LendUp

What LendUp does

LendUp LLC operates a free, asset-light loan-matching platform that connects borrowers — primarily subprime, credit-invisible, and short-term-cash-need consumers — with a network of licensed third-party lenders operating across all 50 U.S. states. The platform does not extend credit itself, set interest rates, or make lending decisions; instead, borrowers complete a short online form that is routed to a state-licensed lender in the network capable of funding the request. The company's product surface includes categorical matching for payday loans ($100–$500), installment loans ($500–$5,000), personal loans ($1,000–$25,000+), emergency and same-day funding, and bad-credit alternatives, complemented by an extensive editorial library covering credit-building, budgeting, debt management, and state-specific lending regulations.

The business model is a single revenue stream: referral fees paid by lenders upon successful borrower match, with the service free to consumers at every step. The platform is delivered entirely digitally through lendup.com with no physical branches, no phone support, and no native mobile app; security is anchored by 256-bit SSL encryption. Go-to-market is product-led / content-led growth, leveraging SEO-optimized state-specific landing pages and a professionally reviewed financial education library to capture organic search intent from underbanked borrowers. Distribution to lenders is a managed channel relationship, with stated vetting criteria covering licensing, complaint history, and fee transparency.

LendUp LLC is a separate corporate entity from the former LendUp Loans LLC (formerly Flurish, Inc.), which ceased lending operations in January 2022 and was not a direct lender; the current entity operates under Delaware incorporation in Dover and was led, as of March 2025, by newly appointed CEO Anu Shultes. The company's recent strategic posture reflects a deliberate refocus: in March 2025, LendUp spun off its Mission Lane credit card business as a standalone entity, secured new investment from LL Funds LLC, Invus Opportunities, and QED Investors (amount undisclosed), and signaled a strategic tilt toward personal loans, financial education, and savings products.

Name

LendUp

Legal name

LendUp LLC

Website

https://lendup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LendUp LLC operates a free, asset-light loan-matching platform that connects subprime, credit-invisible, and short-term-cash-need consumers with a nationwide network of licensed third-party lenders, earning referral fees on successful matches. It is a Delaware LLC, separately incorporated from the former LendUp Loans LLC that ceased lending in January 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Loan Marketplace

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency & Short-Term Installment Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Dollar Short-Term Installment Loans (Non-payday) (FSAKAMAI), Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Loan matching service
• Consumer lending platform
• Subprime personal loans
• Payday loan referral
• Financial education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Lender Referral Fees: LendUp operates as a free service for borrowers. The company earns referral fees from lenders when a borrower is successfully matched. This fee is paid by the lender and does not affect the borrower's loan terms or interest rate. The fee structure varies by partner and arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LendUp operates a free online loan-matching platform that connects individual borrowers with a network of licensed third-party direct lenders across the United States. The platform matches borrower requests for payday, installment, personal, emergency, same-day, and bad-credit loans with state-licensed lenders, and supplements the matching service with financial education content and state-specific regulatory information.

Product overview

LendUp operates as a loan-matching service platform that connects borrowers with licensed third-party lenders. The core product is the matching service itself, which facilitates connections for payday loans ($100-$500), installment loans ($500-$5,000), personal loans ($1,000-$25,000+), emergency loans, and same-day loans. The platform also provides educational resources including credit guides, budgeting tips, debt management, and state-specific lending information. LendUp's credit card business, Mission Lane, was recently spun off as a separate entity. The company positions itself as a free service for borrowers, earning revenue through referral fees from matched lenders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Loan-Matching Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Free service for borrowers - lenders pay referral fees, not consumers
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mission LaneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2025Mission Lane was previously part of LendUp's credit card business. It has been spun off as a separate standalone entity as part of LendUp's strategic refocus on personal loans, financial education, and savings products. Sasha Orloff, LendUp co-founder and former CEO, will remain as a board member and advisor to Mission Lane.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Credible: Credible is a loan-comparison marketplace connecting borrowers with lenders across personal loans, student loans, mortgages, and refinancing. Operates a similar borrower-facing matching model with lender referral fee revenue, overlapping directly with LendUp's personal loan focus.
• Fiona: Fiona is a personal loan search and comparison platform aggregating offers from multiple lenders for borrowers. Closely comparable to LendUp's loan-matching service for the personal loan category specifically, with similar borrower segments.
• LendingTree: LendingTree operates the largest U.S. loan-comparison and matching marketplace for personal loans, mortgages, and credit products. Most directly comparable to LendUp as a lead-generation/matching platform earning referral fees from lenders, though at much larger scale and broader product breadth.
• SuperMoney: SuperMoney is a loan comparison marketplace focused on connecting borrowers with lenders across multiple product types. Directly comparable lead-generation/matching business model to LendUp.
• Acorn Finance: Acorn Finance operates a personal loan marketplace partnering with lenders to serve borrowers across the credit spectrum. Comparable to LendUp as a lead-generation platform connecting borrowers with licensed lenders.
• Even Financial: Even Financial (now part of RateGenius) operates a financial products search and comparison platform connecting consumers with lenders and other providers. Operates a similar embedded marketplace model to LendUp with lender referral economics.

Broad incumbents

• Bankrate: Bankrate is a major financial comparison and editorial platform owned by Red Ventures that connects users with lenders across mortgages, personal loans, and credit products. Comparable as a content + lead-generation incumbent serving loan shoppers with referral economics.
• Credit Karma: Credit Karma (Intuit) offers free credit monitoring plus a broad financial product marketplace matching users with credit cards, loans, and other products. Significantly larger incumbent serving an overlapping subprime and credit-building audience with referral economics from lenders.
• NerdWallet: NerdWallet is a large personal finance content and comparison platform that connects users with credit cards, loans, and banking products. Operates as both content publisher and lead-generation platform with referral revenue, overlapping with LendUp's content + matching strategy.
• Finder.com: Finder is a global personal finance comparison platform connecting consumers with lenders, credit cards, and financial products. Operates a similar content-driven comparison and lead-generation model with referral fee revenue from financial product providers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LendUpCredit
• Facebookfacebook.com/LendUpCredit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lendup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors20 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LendUp