VIVA Finance

What VIVA Finance does

VIVA Finance, Inc. is an Atlanta-based fintech lender founded in 2019 by brothers Jack Markwalter (CEO) and Hodges Markwalter (CRO) that operates a mobile-first lending platform for working Americans who are overlooked by traditional credit institutions. The company's core product is unsecured personal installment loans ranging from $400 to $15,000, with APRs of 11.99%-35.99% and terms up to 36 months. Its underwriting model is built primarily on employment history and income rather than traditional credit scores, enabling access for nonprime borrowers — defined as the more than one-third of Americans with sub-670 credit or thin credit files — who would otherwise face predatory payday or cash-advance alternatives. Supporting products include VIVA Seed (credit building through on-time repayment reporting) and VIVA Pulse (credit monitoring).

The platform architecture integrates with payroll infrastructure (Paychex), payment rails (Dwolla), bank partners (Thread Bank, DR Bank, Evolve Bank and Trust), and identity services (Trust Stamp, Plaid) to deliver a full lending lifecycle from pre-approval in under 10 minutes to 1-2 business day funding and payroll-aligned repayment through direct deposit. VIVA generates revenue primarily through interest income on originated loans plus origination fees, with an APR range of 11.99%-35.99%. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer mobile application with a B2B2C embedded channel through employer benefits platforms — most notably Paychex Flex Perks (approximately 10 million workers across 500,000 business clients) and BenefitHub's Benefits+ (over 10 million employees at 17,000 companies, including 36% of the Fortune 500). As of mid-2025 the company had originated more than $250 million in loans since launching in 2020, holds lending licenses across 30+ states, and was recognized on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Inc. 5000, and Forbes 30 Under 30 (Social Impact) lists.

Name

VIVA Finance

Legal name

VIVA Finance, Inc.

Website

https://viva-finance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VIVA Finance is an Atlanta-based fintech lender offering employment-underwritten personal loans up to $15,000 to working Americans with nonprime or thin credit, distributed through employer benefits platforms including Paychex Flex Perks and BenefitHub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Lending

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) & Revenue-Based Financing (FSAKAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct Lending — Venture Debt (FSAHAJAD)

Keywords

• Personal installment loans
• Employment-based underwriting
• Payroll-linked lending
• Nonprime consumer credit
• Embedded employee benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Personal Loan Interest: VIVA earns interest income on personal installment loans originated through its platform. Loans range from $400 to $15,000 with APRs from 11.99% to 35.99% and terms up to 36 months. Revenue is generated from the spread between cost of funds and interest charged to borrowers.
2. Loan Origination Fees: Origination fees charged on loans, such as the $25 prepaid finance charge mentioned for a $4,000 loan example.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VIVA Finance operates a mobile-first fintech lending platform offering unsecured personal installment loans up to $15,000 underwritten primarily on employment history and income rather than traditional credit scores. Loans carry APRs of 11.99%-35.99%, terms up to 36 months, and feature payroll-linked repayment aligned with borrower pay cycles. Loans are originated by partner banks (Thread Bank, DR Bank) or VIVA Finance Inc. itself.

Product overview

VIVA Finance operates as a mobile-first fintech lending platform offering a unified personal loan product underwritten primarily on employment history rather than credit scores. The core offering is the VIVA Finance Personal Loan / Payroll Loan (up to $15,000, 11.99%-35.99% APR, up to 36-month terms) with payroll-linked repayment. Two supplementary modules—Credit Building and Credit Tracking (VIVA Pulse)—support borrowers in building and monitoring their credit profiles. The platform integrates with payroll systems (Paychex), payment processors (Dwolla), banking partners (Thread Bank, DR Bank, Evolve Bank and Trust), and identity verification services (Trust Stamp, Plaid) to deliver a complete lending lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VIVA Seed: Credit building program offered by VIVA Finance
• VIVA Pulse

