Marketplace lending

The online small-business lender is enjoying a payoff from its year-old push to cut costs and tighten underwriting standards. It is also set to announce another lending agreement with a major bank this year, its CEO said Tuesday.

The deal was launched shortly after SoFi announced that Anthony Noto, the chief operating officer of Twitter, will join as CEO. It also benefits from higher credit enhancement.

The online lender to small businesses is expanding its business deeper into traditional banks’ territory with larger loans.

David Nelms said that many digital lenders do not understand how to underwrite personal loans properly, and he took a dig at their lack of profitability. The upstarts say their industry's ability to attract capital speaks for itself.

StreetShares seeks to tap into the loyalties of military veterans, bringing together borrowers and savers through an online platform.

Stepping in after co-founder Mike Cagney's resignation, Twitter's Anthony Noto needs to overhaul the firm's corporate culture, lay the groundwork for an IPO and determine whether to renew SoFi's pursuit of a bank charter.

Marketplace lenders bringing securitization in-house seized the top spot in 2017; readers also focused on Blackstone's big entry into an esoteric corner of the CRE market and the PACE industry's embrace of consumer protections.

Intrust Bank has agreed to purchase $20 million worth of Funding Circle's small-business loans in what could just be the beginning of a long-term relationship.

By sponsoring their own deals these matchmaking platforms are providing liquidity to multiple loan investors. They can also ensure that bond offerings are regular and uniform.

Some were sold at discounted prices, while others were shut down by their acquirers or quietly ceased doing business.