Catching Up With Kalamata
September 18, 2025
Kalamata Capital Group is continuing to fund in Texas through one of its affiliated entities, the company confirms. Kalamata, which recently upsized its 2024 securitization by 25% with notes expandable up to $500 million, offers a variety of funding products to small businesses around the United States. A new law that recently went into effect in Texas has prompted Kalamata and companies like theirs to get the word out to their partners about any applicable adjustments.
More front and center for the company, however, is the introduction and evolution of Kalamata Cash, its in-house proprietary software.
“We went live with everything, including our syndicator profiles and access to the outside world as well, and that’s been a really exciting development for the company,” said Brandon Laks, co-president at Kalamata, “because instead of licensing software, which the software we were on was great before, it gives us the ability to roadmap exactly what we want to do.”
Kalamata, for example, is 100% broker-driven, and they can custom-tailor the process to best suit their relationships.
“Our brokers can come in and see live calculators,” Laks said, “so when they submit a deal and we send an offer, they can get a live view of what steps are outstanding, they can play around with the sliders and choose their offers.”
And there’s a lot more on the horizon that they’re integrating with and adding on.
Guggenheim Securities served as sole structuring advisor and the sole initial purchaser of the notes in the Kalamata securitization deal. At the time of the announcement, Laks said, “The access to additional capital will allow Kalamata to continue supporting Small Businesses and invest more capital in proprietary technology to stay at the forefront of the small business financing industry.”
Pathway Launches Automation Platform to Redefine Underwriting
September 4, 2025NEW YORK, NY — September 2025 — Pathway, a New York–based fintech company, is transforming how funders and brokers underwrite small business financing. By parsing and reconciling bank statements, auto-screening deals, and producing mathematically verifiable outputs, Pathway helps underwriting teams cut decision time from hours to minutes while improving accuracy and consistency.
The platform was built by underwriters, for underwriters. That perspective shapes everything from its clean summaries and deep audits to its configurable decision rules—designed to eliminate dead paper and accelerate deal flow without sacrificing accuracy.
“We aren’t just a document reader—we’re a decision engine,” said co-founder Andrew Bisch. “We automate the most tedious underwriting work, and let you retain full control of the deal.”
Pathway also extends beyond core parsing. The platform includes information on UCC filings, AI-powered business research, custom Gmail forwarding, and white-labeled deployment options. Every feature is backed by enterprise-grade security—including Okta-powered authentication, full audit trails on every file, and flexible deployment to AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.
Highlights of Pathway’s capabilities include:
- Statement Parsing & Reconciliation — Transactions, balances, and metadata reconciled to the penny, with anomalies flagged for audit-ready confidence.
- Auto-Decisioning — Configurable rules that can instantly approve or deny deals.
- Scalability — Support for teams of all sizes with no drop in output quality.
- CRM & Email Pipeline Sync — Push clean data directly into existing pipelines and
track deals without breaking workflow.
Already, Pathway underwrites 100M+ USD of monthly recurring revenue for SMBs across North America.
To see how Pathway can automate your underwriting without giving up control, book a demo or start a free trial at https://lendpathway.com.
AltFinanceDaily Free Open Bar on Long Island
August 24, 2025AltFinanceDaily is hosting a FREE OPEN BAR for brokers and folks that work in the small business finance industry on Thursday, September 11 from 7-9pm at Tap Room in Huntington. Tap Room is located on New York Avenue right across the street from the Paramount. You can register here. Entry may be conditional upon capacity inside.
Cloudsquare Unveils New Website and Brand Direction, Cementing Its Role as the Leading Lending Platform for Alternative Finance
August 6, 2025LOS ANGELES, CA – August 06, 2025 — Cloudsquare, the highest-rated Salesforce partner in the lending industry, today announced the launch of its newly redesigned website, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution from general Salesforce consultancy to a purpose-built platform provider focused exclusively on brokers and lenders in the alternative finance space.
Built natively on Salesforce, the world’s #1 CRM, Cloudsquare’s lending platform gives brokers and funders the power to automate workflows, reduce risk, and scale faster than ever before across all verticals of alternative financing.
“This website doesn’t just show off what we’ve built—it reflects who we’ve become,” said Jeffrey Morgenstein, CEO of Cloudsquare. “We’ve spent years quietly building the most flexible, powerful lending platform in the market. Now we’re ready to show the industry exactly what we’ve been up to.”
Reflecting on Platform-First Identity
Since its founding in 2018, Cloudsquare has operated as both a Salesforce implementation partner and software platform provider. But over time, it became clear that the biggest impact came from one thing: delivering the end-to-end platform that lenders actually needed.
