Steward
Steward is a community-led private lending platform founded in 2016 that finances human-scale regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers in the United States through secured commercial loans funded by individual and institutional lenders via its online marketplace at gosteward.com.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Steward does
Steward operates a community-led private lending marketplace that finances human-scale regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers in the United States. Founded in 2016 by Dan Miller (previously co-founder of Fundrise), the company operates as a public benefit corporation and certified B Corp headquartered in New York with a Portland office, employing 11-50 staff. The platform addresses a documented gap: small regenerative producers are routinely excluded from traditional bank financing due to limited credit history, small loan sizes, and unconventional agricultural practices.
The core product is a proprietary lending platform at gosteward.com that facilitates secured, interest-bearing commercial loans through a participated loan structure. Borrowers apply online; loans are vetted by dedicated 'Farm Steward' staff with agricultural expertise. Three primary loan products are offered: (1) Individual Lending Campaigns — direct-to-project loans to specific farms with minimum $100 participation; (2) Steward Regenerative Capital (SRC) — a diversified portfolio of short-term bridge loans to multiple regenerative businesses, offering 7.5% APY on 9-month renewable terms; and (3) Steward Wallet — a digital wallet enabling lenders to receive repayments, re-lend, or withdraw via ACH. The technology stack integrates Dwolla for payments and Plaid for KYC/identity verification, with Google Analytics and Mixpanel for web analytics. A Farm Pages feature allows borrowers to market their projects directly to prospective lenders.
Steward generates revenue through three transaction-based streams: (1) one-time loan origination fees of up to 3% of principal paid by the borrower; (2) a loan servicing spread (e.g., 0.50% on an 8.00% gross / 7.50% net rate structure); and (3) construction management fees on applicable commercial loans. A distinctive go-to-market requirement mandates that borrowers first source 20% of loan value from their own networks during a private campaign period before public listing, embedding community engagement into the lending process. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the online platform, supplemented by direct outreach to institutional buyers (banks and private equity funds) and additional paid advisory services for borrowers including bookkeeping, grant writing, marketing, and e-commerce support. As of the most recent disclosures, the platform has raised $39.4M+ through SRC and over $7M to specific farms since 2017, with an $8.8M Series A led by The Grantham Foundation, Tripple, Ponderosa Ventures, and Neglected Climate Opportunities in September 2021.
Steward firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steward
- Legal name
- Steward Holdings (US), Inc.
- Website
- https://gosteward.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Steward is a community-led private lending platform founded in 2016 that finances human-scale regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers in the United States through secured commercial loans funded by individual and institutional lenders via its online marketplace at gosteward.com.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Steward industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Lending
- NAICS
- Real Estate Credit (522292), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)
- SIC
- Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Balance-Sheet / Portfolio CRE Lending (FSALADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Commercial Mortgage Servicing & Asset Management (Master/Special) (FSALADAJ)
Keywords
Where Steward is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Steward business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Loan Origination Fees: Steward Lending receives a one-time loan origination fee of up to 3% of the principal amount of each loan originated, paid by the borrower.
- Loan Servicing Spread: Steward earns a loan servicing spread representing the difference between the gross interest rate paid by borrowers and the net interest rate paid to lenders. For example, on a loan with 8.00% gross rate and 7.50% net rate to lenders, Steward's spread is 0.50%. This covers loan collection, platform maintenance, borrower monitoring, and lender protection services.
- Construction Management Fees: Construction management or similar fees are charged when applicable for certain types of commercial loans, typically construction-related loans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Steward Regenerative Capital - 7.5% APY, 9-month term, $100 minimum |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Lending Campaigns - Starting at $100 minimum |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time/ perpetual license | Borrower Loan Origination - Up to 3% of principal |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Steward product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Steward operates a community-lending platform that originates secured, interest-bearing commercial loans to regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers and sells participations in those loans to qualified individual and institutional lenders. Its two main lending products are Individual Lending Campaigns (project-specific loans starting at $100) and Steward Regenerative Capital (a diversified 7.5% APY, 9-month renewable bridge-loan portfolio). The platform supports lenders with a digital wallet, re-lending, and ACH withdrawals, and supports borrowers with a vetted, customized loan process and ancillary services.
Product overview
Steward is a community-lending platform that operates as a portfolio of interconnected financial products designed to fund regenerative agriculture. The core offering consists of the Steward Lending Platform, which facilitates Individual Lending Campaigns for direct-to-project loans to specific farms, and Steward Regenerative Capital (SRC), a diversified short-term bridge loan portfolio. Supporting these is the Steward Wallet, a digital wallet enabling lenders to receive repayments, re-lend funds, or withdraw. The platform also provides borrower-facing tools including Farm Pages for project showcase and an online loan application process. All loans are secured, interest-bearing commercial loans structured as participations, not securities or donations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Steward Lending Platform Community-lending platform connecting qualified individual and institutional lenders with regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers through secured, interest-bearing commercial loan participations. The platform handles borrower applications, lender onboarding, payment processing via Dwolla, identity verification via Plaid, and repayment distribution via the Steward Wallet.
