Lending startups face a new reality in 2025. Private credit funds deploy $280 billion seeking yield. Traditional VCs compete with debt funds. Unit economics beat growth at any cost.
Winners specialize: SMB working capital, consumer point-of-sale, earned wage access. Broad horizontal platforms struggle. Compliance complexity kills underfunded startups.
Below: 30 investors actively funding lending and credit startups. From seed to growth, plus crucial debt capital sources.
Quick facts
The lending market remains massively underpenetrated. Digital lenders originated $500 billion globally versus $18 trillion in US household debt alone.
Three patterns win:
- Vertical focus beats general lending
- Embedded credit at point of need
- Alternative data improves underwriting
Capital favors proven models with seasoned loan performance. First-time founders need institutional debt partners upfront.
Track your lending pitch deck
Lending investors analyze differently. They scrutinize cohort data. Default rates matter more than growth. Capital efficiency determines funding.
Ellty shows what lending VCs actually examine:
- Which slides on unit economics get studied
- When they forward to credit committees
- How long they analyze your loan tape
30 Lending and credit investors
1. QED Investors
Fintech specialist founded by Capital One veterans.
Investment focus: Consumer and SMB lending, BNPL, credit infrastructure
Investment range: Seed to growth, $1M-$50M
Notable investments: Klarna, Nubank, SoFi, ClearScore
Contact: qedinvestors.com
2. Ribbit Capital
Leading fintech investor with lending expertise.
Investment focus: Alternative lending, neobanks, credit platforms
Investment range: Series A+, $10M-$100M
Notable investments: Affirm, Brex, Robinhood
Contact: ribbitcap.com
3. FinTech Collective
NYC-based specialist in financial services disruption.
Investment focus: Lending infrastructure, B2B credit, underwriting tech
Investment range: Seed to Series B, $1M-$20M
Notable investments: MoneyLion, Zefir, lending platforms
Contact: fintech.io
4. Nyca Partners
Fintech-only fund with deep lending expertise.
Investment focus: Credit infrastructure, risk tech, B2B lending
Investment range: Series A-C, $5M-$30M
Notable investments: Lending infrastructure companies
Contact: nyca.com
5. Anthemis
Global fintech investor focused on financial system rebuild.
Investment focus: Digital lending, credit scoring, financial inclusion
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Betterment, lending fintechs
Contact: anthemis.com
6. Foundation Capital
Silicon Valley firm with fintech practice.
Investment focus: Alternative lending, PropTech lending
Investment range: Series A-B, $5M-$25M
Notable investments: Solana (infrastructure), Current
Contact: foundationcapital.com
7. Canaan Partners
Enterprise and fintech investor with lending focus.
Investment focus: B2B lending, credit infrastructure
Investment range: Series A-B, $5M-$25M
Notable investments: LendingClub (IPO), Orchard
Contact: canaan.com
8. Core Innovation Capital
Financial inclusion focused fund.
Investment focus: Underbanked lending, alternative credit
Investment range: Seed to Series A, $500K-$5M
Notable investments: Oportun, alternative lenders
Contact: corevc.com
9. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Mega-fund with growing fintech practice.
Investment focus: Next-gen lending platforms, crypto lending
Investment range: Series A+, flexible sizing
Notable investments: Affirm, Earnin, Figure
Contact: a16z.com
10. Sequoia Capital
Tier-1 VC backing lending transformation.
Investment focus: Platform lending plays, embedded finance
Investment range: Series A+, $10M+
Notable investments: Klarna, Square Capital
Contact: sequoiacap.com
11. Accel
Global VC with fintech lending expertise.
Investment focus: European lending, SMB credit
Investment range: Series A-C
Notable investments: GoCardless, lending fintechs
Contact: accel.com
12. Y Combinator
Top accelerator with lending alumni network.
Investment focus: Early-stage lending innovation
Investment range: $500K for 7%
Notable investments: Brex, Razorpay, dozens of lenders
Contact: ycombinator.com
13. GV (Google Ventures)
Alphabet's venture arm investing in fintech.
Investment focus: Data-driven lending, AI underwriting
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Lending platforms using ML
Contact: gv.com
14. Bessemer Venture Partners
Cloud-first investor embracing lending SaaS.
Investment focus: Lending infrastructure, embedded finance
Investment range: Series A+
Notable investments: Blend, lending tech
Contact: bvp.com
15. Index Ventures
Transatlantic firm with lending portfolio.