Over the past year, Cloudsquare has fully aligned its pricing, delivery model, and internal roadmap around this platform vision—sunsetting general Salesforce consulting and doubling down on technology, support, and services designed specifically for the lending industry.
“Every improvement we’ve made, and continue to make, is thanks to the feedback and insight of our customers,” said Paul Albuquerque, Director of Product. “We’re proud to have built the platform from the ground up, but it’s our customers who help us refine it every day to meet the evolving needs of the lending industry.”
A Streamlined Buying Experience and Smarter Pricing
The new website gives prospects a crystal-clear view into what the platform can do—featuring in-depth product demonstrations, real-world use cases, and simplified module breakdowns that make it easy to evaluate Cloudsquare’s fit for any lending model.
The company has also introduced a restructured pricing model, making Cloudsquare one of the most affordable enterprise-grade lending platforms available.
“We’ve made Cloudsquare more accessible—without cutting a single corner,” said Dennis Mikhailov, Chief Revenue Officer. “Whether you’re a solo broker or an enterprise lender, you should have access to world-class software that drives results.”
Implementation, Support, and Continuous Innovation Cloudsquare’s delivery team plays a hands-on role in every implementation and continues to support customers long after go-live. Every new client starts with one of Cloudsquare’s structured implementation packages—now more affordable thanks to the new pricing model.
Once live, customers benefit from ongoing, free product support designed to ensure long-term success. And because Cloudsquare operates as a modern SaaS platform, customers get access to continuous innovation—including new features, evolving workflows, and cutting-edge tools powered by artificial intelligence and automation.
For teams that need more advanced customization or support, Cloudsquare offers flexible options including Consulting on Demand and Managed Services programs—ensuring every lender can scale on their terms.
“We don’t just deliver software, we deliver outcomes,” said Christelle Asmar, Director of Delivery. “As the market changes, our platform evolves, so our customers are always equipped with the latest tools to compete, grow, and lead.”
Additional Information
The relaunch of Cloudsquare’s website marks a pivotal moment in the company’s growth and platform maturity. With a modular architecture, streamlined pricing, hands-on delivery services, and continuous feature innovation—including AI-powered tools—Cloudsquare is positioned to be the technology partner of choice for brokers, lenders, and funders across all alternative lending verticals. For product details, implementation packages, or to request a live demo, visit www.cloudsquare.io or contact the Cloudsquare team directly.
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 clients 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
Cloudsquare lending platform now integrated with Forward Financing
July 28, 2025Los Angeles, CA – July 28, 2025 – Cloudsquare, the leading provider of Salesforce-powered merchant cash advance (MCA) solutions, has announced the addition of Forward Financing to its expanding library of lender connections, strengthening its position as the most advanced lending platform on the market.
This new lender API module enables brokers to submit applications, receive offers, and track deal statuses all from within the Cloudsquare Broker platform, eliminating friction and accelerating decision-making in one of the most competitive areas of alternative finance.
Key Features of the Forward Financing Module:
· Submission Status Tracking: Stay updated in real time with polling-based updates, no more inbox-hunting or status guessing.
· Offer Generation: Offers are delivered directly into Cloudsquare, streamlining your workflow.
· Declined Details: Receive clear reasons for declines, allowing teams to adjust and resubmit quickly.
· Document Upload: Upload and manage application files using a dedicated endpoint.
· Industry Picklists: Keep submissions clean and categorized with discrete industry values.
This enhancement is part of Cloudsquare’s ongoing mission to offer the most powerful and scalable lending platform in the industry, giving brokers access to more funders, faster automation, and an unmatched ability to scale.
Explore more about this connection here
About Cloudsquare
Cloudsquare is the most powerful end-to-end lending platform built natively on Salesforce. Designed to automate and streamline every stage of the lending lifecycle—from lead to funding to servicing—our platform helps financial organizations move faster, scale smarter, and close more deals with confidence. Trusted by top lenders and rated #1 on the Salesforce AppExchange, Cloudsquare combines AI-powered automation with unmatched configurability to transform how lending teams operate.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Cloudsquare Marketing Email: marketing@cloudsquare.io
Idea Financial Hits Milestone, Will Still Fund in Texas
July 9, 2025
Idea Financial, a nationwide small business lender, recently surpassed $1 billion in funding since inception.
