American Lending Center

What American Lending Center does

American Lending Center LLC (ALC) is a privately held, California-regulated non-bank lending institution founded in 2009 and headquartered in Irvine, California. The company operates as a federally designated EB-5 regional center operator, managing 14 USCIS-designated regional centers that span the continental United States and Hawaii, enabling foreign nationals to obtain U.S. permanent residency through job-creating qualifying investments. ALC has cumulatively deployed more than $2.3 billion in loans and investments across 110+ projects in all 50 states, with reported $3.1 billion in total assets under management and 145,000+ jobs created or retained.

ALC's core product lines are organized around two segments. The EB-5 platform operates 14 USCIS-designated regional centers and supports foreign investors through the JuniperSquare-powered investor portal, with individual investments ranging from $800,000 (Targeted Employment Areas) to $1,050,000 (standard) and pricing negotiated on a quote basis. ALC has secured 40+ I-956F project approvals under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, an industry-leading record, and has received consecutive IIUSA I-829 Awards in 2024 and 2025. Complementary small business lending includes SBA 7(a), SSBCI, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, with a Texas PACE Authority-approved PACE program and a recently expanded X-Caliber Rural Capital partnership for USDA OneRD and rural construction financing.

ALC monetizes through EB-5 sponsor and administrative fees, ongoing investor servicing fees on its $3.1B AUM, loan interest spread on SBA and PACE originations, and rural financing fees via the X-Caliber partnership. Distribution combines the JuniperSquare investor portal and expressbanking.net loan application platform with field sales at industry events (IIUSA, EB-5 Global Immigration Pitch Day, Globevisa) and immigration attorney referral networks. Leadership is concentrated among founder John Shen (CEO), co-founder Stella Zhang (COO), and multiple former senior USCIS officials including Gary Merson (President/EVP), Christopher Mason (CCO), and Andrew Diroll-Black (CCO).

Name

American Lending Center

Legal name

American Lending Center LLC

Website

https://americanlendingcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

American Lending Center is a California-regulated, non-bank lender and EB-5 regional center operator that provides SBA 7(a), SSBCI, and PACE financing to U.S. small businesses while raising EB-5 immigrant investor capital across 14 USCIS-designated regional centers in all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Lending (FSABABAG), SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI), Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH)

Keywords

• EB-5 regional center
• SBA 7(a) loans
• Small business lending
• PACE financing
• Immigrant investor services

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EB-5 Regional Center Operations: ALC raises EB-5 capital from foreign immigrant investors seeking U.S. permanent residency through the EB-5 visa program. The company sponsors investment projects that create jobs, earning fees from project sponsorship, investor management, and loan servicing.
2. SBA 7(a) Lending: American Lending Center LLC is a licensed SBA 7(a) lender providing small business loans backed by the Small Business Administration.
3. SSBCI Lending: State Small Business Credit Initiative lending programs for small businesses in underserved areas.
4. PACE Financing: Property Assessed Clean Energy financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

American Lending Center is a California-regulated, mission-driven non-bank lender that provides small business financing (SBA 7(a) loans, SSBCI programs, and PACE financing) while operating 14 USCIS-designated EB-5 regional centers to facilitate immigrant investor visa qualifying investments. The company originates, underwrites, and services loans for small businesses, project developers, and rural development projects across all 50 states, while also channeling EB-5 foreign investment capital into job-creating projects to support immigrant investor U.S. permanent residency pathways.