Investment focus: European lending champions
Investment range: Series A to growth
Notable investments: Funding Circle, TransferWise
Contact: indexventures.com
16. Lightspeed Venture Partners
Multi-stage investor in financial innovation.
Investment focus: SMB lending, payment financing
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Affirm early investor
Contact: lsvp.com
17. General Catalyst
Cross-stage investor in fintech transformation.
Investment focus: Embedded lending, vertical credit
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Lending platforms
Contact: generalcatalyst.com
18. Khosla Ventures
Deep tech investor backing lending innovation.
Investment focus: AI-powered lending, new credit models
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Square (early), lending tech
Contact: khoslaventures.com
19. Greylock Partners
Enterprise investor with lending expertise.
Investment focus: B2B lending, infrastructure
Investment range: Series A-B
Notable investments: Blend Labs, lending SaaS
Contact: greylock.com
20. Social Capital
Mission-driven fund investing in financial access.
Investment focus: Alternative credit, financial inclusion
Investment range: Series A+
Notable investments: SoFi early investor
Contact: socialcapital.com
21. Tiger Global
Late-stage investor in proven lending models.
Investment focus: Scaled lending platforms
Investment range: Series C+, $50M+
Notable investments: Major lending unicorns
Contact: tigerglobal.com
22. Coatue Management
Crossover investor in fintech leaders.
Investment focus: Category-leading lenders
Investment range: Growth equity, $50M+
Notable investments: Chime, lending platforms
Contact: coatue.com
23. Spark Capital
Early-stage investor in fintech disruption.
Investment focus: Consumer lending innovation
Investment range: Seed to Series B
Notable investments: Affirm seed investor
Contact: sparkcapital.com
24. Bain Capital Ventures
Growth investor in financial services.
Investment focus: Lending at scale, vertical finance
Investment range: Series B+, $20M+
Notable investments: Lending platforms
Contact: baincapitalventures.com
25. NEA (New Enterprise Associates)
Large fund with fintech lending practice.
Investment focus: Next-gen credit platforms
Investment range: Series A+, up to $100M
Notable investments: Lending innovators
Contact: nea.com
26. Insight Partners
Software investor embracing lending SaaS.
Investment focus: Lending infrastructure, B2B
Investment range: Series B+, $10M-$100M
Notable investments: Blend, lending software
Contact: insightpartners.com
27. Felicis Ventures
Multi-stage investor in frontier fintech.
Investment focus: Embedded lending, new models
Investment range: Seed to growth
Notable investments: Lending innovators
Contact: felicis.com
28. Union Square Ventures
NYC-based fund investing in networks.
Investment focus: Lending marketplaces, P2P credit
Investment range: Series A-B
Notable investments: LendingClub early
Contact: usv.com
29. Slow Ventures
Operator-led fund with lending expertise.
Investment focus: Early-stage lending innovation
Investment range: Seed, $250K-$2M
Notable investments: Lending infrastructure
Contact: slow.co
30. Thrive Capital
Growth investor in category leaders.
Investment focus: Proven lending models
Investment range: Series B+, $20M+
Notable investments: Affirm, lending unicorns
Contact: thrivecap.com
What lending investors actually evaluate
The basics
Vintage analysis: Performance by cohort
Loss rates: Gross and net of recoveries
Unit economics: CAC, LTV, payback
Regulatory: State licenses, compliance costs
Advanced metrics
Repeat rate: Borrowers who return
Cross-sell: Additional products attached
Funding diversity: Not dependent on one source
Servicing capability: In-house vs outsourced
Red flags
- First-time founders without credit experience
- Single source of capital
- No path to profitability within 24 months
- Regulatory issues in any state
- Concentration in one customer segment
Success patterns in lending
Vertical winners
Toast Capital: Restaurant lending via POS data
Faire: Retailer credit using purchase history
Parafin: Embedded lending for platforms
Infrastructure plays
Blend: Mortgage origination software
Alloy: Identity and compliance infrastructure
Peach Finance: Lending servicing platform
Why startups fail
Underestimated credit losses. Ran out of debt capital. Regulatory shutdown. Competition from incumbents with cheaper capital.
Optimize your lending pitch
Lending investors need different data than typical VCs. They want loan tapes, cohort analyses, regulatory documentation.
Ellty helps lending startups understand investor priorities:
- Track which financial models get downloaded
- See when credit partners review materials
- Know which compliance slides raise concerns
Lending founders report 2x higher close rates when they understand investor engagement patterns.
