Best Alternative Lending Companies in Chicago, United States
The 59 best Alternative Lending companies in Chicago, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Avant.
Ranked: Best Alternative Lending companies in Chicago
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founder | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avant 🦄 Online platform for consumer loans | $905M | 43 mo ago | Series E | 547 547 → 974 (+78%) | Paul Zhang Co-Founder & Chief Information Officer | — | — |
| 2 | Enova Online platform for consumer and small business loans | $625M | 94 mo ago | Public | 1,079 1,079 → 1,570 (+46%) | David Fisher Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors | — | 1 job opening · 1 partnership |
| 3 | Aequum Capital Online platform for business loans | $308M | 10 mo ago | Funding Raised | 9 | — | — | — |
| 4 | OppFi Online marketplace for consumer loans | $295M | 48 mo ago | Public | 465 465 → 455 (-2%) | Todd Schwartz Founder | — | — |
| 5 | Klover App-based platform for cash advance loans | $60M | 44 mo ago | Series B | — | Jason Westra Co-Founder & CTO | — | — |
| 6 | OppLoans Online personal loans for those underserved by traditional credit options | $56M | 63 mo ago | Funding Raised | 247 | — | — | — |
| 7 | Lendr Working capital and invoice factoring solutions for small business growth | $26M | 74 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | Daniel Demeo CEO Lendr | — | — |
| 8 | NEWITY Online marketplace for business loans | $16M | 4 mo ago | Series B | — | Luke LaHaie Co-Founder & Co-CEO | — | — |
| 9 | Boro App-based platform for consumer loans | $14M | 75 mo ago | Series A | 5 | Yifeng Ouyang Co-Founder & COO | — | 1 launch |
| 10 | LQD Business Finance Custom financing solutions for lower middle-market businesses, fostering growth | $10M | 80 mo ago | Series A | 11 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Bolstr KeyBank: Comprehensive financial solutions for personal, small business, and commercial clients | $9M | 96 mo ago | Acquired | 17,903 | — | — | — |
| 12 | TransUnion Provider of consumer credit reports, credit monitoring, scores, and identity tools | $8M | 140 mo ago | Public | 834 | Rajesh Kumar Co-CEO & Managing Director | 10 patents Consumer identity verification and database record matching using similarity-based authentication algorithms. | — |
| 13 | Braviant Holdings Credit assessment solutions for individuals and businesses | $7M | 96 mo ago | Series A | 52 | Justin Martorello Co-Founder | — | — |
| 14 | Align Income Share Funding Online platform for income share funding | $7M | 85 mo ago | Series B | 14 | — | — | — |
| 15 | Bonside Provider of an online platform to businesses with investors | $5M | 7 mo ago | Seed | 5 | Neha Govindraj Founder | — | 2 partnerships |
| 16 | Nail Your Mortgage Solutions for borrowers and lenders to interact in an open electronic marketplace. | $3M | 201 mo ago | Deadpooled | 5 | — | — | — |
| 17 | Rent Butter Provider of tenant screening and verification platform for property managers | $3M | 10 mo ago | Series A | 7 | Tom Raleigh Co-Founder | — | 1 launch |
| 18 | Revvin Provider of an online platform offering lending-as-a-service solutions | $2M | 44 mo ago | Acquired | 19 | Valentin Saportas Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 19 | FinanceFuel Online marketplace for business loans | $700K | 84 mo ago | Seed | 5 | — | — | — |
| 20 | Peanut Butter Student loan assistance platform empowering employers to attract and retain talent | $535K | 87 mo ago | Seed | 12 12 → 11 (-8%) | — | — | — |
| 21 | Beta Financial Services Lending as a service platform for financial institutions | $150K | 24 mo ago | Seed | — | Seke Ballard Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 22 | Airfordable Fly now, pay later: Flexible flight installment plans | $120K | 120 mo ago | Seed | 7 | — | — | — |
Top 12 Alternative Lending companies in Chicago
#1
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2020 · 9 employees$307.5Mraised▾
Online platform for business loans. It is a marketplace connecting borrowers with lenders for business loan products. It offers multiple business loan products including asset-based loans for working capitals, early-stage turnarounds, DIP and exit financing, term loans and structured loans for borrowers with predictable earnings, cashflow, and experienced management, short-term bridge loans for a specific purpose from time to time, and more.
- Sep 2025Conventional Debt$250M
- Dec 2022Conventional Debt$7.5M
- Nov 2022Conventional Debt$50M
#2
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2020$15.5Mraised▾
Online marketplace for business loans. It offers a platform connecting businesses with lenders for loans with customized terms, amounts, and repayment options. It also features accounting services with real-time dashboards, business insurance, marketing, legal services, and more.
