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Specialty Finance

Specialty Finance & Non-Bank Lending

Non-bank lenders and specialty finance platforms across consumer, commercial, and asset-based credit (equipment finance, factoring, merchant cash advance, fintech balance-sheet lenders, BDCs), plus the warehouse facilities, forward-flow agreements, whole-loan sales, and securitizations that fund and transfer their portfolios.

31
Experts
91
Companies
The input, verbatim

specialty finance and non-bank lending platforms, and the advisors structuring credit facilities and portfolio acquisitions

That sentence was the entire instruction. Everything on this page was researched from it and then verified against public sources: 31 experts kept, 0 dropped in verification.

Experts

Grouped by archetype · searchable

Founder / Operator

6

Strategic Advisor

8
AH

Adrienne Harris

Board Director; Professor of Practice at University of Michigan

LendingClub; University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy

AdvisorNew York

Just-departed, longest-serving NY financial regulator now advising from Sullivan & Cromwell — unmatched insight into how DFS treats lender licensing, AI, and cyber rules.

SF

Steven Freiberg

Vice Chairman of Board of Directors

SoFi Technologies, Inc.

AdvisorNew York

A former Citigroup Global Consumer Group CEO and E*TRADE CEO who now chairs and advises across a live specialty-finance and fintech board portfolio, including SoFi and a TowerBrook portfolio company.

KR

Kathryn Reimann

Board Director; Senior Advisor

LendingClub; Oliver Wyman

AdvisorNew York

A two-decade bank CCO (Citi, Amex) now sits on a public digital bank's board and advises Oliver Wyman clients on lending compliance and regulatory risk.

KW

Kerry Whorton Cooper

Lead Independent Director

Upstart Holdings, Inc.

AdvisorSonoma / Northern California

As Upstart's lead independent director and board chair of both PG&E and Mozilla, she offers rare cross-sector governance insight into AI lending, regulated utilities, and consumer trust.

CM

Carlos Minetti

Independent Board Member

Oportun Financial Corporation

AdvisorLake Forest

Ran Discover's entire consumer banking build-out for 13 years and now leads Stripe's new bank charter — rare operator-level view of both legacy card/lending economics and fintech infrastructure.

AB

Adam Barton

Partner, Asset Securitization Department

Chapman and Cutler LLP

AdvisorSan Francisco

Rare dual perspective: he built securitization programs in-house at nonbank lenders before advising issuers and investors on ABS deals from outside counsel.

DN

David Nirenberg

Partner, Tax Department (Securitization Specialist)

Chapman and Cutler LLP

AdvisorNew York

One of the few lawyers who literally wrote the treatise on securitization taxation — essential diligence counsel on any CLO or ABS-heavy specialty finance deal.

MS

Mike Shaffer

Partner, Structured Finance Practice

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

AdvisorCharlotte

Rare lawyer who has sat on both sides of CRE securitization deals — outside counsel at Katten and in-house at a real estate lender — giving him a practical read on deal friction points.

Investment Banker

5

Legal / Service Provider

5

Peer Fund / Dealmaker

7
AM

Andrew Murstein

Chief Executive Officer

Medallion Financial Corp

Fund GPNew York

Third-gen operator who rebuilt a taxi-medallion lender into a diversified $2.8B specialty finance platform and just took the CEO seat outright.

SL

Steven Lambe

Managing Director, Asset Based Lending

Trinity Capital Inc.

Fund GPSan Francisco

He originates and structures Trinity Capital's asset-based credit deals for fintech/VC-backed companies, making him a direct line into non-dilutive financing decisions.

AL

Aaron Levy

Managing Director, Specialty Finance

Monroe Capital LLC

Fund GPChicago

Built and now runs Monroe Capital's new $1B+ aviation finance platform, giving him firsthand insight into structuring and pricing asset-backed aircraft lending.

KD

Kipp deVeer

Co-President & Former Head of Credit Group

Ares Management Corporation

Fund GPNew York

Co-President of Ares Management and the architect of its dominant credit franchise — one of the best-connected voices in private credit and BDC deal flow.

MG

Mitchell Goldstein

Partner & Co-Head of Credit Group

Ares Management Corporation

Fund GPNew York

Co-runs Ares' credit platform and sits atop ARCC's board — he shapes underwriting appetite and pricing across the largest direct lender in the market.