- Steward Regenerative Capital (SRC) Diversified portfolio of secured short-term bridge loans made to vetted regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers. Lenders participate with a fixed 7.50% annual interest rate paid monthly through a 9-month renewable term, with a $100 minimum and optional +0.50% rollover premium for automatic renewals. Has raised $39.4+ million to date.
- Individual Lending Campaigns Direct-to-project loan opportunities where lenders participate in secured, interest-bearing loans to specific agricultural businesses. Each campaign has unique terms, interest rates, and loan purposes (land acquisition, equipment, infrastructure, or working capital) with minimum participation starting at $100 and no fees charged to lenders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $7 million funded to farms since 2017
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Steward
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Steward technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Steward partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DwollacoreDwolla is Steward's payment facilitator, providing the payment platform that connects bank or credit union accounts to enable secure money transfers for all loan transactions on the platform.
- Plaid TechnologiescorePlaid provides identity verification services for Steward's KYC/AML compliance requirements, allowing users to authenticate accounts using bank credentials.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Steward competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Fundrise: Real estate crowdfunding platform co-founded by Steward's founder Dan Miller. Shares DNA in online marketplace lending to non-traditional borrowers, though focused on real estate rather than agriculture.
- Indiegogo: Large-scale crowdfunding platform that has hosted agriculture and food campaigns. Comparable community-driven capital formation model, though broader in scope and oriented toward pre-orders/donations rather than secured loans.
- Farm Credit System: Government-sponsored enterprise network of cooperative banks providing credit to agricultural producers across the US. Comparable as a major agricultural lender, though traditional in structure and not focused specifically on regenerative practices.
Regional players
- HeavyFinance: European marketplace lending platform focused on agricultural and land-based loans with sustainability focus. Comparable model of online ag lending intermediation, though operating primarily in Europe rather than the US.
Direct peers
- Kiva: Mission-driven peer-to-peer lending platform enabling individuals to make small-dollar loans to borrowers, including agricultural entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to Steward's community-led lending model serving underserved borrowers with retail lender participation.
- Harvest Returns: Crowdfunding platform specializing in agricultural investments and lending opportunities. Directly comparable as an agriculture-focused online investment platform serving farmers and ranchers with mission-aligned capital.
- AgAmerica: Non-bank agricultural lender providing flexible farm loans, land financing, and operating capital to American farmers and ranchers. Comparable in providing non-traditional agricultural credit to mid-size and family farms.
Emerging players
- FarmTogether: Crowdfunding platform for farmland investment with sustainability focus, enabling individuals to invest in regenerative and organic farms. Comparable mission-driven agriculture finance platform, though structured as equity ownership rather than loans.
- AcreTrader: Online farmland investment platform connecting individual investors with agricultural land purchases. Comparable as a fintech-enabled agriculture finance platform, though focused on equity-style farmland ownership rather than operating loans.
- Wefunder: Leading equity crowdfunding platform enabling retail investors to back private companies, including food and agriculture ventures. Comparable as a community-led online capital formation platform, though structured as equity rather than loans.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Steward social profiles
Digital presenceSteward compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Steward financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steward leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Steward funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steward M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Steward
What does Steward do?
Steward operates a community-lending platform that originates secured, interest-bearing commercial loans to regenerative farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers and sells participations in those loans to qualified individual and institutional lenders. Its two main lending products are Individual Lending Campaigns (project-specific loans starting at $100) and Steward Regenerative Capital (a diversified 7.5% APY, 9-month renewable bridge-loan portfolio). The platform supports lenders with a digital wallet, re-lending, and ACH withdrawals, and supports borrowers with a vetted, customized loan process and ancillary services.
Is Steward a public or private company?
Steward is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Steward founded?
Steward was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Steward based?
Steward is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Steward make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Loan Origination Fees are the primary driver. The others are loan Servicing Spread and construction Management Fees.
Who are Steward's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Fundrise, Indiegogo and Farm Credit System. HeavyFinance is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Kiva, Harvest Returns and AgAmerica. Emerging players are FarmTogether, AcreTrader and Wefunder.
Does Steward have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steward.
What industry is Steward in?
Steward's product category is Agricultural Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALADAG, Balance-Sheet / Portfolio CRE Lending, with a secondary code of FSALADAJ, Commercial Mortgage Servicing & Asset Management (Master/Special). Its NAICS code is 522292 and its SIC code is 6162.