10decodersTransforming SBA Lending with AI and Fintech Innovation
Building a completely digital and AI-based SBA lending platform to automate origination, underwriting & disbursement at scale — scaling loan processing from $8M to $8B.
An SBA lending platform rebuilt for AI-driven scale
Our client is a rapidly growing financial services organization focused on enabling small business financing through SBA-backed loan programs. Operating across the United States, Southeast Asia and India, the firm sought to increase access to capital for minority, women and veteran-owned companies. But a manual onboarding process, siloed underwriting, and disconnected workflows hindered their ability to scale and made it difficult to keep up with loan volume.
10decoders partnered with the client to build a fully AI-based, scalable digital lending platform — transforming SBA loan processing from $8 million to $8 billion, funding 230,000+ entrepreneurs (60% from underserved communities), and supporting a 2x expansion of their customer base.
How we engineered the transformation
Digital Loan Origination
Secure borrower onboarding with profile creation, SSN/EIN submission, and cloud-based document upload, storage, and real-time validation — replacing paper-heavy manual intake.
AI Underwriting Engine
Real-time bank transaction data via Plaid integration and AI-based credit scoring with rule-driven eligibility checks for faster, more accurate loan decisioning at scale.
SBA & Regulatory Integration
Seamless SBA-US systems integration for loan verification and PPP forgiveness processing — ensuring full regulatory compliance and accelerating disbursement timelines.
Straight-Through Processing
Salesforce CRM integration for opportunity tracking and HelloSign-powered e-signatures — enabling fully automated fulfillment workflows from approval to closing.
Cloud-Native Architecture
A modular, cloud-native platform designed to scale from $8M to $8B in loan volume — built to handle exponential growth without infrastructure bottlenecks.
Borrower & Agent Portals
User-friendly digital portals for both borrowers and lending agents — streamlining the loan journey end-to-end and driving a 2x expansion of the active customer base.
The Problem, and How We Solved It
An SBA lending platform under pressure — from manual workflows, disconnected systems, and compliance risk that capped growth at $8 million.
The Challenge
- Manual and fragmented borrower onboarding with data redundancy, manual document processing, and siloed systems causing lag time and inconsistency
- Disconnected credit checks and lack of real-time financial data restricted SBA loan processing capacity to just $8 million
- No automation on approval processes heightened compliance risk and lengthened loan closing times — limiting scale
Our Approach
- Built a secure digital onboarding platform with cloud document management, SSN/EIN processing, and real-time validation — eliminating manual intake bottlenecks
- Integrated Plaid for real-time bank data and deployed AI-based credit scoring with rule-driven eligibility checks — scaling capacity from $8M to $8B
- Automated SBA-US integrations, Salesforce CRM tracking, and HelloSign e-signatures — enabling straight-through processing and full compliance
The Solution
10decoders worked with the client to develop a fully AI-based, scalable digital lending platform — replacing manual, siloed workflows with end-to-end automation across origination, underwriting, compliance, and fulfillment.
End-to-End Digital Loan Origination
Built a secure borrower onboarding experience enabling profile creation, SSN/EIN submission, and cloud-based document upload, storage, and validation — eliminating paper-based intake entirely.
AI-Driven Underwriting & Eligibility Validation
Integrated real-time bank transaction data using Plaid and implemented AI-based credit scoring and rule-driven eligibility checks — enabling faster, more accurate loan decisions at scale.
Regulatory & Ecosystem Integrations
Seamlessly integrated SBA-US systems for loan verification and PPP forgiveness processing — ensuring full regulatory compliance and accelerating disbursement timelines.
Automated Fulfillment & Document Workflows
Enabled straight-through processing with Salesforce integration for opportunity tracking and HelloSign-powered e-signatures — automating loan closing and reducing manual touchpoints to near zero.
From manual bottlenecks to an intelligent lending platform.
End-to-end automation connected every layer of the lending lifecycle — from borrower onboarding and AI underwriting to regulatory compliance and digital closing.
Manual SBA Lending Stack
Paper-heavy onboarding, siloed credit checks, manual compliance workflows, and disconnected fulfillment systems — limiting capacity to $8 million.
10decoders AI & Fintech Modernization
Digital origination, AI underwriting via Plaid, SBA-US compliance integrations, Salesforce CRM, and HelloSign e-signatures — all connected end-to-end.
Intelligent Scalable Lending Platform
$8B in SBA loans processed, 230,000+ entrepreneurs funded, 2x customer base expansion — compliant, fast, and built to scale.
AI, automation, and compliance — by design
Every design decision was made to maximize lending scale, decisioning speed, and regulatory confidence without compromising borrower experience.
$8M to $8B Loan Volume
Cloud-native architecture and AI-driven automation scaled processing capacity by 1000x — without adding manual headcount.
230,000+ Entrepreneurs Funded
Inclusive digital portals extended access to underserved communities — with 60% of funded entrepreneurs from minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
2x Customer Base Expansion
User and agent-friendly digital portals improved borrower satisfaction and supported a 2x expansion of the active customer base.
Faster, Smarter Underwriting
Real-time Plaid bank data integration and AI credit scoring dramatically reduced manual underwriting effort and approval turnaround times.
Full SBA Regulatory Coverage
SBA-US system integration for loan verification and PPP forgiveness processing ensured compliance from origination through disbursement.
Straight-Through Processing
Salesforce CRM tracking and HelloSign e-signatures eliminated manual touchpoints — accelerating loan closing and reducing compliance risk.
What We Built
Digital Loan Origination Platform
Secure borrower onboarding with profile creation, SSN/EIN submission, and cloud-based document upload, storage, and validation — eliminating paper-based intake.
AI Underwriting & Eligibility Engine
Real-time Plaid bank data integration and AI credit scoring with rule-driven eligibility checks — enabling faster, accurate decisions at $8B scale.
Regulatory & Ecosystem Integrations
SBA-US loan verification, PPP forgiveness processing, and Salesforce CRM integration for end-to-end loan lifecycle management and compliance.
Automated Fulfillment & E-Signature
HelloSign-powered e-signatures and straight-through processing workflows for accelerated loan closing, reduced manual errors, and full audit trails.
What Changed
Loan Origination
Manual, paper-heavy borrower onboarding → Secure digital platform with profile creation, SSN/EIN submission, and cloud document validation.
Underwriting Process
Disconnected credit checks limiting capacity to $8M → AI-driven credit scoring with real-time Plaid data — 1000x loan volume growth to $8 billion.
Regulatory Compliance
Manual SBA compliance with high error risk → Seamless SBA-US integration for loan verification and automated PPP forgiveness processing.
Approval Workflows
No automation on approvals with heightened compliance risk → Straight-through processing driving down manual errors and approval turnaround time.
Document Management
Time-consuming manual document handling → HelloSign-powered e-signatures and automated document workflows for faster, compliant closures.
Platform Scale
Rigid legacy systems unable to keep pace with demand → Cloud-native, modular architecture processing $8B in SBA loans for 230,000+ entrepreneurs.
Impact Across the Organization
$8B in SBA Loans Processed
Scaled from $8 million — a 1000x increase in loan processing capacity — funding 230,000+ entrepreneurs including 60% from underserved communities.
Faster, Fully Compliant Approvals
AI-powered validation automated workflows, driving down manual errors, compliance risk, and the time it takes to approve and disburse SBA loans.
2x Customer Base Expansion
User and agent-friendly digital portals supported a 2x expansion of the active customer base while improving overall borrower satisfaction.