AB

Akhil Bansal

Partner & Head of Asset-Backed Finance

Carlyle Global Credit

Fund GPNew York

Bansal runs Carlyle's ~$7B asset-backed finance platform and personally sources/structures its forward-flow deals across solar, auto, farm, and energy lending verticals.

AP

Armen Panossian

Co-CEO & CEO of Strategic Credit Fund

Oaktree Capital Management LP

Fund GPLos Angeles

As Co-CEO of Brookfield's newly unified $365B credit platform and CEO/CIO of its two largest BDCs, he sets underwriting priorities across specialty finance and private credit.

Companies

Ranked by edge depth
Fund · Service2

Ares Management

Global alternative-investment manager; Ares Infrastructure & Power is one of the most active U.S. mid-large-cap funds in renewables and grid services.

Advisor2

Bank of America

Global bank; Natural Resources & Energy Transition group built out under Todd Giardinelli (2025) as a strategic priority.

Target2

LendingClub

San Francisco-based financial services company and the first peer-to-peer lender to register offerings as securities with the SEC. Now pivoting to institutional lending and a bank holding company model after acquiring Radius Bank.

Target2

Oportun Financial Corporation

Mission-driven financial services company providing personal loans and credit products to underserved and low-to-moderate income consumers through online and retail channels since 2005.

Advisor1

400 Capital Management LLC

Alternative credit asset manager specializing in structured credit investments across public and private markets, managing $7.4B+ AUM across multiple funds focusing on asset-based credit and cyclical opportunities.

Advisor1

777 Partners

Miami-based alternative investment platform founded in 2015 investing across insurance, consumer/commercial finance, litigation finance, direct lending, media and entertainment, and aviation.

Advisor1

AIP Capital

Global alternative investment manager focusing on asset-based finance including aviation and equipment leasing, managing approximately $7.1 billion in assets.

Target1

Above Lending

Next-generation consumer lender providing unsecured debt consolidation and installment loans through a tech platform. Headquartered in Chicago with recent $200 million warehouse facility from institutional investors.

Software1

Alt Platform Inc.

Fintech platform for investing in alternative assets (collectible cards, watches, sneakers, art) with lending and valuation services; received $40M credit facility from Trinity Capital in 2021.

Target1

American Capital, Ltd.

Publicly traded private equity and global asset management firm that was acquired by Ares Management in 2017 for $4.1 billion; formerly managed over $100 billion in AUM.

Target1

Annaly Capital Management

Leading diversified mortgage REIT investing in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, whole loans, and credit risk transfer securities.

Target1

Ares Capital Corporation

Leading specialty finance BDC providing direct loans and equity investments to private middle market companies; largest publicly traded BDC by market capitalization as of June 2026.

Target1

Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: ARCC)

Market-leading Business Development Company and one of the largest direct lenders in the U.S., providing direct loans and investments in private middle market companies.

Advisor1

Avenue Capital Group

Founded in 1995, opportunistic credit and special situations investor managing $13B in assets; deploys across distressed debt, long-short, real estate, and CDO strategies.

Fund · Service1

Beyond Finance

Chicago-based financial wellness and debt consolidation company founded in 2016 serving 1.3M+ clients. Provides structured debt consolidation programs with success-based fees, resolving $5 billion in debt annually.

Advisor1

Brookfield Asset Management

Leading global alternative asset manager with $1T+ AUM across infrastructure, renewable power, private equity, real estate, and credit; majority owner of Oaktree Capital.

Advisor1

CCS Partners

Diversified credit platform founded in 2024 specializing in structured credit, asset-based finance, and long-only products; raised $4B in commitments.

Equipment1

Celadon Group, Inc.

Truckload shipping company serving North America with operations in US, Canada, and Mexico; one of ten largest carriers; filed for bankruptcy in 2019 following accounting fraud scandal.

Fund · Service1

Chapman and Cutler LLP

Boutique law firm founded in 1913 with ~240 lawyers specialized in finance, including asset securitization, commercial lending, and structured finance.

Software1

ChargeAfter

Multi-lender embedded finance platform enabling merchants and financial institutions to offer point-of-sale financing solutions through a data-driven lending network.

Fund · Service1

Churchill Real Estate

Capital solutions provider offering structured lender finance and direct lending for residential real estate, specializing in bridge and construction loans with $16.2B AUM.

Target1

Citibank, N.A.

Systemically important global bank and subsidiary of Citigroup, serving corporate, consumer, and investment banking across 160+ countries with 200M+ customer accounts.