Products and services

• VIVA Finance Personal Loans (Payroll Loans) Unsecured personal installment loans of up to $15,000 underwritten primarily based on employment history and income rather than traditional credit scores, targeting working Americans with nonprime or thin credit. APRs range from 11.99% to 35.99%, terms up to 36 months, with repayment aligned to pay cycles through payroll deduction and direct deposit. Loans are originated by Thread Bank, DR Bank (both Member FDIC), or VIVA Finance Inc.
• VIVA Seed (Credit Building) Credit-building program offered as a sub-brand of VIVA Finance that helps nonprime consumers establish or improve their credit history by reporting on-time VIVA loan repayments to credit bureaus. Participation is voluntary.
• VIVA Pulse (Credit Tracking) Credit monitoring and tracking service offered as a sub-brand of VIVA Finance that allows users to monitor their credit profile and track changes in their score over time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $250 million in loans originated since 2020
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• BenefitHubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 June 2026Strategic distribution partnership naming VIVA Finance as the preferred personal loan partner on BenefitHub's Benefits+ voluntary benefits platform. Integration embeds responsible credit solutions directly into benefits packages for over 10 million employees at more than 17,000 companies globally, including 36% of Fortune 500 firms.
• DRB (DR Bank)coreTechnology or Integration · 28 April 2026Partnership with DRB, a sponsor bank focused on innovation, enables DR Bank to originate loans on VIVA's platform, extending reach to consumers across all 50 states over time. Combines DRB's banking infrastructure with VIVA's underwriting and payments technology to increase equitable credit access.
• PaychexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 September 2025Transformative distribution partnership integrating VIVA into Paychex Flex Perks, the company's curated digital marketplace of employee benefits. VIVA is featured alongside other voluntary benefits, providing seamless experience and immediate access to affordable personal loans to approximately 10 million workers paid by Paychex across 500,000 business clients.
• Trust StampsupportingTechnology or Integration · 11 March 2022Partnership leveraging Trust Stamp's AI-powered identity services including biometric verification, document validation, and data-protection methodologies. Helps prevent identity fraud while serving users with thin or no credit history without adversely affecting legitimate applicants.
• Georgia Tech ATDCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerator program through which VIVA Finance was accelerated in its early growth stages. Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center provides startup resources and mentorship.
• PlaidsupportingTechnology or IntegrationVIVA uses Plaid to verify bank accounts, transaction history, confirm identity, and verify bank account balance prior to approving loan transactions.
• DwollasupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment functionality provider for VIVA's application. Dwolla platform accounts enable loan payment processing, with funds held by Dwolla's financial institution partners.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Possible Finance: Possible Finance offers employment-based, payroll-tied installment loans to nonprime borrowers with thin or damaged credit — directly overlapping VIVA's target customer, underwriting approach, and product structure (small-to-mid installment loans repaid via payroll deduction).
• Earnin: Earnin provides payroll-integrated cash advances and tipping-based income access to hourly and nonprime workers via employer and bank integrations, sharing VIVA's employment-data-driven underwriting philosophy and employee-distribution model.
• Dave: Dave offers cash advances, budgeting tools, and personal loans to underbanked workers, often delivered through employer partnerships — overlapping VIVA's nonprime segment and B2B2C distribution approach via payroll integrations.
• Brigit: Brigit provides earned-wage advances and small-dollar credit to nonprime consumers using bank-account and income data, directly competing with VIVA in the payroll-linked, employment-underserved lending category.
• MoneyLion: MoneyLion is a consumer fintech offering credit-builder loans, personal loans, and earned-wage access to nonprime Americans, sharing VIVA's customer segment and product mix across installment lending and credit-building.
• Upgrade: Upgrade offers personal installment loans using alternative underwriting data (including income and employment) to borrowers with nonprime credit profiles, directly comparable to VIVA's employment-based installment loan product.
• Even: Even delivers earned-wage access and budgeting tools to nonprime workers, frequently via employer partnerships — directly overlapping VIVA's employment-based, employer-distributed financial product model.

Broad incumbents

• LendingClub: LendingClub is an established online personal-loan marketplace serving a broad credit spectrum including near-prime borrowers — a broader incumbent in personal installment lending with overlapping customer segments but a credit-score-centric underwriting approach.
• Best Egg: Best Egg provides unsecured personal installment loans to prime and near-prime consumers through bank partnerships — a broader incumbent whose target segment sits adjacent to VIVA's nonprime focus.

Emerging players

• One Finance: One (backed by Walmart) provides embedded banking, early wage access, and credit-building tools to nonprime hourly workers through employer and retail partnerships — emerging in the same employment-based, employer-distributed credit category.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/viva-finance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about VIVA Finance