vast knowledge in this space.”
Ampla’s CEO, Anthony Santomo, will remain a strategic advisor to FundThrough and will be joined by his core team. “I’m excited about Ampla’s acquisition by FundThrough and the potential of the combined platform to support small businesses. This strategic move enhances commerce capabilities and provides operators with greater resources to succeed,” said Santomo.
Concurrently with the acquisition, FundThrough also raised $25M in equity capital led by existing investor Klister Credit Corp., an early, large investor in both Shopify and FundThrough. This strategic investment fuels aggressive expansion into key growth areas, including further acquisitions, investments in technology and AI, enhanced UX, and accelerated product innovation.
“Steven’s leadership has firmly established FundThrough as a bellwether in the fintech and specialty finance industry. FundThrough’s track record over the past years of uncertainty is impressive. FundThrough has stayed tightly focused on robustly serving the needs of small businesses forced to hold receivables from their much larger, better-capitalized customers,” said John Phillips, President of Klister. “The outlook for small business growth continues to be positive, and my increased investment reflects my confidence in the FundThrough team’s continuing focus on serving this important market through the best service and continual product innovation.”
“As small businesses navigate the evolving global tariffs, the best thing they can do is preserve their cash flow. FundThrough helps bridge the gap by providing peace of mind for business owners during these uncertain times,” concluded Uster.
FundThrough continues to earn recognition for its growth and technology, landing spots on the Deloitte Fast 500 and Globe & Mail’s Report on Business Top Growing Companies List.
About FundThrough
FundThrough is the leading fintech invoice factoring platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Based in Houston and Toronto, FundThrough’s digital-first ecosystem leverages real-time financial data and predictive analytics, offering flexible, tailored financing solutions for growing businesses. Since its founding, the award-winning organization has funded over $2.7 billion of invoices. For more information, visit fundthrough.com.
FundThrough Media Contact
Nadia Milani
VP, Marketing
nmilani@fundthrough.com