Advisor1

Citigroup Global Markets

Investment banking and underwriting division of Citigroup; provides capital markets, corporate finance, and securities underwriting services globally.

Advisor1

Comvest Partners

Private investment firm managing $15.3 billion in assets through private equity, direct lending, and special opportunities platforms serving lower middle-market companies.

Show 67 more single-connection companies
Equipment1

Core Equipment Group (LB GTMA Opco)

Heavy construction equipment dealership serving Mid-Atlantic region; acquired by LB Advisors affiliate in 2026 with financing from MidCap Financial.

Target1

Discover Financial Services

Major digital banking and payment services company offering credit cards, personal loans, savings accounts, and the Discover Global Network; recently acquired by Capital One.

Target1

Diversified Energy

Publicly-traded independent energy company (NASDAQ: DEC) acquiring, operating, and retiring natural gas and oil assets across Appalachian, Texas, and Gulf regions with $1.58B trailing revenue.

Fund · Service1

Doma (formerly States Title)

Insurtech platform using machine intelligence to streamline residential real estate transactions and title insurance. Founded as States Title in 2016, the company went public via SPAC and operated across 39 states before recent acquisition.

Target1

Elevate Credit, Inc.

Online credit solutions provider for non-prime consumers using advanced risk analytics; operates Rise, Elastic, and Today Card brands across US and UK.

Software1

Fair Square Financial, LLC

Credit card technology platform providing near-prime credit products to underserved consumers through the Ollo brand; acquired by Ally Financial in December 2021 for $740 million.

Fund · Service1

FarmOp Capital

Agricultural lender providing production-based operating and inventory loans to farmers using innovative crop insurance-backed underwriting models to increase farmer capital access.

Target1

Figure Technologies Inc.

Reno-based fintech company using blockchain technology for lending and capital markets. Enables loan origination, funding, and securitization processes on its Provenance Blockchain, having financed over $16 billion in loans.

Utility · RTO1

Freddie Mac

Government-sponsored secondary mortgage market maker (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) purchasing and securitizing mortgages supporting ~70% of U.S. home loans.

Software1

Funding Circle

British fintech lending platform founded 2010 providing institutional SME lending across UK, US, Germany, and Netherlands; has facilitated £15B+ in loans with established underwriting and market access.

Software1

Galileo Financial Technologies

Digital payments platform providing APIs for creating financial accounts and issuing cards; acquired by SoFi for $1.2 billion in 2020 to power fintech infrastructure.

Target1

Golden Pacific Bancorp

Community bank holding company established in 1968 and based in Sacramento, California. Operated approximately $150 million in assets with three branches in Sacramento, Live Oak, and Yuba City before being acquired by SoFi Technologies in 2022.

Target1

Horsepower Financial

Specialty consumer leasing company focused on pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Offers Lifestyle Lease® with no credit checks, providing alternative financing for powersports enthusiasts.

Advisor1

Insight Partners

Leading global venture capital and private equity firm with $90 billion in assets under management investing in high-growth software and technology scaleup companies.

Advisor1

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

AmLaw 100 full-service law firm with ~650 attorneys providing corporate, financial services, structured finance, and securitization expertise across US and international offices.

Fund · Service1

Kinetic Advantage

Floorplan financing company providing inventory financing solutions to independent auto dealerships with flexible terms and access to 900+ digital and physical auctions.

Advisor1

LB Advisors

Private equity firm founded in 1990 specializing in middle-market companies ($15-100M revenue) in industrial, retail, business services, and specialty manufacturing sectors.

Target1

LendingClub / Happen, Inc.

Digital bank (rebranded to Happen Bank June 2026) offering personal loans, credit cards, and savings accounts to mass-affluent digitally-native consumers.

Software1

Lovey (formerly Love Finance)

UK-based fintech SME lending platform founded 2016, providing fast business loans and alternative financing to 10,000+ businesses with £400M+ funded; bootstrapped, profitable, and scaled to 110+ employees by 2025.

Target1

Medallion Bank

Utah-chartered FDIC-insured industrial bank providing consumer lending for recreational vehicles, boats, and home improvements with direct origination and fintech partnership capabilities serving thousands of dealerships nationwide.

Advisor1

Medallion Capital

Licensed SBIC providing subordinated debt and minority equity to lower-middle market businesses since 1987, holding evergreen SBIC license (oldest in country) with $400M+ deployed across 110+ companies nationwide.