- Feb 2026Series B$11M
- Aug 2025Series A$1.2M
- Dec 2023Series A$3.3M
#3
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2020 · 5 employees$4.6Mraised▾
Provider of an online platform to businesses with investors. It provides users with a company that offers a platform to connect investors with businesses. It helps to raise funding for new and existing businesses.
- Nov 2025Venture Debt$100M
- Jun 2023Seed$4.3M
- Jan 2023Seed$249K
#4
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2018 · 7 employees$3Mraised▾
Provider of tenant screening and verification platform for property managers. It offers tools for identity verification, financial assessment, and background checks. The platform delivers insights to help users make informed leasing decisions. It also provides fraud protection and compliance regulation checks.
- Aug 2025Series A$1.9M
- Dec 2024Series A$1000K
- Aug 2023Series A$3M
- Mar 2021Seed—
#5
Avant 🦄Series E · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012 · 547 employees$905.2Mraised▾
Online platform for consumer loans. It offers secured and unsecured personal loans and credit lines on the basis of a repayment guarantee. Repayment of loans can be done via credit/debit cards and bank transfers. It offers an app-based platform that is available on iOS and Android platforms.
- Dec 2022Conventional Debt—
- Dec 2022Series E$250M
- Sep 2015Series E$325M
- Aug 2015Conventional Debt$339M
#6
Public · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 465 employees$295Mraised▾
Online marketplace for consumer loans. It is a fintech platform that provides credit access for the everyday consumer. It also offers loans such as personal credit lines and personal loans.
- Jun 2022Conventional Debt$200M
- Oct 2021Conventional Debt$45M
- Mar 2021Conventional Debt$50M
#7
Public · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2003 · 1079 employees$625Mraised▾
Online platform for consumer and small business loans. It operates a portfolio of businesses that offer a variety of online credit products and services to alternative credit consumers. It uses proprietary technology and analytics to evaluate, underwrite, and fund loans. It specializes in online financial services, analytics-as-a-service, consumer lending, and small business lending.
- Sep 2018Conventional Debt$375M
- Sep 2017Conventional Debt$250M
#8
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019$60Mraised▾
Klover is an app-based platform for cash advance loans. It provides cash advance before payday. It offers tools for tracking spending habits and providing expense management. Users can register via bank account and the paycheck. The app is available on iOS devices.
- Nov 2022Series B$25M
- Aug 2021Series A$60M
- Mar 2020Series A$3.2M
- Jun 2019Seed$1M
#9
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2010 · 247 employees$56.4Mraised▾
Online personal loans for those underserved by traditional credit options. The company facilitates access to credit for everyday Americans, especially those with bad or no credit, offering installment loans through its online platform. It partners with banks to provide financial products and services, focusing on financial inclusion and customer experience. The platform aims to help consumers build better financial health with transparent lending practices, avoiding hidden fees and prioritizing flexibility. It provides resources and tools for financial education, empowering users to make informed decisions about debt management, emergency funds, and overall financial wellness. The company reports payment history to credit bureaus, potentially boosting credit scores. It uses technology to offer a safe and secure experience with advanced encryption. The platform offers online applications, quick approvals, and same-day funding.
- Mar 2021Conventional Debt$50M
- Apr 2020Conventional Debt$6.4M
- Sep 2019Conventional Debt—
#10
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2011$25.7Mraised▾
Working capital and invoice factoring solutions for small business growth. This Fintech company offers financial solutions tailored to small businesses, providing working capital and invoice factoring. They offer merchant cash advances and invoice factoring services to address immediate financing needs. The company focuses on providing customized solutions for Customer Relationship Management, Portfolio Risk Analysis, and reporting. They cater to businesses with outstanding invoices, particularly in staffing, construction, and manufacturing. The platform offers a streamlined online application process, quick offers, and fast funding. They provide tools for offer customization, direct communication with representatives, and secure document management. The company aims to empower small businesses with accessible and flexible financing options.
- Apr 2020Conventional Debt$688K
- Mar 2018Conventional Debt$25M
#11
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2015 · 5 employees$14Mraised▾
Boro is a leading consumer financing platform for college students. With its proprietary underwriting system, Boro is revolutionizing the existing consumer financing industry by providing convenient and affordable financial solutions to college students, who are underserved in the current market.
#12
Acquired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2013 · 19 employees$2.2Mraised▾
Provider of an online platform offering lending-as-a-service solutions. It provides users with a platform that enables lenders to use a platform for custom workflow management of the entire lending process without any code. It also offers API-enabled third-party integrated solutions for loan origination, credit reporting, KYC and verification, E-signing, CRM, valuation process, and more.
- Nov 2022Seed—
- Apr 2017Seed$1.5M
- Jan 2016Seed$750K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Alternative Lending coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.