2024 · SAPI

From days to 15 minutes: SME lending underwriting

Rebuilt funding qualification in Retool so origination could happen in near real time.

Role
Project-based product lead
Timeline
Jan – May 2024
Outcome
Qualification time from days to ~15 minutes; additional credit facility unlocked.

Context

SAPI lends to small and mid-sized businesses with weekly repayments, on top of UK Open Banking infrastructure.

The problem

Qualifying a business for funding took several days, which slowed origination.

What I did

  • Built the underwriting, calculation and reporting system in Retool.
  • Delivered the allocation logic and reporting SAPI needed to meet Fortress Investment's requirements.
  • Investigated fraud cases and supported collections from defaulting businesses.

Outcome

Qualification dropped to about 15 minutes, enabling near-real-time origination. The reporting let SAPI meet Fortress Investment's requirements and unlocked an additional credit facility.