Target1

Medallion Financial Corp

Publicly traded specialty finance company (NASDAQ: MFIN) generating $353M+ annual revenue through consumer and commercial lending including taxicab medallion, recreational vehicle, and home improvement financing.

Software1

Mesa

Digital homeowner membership platform offering rewards-based credit products and mortgage services through partnerships with specialty finance lenders.

Software1

Momnt

Atlanta-based financial technology platform providing embedded point-of-sale financing solutions for merchants through an API-based multi-lender lending network.

Software1

Mozilla Corporation

For-profit subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation that develops Firefox web browser and internet software focused on user privacy, security, and an open internet for all.

Advisor1

OTB Ventures

Pan-European VC firm with €185M second fund investing in deep tech, fintech, and enterprise automation across late-seed and Series A stage companies.

Advisor1

Oaktree Capital Management / Brookfield Credit Group

Global alternative investment manager with $189B+ AUM across credit, equity, and real estate; majority-owned by Brookfield since 2019 with integrated credit platform operations.

Fund · Service1

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation (OCSL)

Publicly-traded BDC (NASDAQ: OCSL) providing customized credit solutions including first/second lien loans, mezzanine debt, and preferred equity to middle-market companies.

Advisor1

Oaktree Strategic Credit Fund (OSCF)

Non-listed BDC managing $7.4B in assets providing investors diversified credit portfolio with ~70% private credit and ~30% public investments; $5.25B cumulative capital raised.

Fund · Service1

Oliver Wyman

Global management consulting firm with 5,000+ professionals across 60 cities specializing in financial services, risk management, and operational transformation.

Utility · RTO1

PG&E Corporation

Holding company for Pacific Gas and Electric, serving 16 million Californians across Northern and Central California with electricity and natural gas distribution.

Software1

Pagaya Technologies Ltd.

AI-driven financial technology platform using machine learning and big data analytics for loan origination; public company trading on NASDAQ (PGY) with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.

Target1

Paragon Bank

UK-based FTSE 250 specialist bank offering mortgages, business loans, and savings products with £15.7B net loan book, strong SME lending division, and established wholesale funding platform.

Advisor1

Park Cities Asset Management

Alternative credit manager founded in 2018; focuses on asset-based financing and deployed $2B+ across 50+ portfolio companies before partial 2025 acquisition.

Software1

Patriot Finance

Online consumer finance platform connecting borrowers with lenders for various credit products, providing access to lending marketplace solutions.

Target1

PayJoy

San Francisco-based fintech providing smartphone financing and consumer lending to underserved populations in emerging markets, with proprietary mobile security technology enabling phones to serve as digital collateral. The company has financed over $3.5 billion in loans across 10 million customers globally.

Developer1

PayPal Holdings

Financial technology and digital payments company founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Jose, California. Provides payment solutions through PayPal, Venmo, Braintree, and other brands, enabling digital and mobile payments for consumers and merchants across approximately 200 markets.

Target1

Portage Fintech Acquisition Corp.

Blank check company that raised $240 million on Nasdaq to pursue acquisitions in fintech verticals including wealth management, consumer finance, payments, and insurance infrastructure.

Fund · Service1

Rewards Network

Fintech company providing loyalty rewards programs and capital financing to restaurants, serving 24 national brands and over 20 million consumers since 1984.

Target1

Richard Petty Motorsports

NASCAR Cup Series racing team operating 2009-2021 co-owned by Murstein and Richard Petty, featuring iconic No. 43 car and notable sponsorships; team competed in 1,027 races with 7 total victories.

Target1

Riverside Credit Solutions

Lower-middle market cash-flow-based lender deployed over $700M across 60+ investments; acquired by Ares in 2024 to expand direct lending capabilities.

Utility · RTO1

SFNet (Secured Finance Network) Europe

European chapter of the Secured Finance Network (formerly Commercial Finance Association), founded in 1944. Regional trade association and professional network serving asset-based lending, factoring, and secured finance professionals across Europe with nearly 18,000 members across 20 chapters.

Software1

Scorto

Enterprise decision management and risk mitigation platform automating credit, fraud, and collections decisions for financial institutions and lending organizations.

Software1

SoFi Technologies, Inc.

Online personal finance platform offering student/auto loan refinancing, mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, and investment services; reports $1.2B+ quarterly revenue with Galileo/Technisys technology platform serving financial institutions.

Software2

Stripe Inc.

Global financial services and payments technology company providing APIs and infrastructure for payment processing, banking services, and financial products for online and mobile commerce.