“This is a historic milestone,” said Larry Bassuk, president and co-founder of Idea Financial. “Only a few years ago, this company was just a concept with potential. Like many of the small businesses we serve, we started with confidence, grit, and the unyielding belief that we would succeed. Today, I can proudly announce that Idea Financial’s impact on the small business lending community is significant and positive. This moment belongs to our team, past and present, whose dedication has gotten us here.”
Because the company does term loans and lines of credit, it is not impacted by the recently-passed sales-based financing legislation in Texas and will continue to fund there like normal.
For background, Bassuk and Idea Financial CEO Justin Leto, actually started out in the legal profession as attorneys before taking a risk in small business lending. When AltFinanceDaily first interviewed the duo in 2019, they said, “We’re not from the finance space, we’re not from the alternative lending space either, we came at this opportunity with a different approach.”
At that time, Idea had only funded $50 million since inception. Much of Idea’s growth since then can be attributed to their broker business, which it is still growing.
“Brokers and referral partners are critical to Idea’s success,” the company said. “While our borrowers are our clients, we also consider brokers and referral partners as clients by our team. We value their business and have made it a focus to develop close, mutually beneficial relationships with them.”
“We have been so fortunate to work with such a talented team, all of whom have contributed to the incredible growth of Idea,” said Leto. “We identified a problem with small business funding when we embarked on this journey, and we are so proud to have played a role in providing the solution that has fueled so many Main Street success stories.”
NMEF Achieves Largest Quarter and First Half in Company History
July 1, 2025[July 2, 2025, NORWALK, CT] – North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC (“NMEF”), a leading commercial equipment lessor located in Norwalk, Connecticut, today announced that it achieved the largest quarterly and first half origination volumes in its history. Originations hit a record $277 million in the second quarter, bringing first half 2025 production to an unprecedented $520 million, an increase of over 100% versus first half 2024. Including the acquisition of Pawnee’s assets that went onto NMEF’s balance sheet on April 1, total origination volume for the second quarter was $607 million and for the first half of 2025 was $850 million.
For the first half of 2025, NMEF also reported a meaningful increase in credit quality, evidenced by a higher weighted average FICO of 745. The largest equipment categories were medical (23%), franchise (13%), construction (12%), and IT (8%). Long haul trucks comprised less than 2% of volume. Corporation only transactions represented over 25% of volume.
David Lee, Chairman and CEO of NMEF, commented, “Reaching these new highs is a direct result of executing our strategy to diversify and scale. We’ve invested heavily in building a platform that supports more sophisticated transactions, and it’s gratifying to see that translate into stronger credit profiles, larger deals and further industry diversification. Moreover, a majority of our dollar volume now consists of mid-ticket, fully underwritten transactions.”
Mark Bonanno, President and Chief Revenue Officer, added, “Our record growth is made possible by the trusted long-term relationships with both our NMEF brokers and our Taycor vendor partners. By staying agile and solution-oriented, we’re able to meet their evolving needs and help drive mutual growth. We’re excited to keep this momentum going into the second half of the year.”
Tom Lyle, EVP and COO, stated, “In less than two years NMEF has doubled from $1 billion to $2 billion in assets under management. The internal restructuring of our operations, reporting lines, and integration of Pawnee’s talented employee base, have NMEF well positioned to continue scaling to our goal of $5 billion by the end of the decade.”
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.
Cloudsquare Launches the New and Most Powerful Integration With Loot
June 18, 2025Los Angeles, CA – June 17, 2025 – Cloudsquare, a leader in Salesforce MCA and Salesforce lending solutions, has announced the release of its newest Lender API module—this time with Loot, a fast-growing alternative funder known for speed and automation.
This API-powered connection is now available within Cloudsquare, the most robust Merchant Cash Advance CRM built on Salesforce. With it, brokers can submit deals, track statuses in real-time, manage files efficiently, and generate offers faster—all without leaving their CRM.
Key Benefits of Loot:
- Real-Time Status Tracking via webhooks
- Simplified File Uploads through a dedicated endpoint
- Automated Offer Generation—no pre-approval waiting
- Decline Reason Visibility for smarter resubmissions
- Categorized Industry Picklists to streamline underwriting
Built for funders and brokers who rely on Salesforce for MCA, this new module eliminates redundant tasks and helps users close more deals in less time—with greater accuracy.
How Cloudsquare is Elevating the MCA Industry
Cloudsquare continues to lead the charge in redefining the lending landscape by offering fully integrated, Salesforce-powered solutions tailored for MCA brokers and lenders. With a suite of over 20 lender API integrations, Cloudsquare Broker empowers brokers and lenders to streamline processes, increase deal volume, and elevate customer satisfaction.
Explore More on Our Website Here.
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 clients 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