Advisor1

Sullivan & Cromwell

Global law firm founded in 1879 with 875+ lawyers across 13 offices. Specializes in M&A, corporate finance, litigation, investigations, regulatory and tax matters for major domestic and cross-border transactions.

Advisor1

Sundance Growth

Growth equity firm deploying $5-15M checks into B2B SaaS vertical-market platforms with $3-10M ARR, providing strategic capital and operational support.

Software1

Sungage Financial

Solar financing platform founded in 2011; provides residential solar loans up to $150,000 across 44+ states with terms up to 25 years.

Software1

Swell Financial, Inc.

Digital banking and financial management platform founded in 2021; enables users to automate spending control, tackle debt, and invest in private market opportunities.

Fund · Service1

Swift Financial

Small business lending platform founded in 2006 with headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware and major operations in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Provided funding to over 20,000 small businesses before being acquired by PayPal in August 2017 for undisclosed terms.

Software1

Technisys

Cloud-native, next-generation core banking platform providing digital banking solutions to financial institutions, banks, and fintech companies globally. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Miami, Technisys was acquired by SoFi Technologies in 2022 for approximately $1.1 billion.

Software1

Thrivory

AI-powered healthcare payments platform enabling same-day claims advancement for medical practices through predictive claims analytics and risk-based lending.

Target1

Toorak Capital Partners

Tech-enabled correspondent lender providing capital to mortgage originators for business-purpose and residential transition loans. Headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, with $4.1 billion in securitizations across 16 deals.

Software1

Truepic

San Diego-based SaaS company providing AI-powered digital image and video authentication technology using cryptography to verify origin, integrity, and prevent deepfakes.

Fund · Service1

Trustmark Mutual Holding Company

National employee benefits and insurance company founded in 1913, providing health insurance, voluntary benefits, life insurance, disability coverage, and wellness programs to employers.

Software1

TurnKey Lender

Global end-to-end lending automation platform providing AI-driven credit decisioning, automated loan origination, and collections management across lending verticals.

Developer1

Twitter

Global microblogging and social media platform (rebranded as X in 2023) founded in 2006 and headquartered in San Francisco. Acquired by Elon Musk in 2022 for $44 billion and subsequently moved headquarters to Austin, Texas.

Fund · Service1

U.S. Bank

Minneapolis-based financial institution and 7th-largest bank in the US, offering banking, investment, mortgage, trust, and payment services to individuals and businesses.

Equipment1

Unicat Catalyst Technologies

Global catalyst and adsorbent manufacturer headquartered in Alvin, Texas, providing specialized catalyst products for refining, hydrogen, methanol, steel, ammonia, and syngas industries. Operates technical centers in the US, UK, and Vietnam with over 200 unique catalyst products.

Software1

Upstart Holdings, Inc.

Cloud-based AI lending platform founded in 2012 connecting millions of consumers to 100+ banks and credit unions for personal loans and auto lending using proprietary AI models.

Utility · RTO1

Valley Strong Credit Union

California-based credit union founded in 1938 with $4 billion in assets; provides auto loans, mortgages, and financial services to over 360,000 members across multiple branches.

Software1

WebBank

Utah-chartered, FDIC-insured industrial bank founded in 1997 and headquartered in Salt Lake City. Originates and funds consumer and commercial credit products through strategic partner platforms, serving as backend banking technology provider for fintech companies and lending platforms.

Advisor1

White Oak Global Advisors

SEC-registered investment advisor founded in 2007 providing specialized private credit and asset-based lending solutions to small and middle-market businesses. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Has deployed over $20 billion since inception.

Advisor1

White Oak UK

UK-based asset-based lending firm and affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors providing financing solutions to SMEs. Headquartered in Chester, England with additional offices in Glasgow, Scotland. Offers asset-based lending, invoice finance, working capital, and commercial lending products.

Software1

Wisetack

Founded in 2018, Wisetack is a Buy Now, Pay Later platform that embeds point-of-sale lending into SaaS software for in-person service businesses, with $64 million raised.

Equipment1

d.light Design

Global leader in affordable solar-powered solutions for off-grid markets, founded in 2007. The company manufactures and distributes solar lanterns, radios, TVs, and fans through a network of 100+ distributors, reaching 175 million people across 70 countries.

Software1

iwoca

UK-based fintech lending platform founded 2011 providing flexible business loans via API integration partnerships; operates across UK, Germany, Spain, and Poland with 2-minute approval capability using advanced analytics.