Product overview

American Lending Center operates as a mission-driven non-bank lender offering a portfolio of financial products centered on EB-5 Investment Services and Small Business Lending. The core EB-5 Investment Services include managing 14 USCIS-designated regional centers that enable immigrant investors to obtain US permanent residency through qualifying job-creating investments. Complementary lending products include SBA 7(a) loans, SSBCI programs, and PACE financing for clean energy projects. The company utilizes the Juniper Square platform for investor relations management and partners with X-Caliber Rural Capital for combined rural financing solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 145,000+ jobs created and retained across all 50 states
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Fervo EnergyflagshipOthers · 12 June 2025Fervo Energy is developing the Cape Station geothermal project in Beaver County, Utah - the world's largest EGS development. ALC and XRC provided $146MM in EB-5 senior loan financing for Phase I, combined with Breakthrough Energy Catalyst's $100MM preferred equity investment. This represents a flagship project demonstrating ALC's commitment to clean energy and rural development.
• Sunstone Management Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025Sunstone Management Inc. is co-founded by Stella Zhang (also co-founder and COO of ALC). ALC and Sunstone partner on the Sunstone Connects weekly educational sessions, sponsor the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition at UCI Paul Merage School of Business, and collaborate on the Sunstone Community Fund for entrepreneurship support. The companies share headquarters at Airport Tower in Irvine.
• Sunstone Community FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025Donor-advised fund promoting entrepreneurship, particularly at universities and colleges. Founded by Stella Zhang and John Shen, ALC and Sunstone investors partner through this fund to support early-stage entrepreneurs via accelerators, fellowships, and university pitch contests.
• GlobevisacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025ALC participated as a Diamond Sponsor at the inaugural Globevisa Global Citizen Conference 2025 in Singapore, strengthening global partnerships for immigrant investor outreach in Asian markets.
• Hyatt HotelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hyatt Hotels has partnered with ALC for multiple hotel development projects including Hyatt Place Santa Cruz and projects in North Tampa Bay. These projects have generated jobs and economic development in local communities.
• Texas PACE Authority (TPA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorALC was approved by the Texas PACE Authority as a qualified capital provider for PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing in Texas, enabling energy efficiency and renewable energy project financing through the PACE in a Box program.
• Ira J. KurzbanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIra Kurzban, American Civil Rights and Immigration Lawyer, serves on ALC's Senior Advisory Board, providing immigration law expertise and policy guidance. He is a recognized expert in EB-5 and immigration law.
• Hotel EquitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel Equities partnered with ALC for Staybridge Suites by IHG development in Davie, Florida. Hotel Equities is a hotel development and management company.
• UC Irvine Paul Merage School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALC sponsors the annual Stella Zhang New Venture Competition at UCI Paul Merage School of Business, with $100,000 in prize money. Stella Zhang (ALC COO) has renewed her 5-year sponsorship contract through 2031. ALC also participates in Sunstone Connects sessions held at the school's campus.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ReadyCap Lending: Non-bank SBA-focused small business lender targeting underserved borrowers and small-dollar SBA 7(a) loans. Directly comparable to ALC in SBA/government-backed small business lending profile, though smaller and more narrowly SBA-focused.
• CMB Regional Centers: Established EB-5 regional center operator with multiple USCIS designations and a focus on infrastructure, real estate, and energy projects. Directly competes with ALC for EB-5 investors and project sponsorship mandates.
• CanAm Enterprises: One of the largest and longest-tenured EB-5 regional center operators in the US, with a multi-billion-dollar project pipeline spanning real estate, infrastructure, and hospitality. Direct competitor to ALC for EB-5 investor capital and USCIS project approvals.
• EB5 Capital: Mid-Atlantic based EB-5 regional center operator focused on real estate development projects. Comparable to ALC in business model (regional center operator sourcing investor capital for job-creating projects) and target investor base.
• US Immigration Fund: National EB-5 regional center operator managing multiple USCIS-designated centers sponsoring commercial real estate and infrastructure projects. Closely comparable to ALC in scale, product mix, and target investor pool.
• Live in America EB-5: EB-5 regional center operator focused on rural and TEA projects—directly comparable to ALC's rural/underserved market emphasis. Competes for the same foreign high-net-worth investor segment.
• Civitas Capital Group: EB-5-focused investment manager operating regional centers that sponsor immigrant-investor projects, primarily in real estate and education. Direct competitor in EB-5 capital placement and USCIS project approvals.

Broad incumbents

• Live Oak Bank: Top US SBA-focused commercial bank lending primarily to small businesses and veterinarians, doctors, and other professionals. Overlaps with ALC's SBA 7(a) lending business but operates as a depository institution with broader product set.
• Newtek Business Services: Publicly traded SMB-focused financial services holding company offering SBA lending, small-business finance, and payment processing. Comparable to ALC in SBA 7(a) lending focus, though much larger and broader in scope.

Emerging players

• X-Caliber Capital Holdings: Nationally recognized commercial real estate finance franchise whose affiliate X-Caliber Rural Capital is a licensed USDA OneRD lender and ALC's core co-lending partner on marquee rural deals (Fervo Energy, Park City, Missouri resort). Comparable as a CRE/development finance platform with government-backed funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usaalc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AmericanLendingCenterEB-5
• Facebookfacebook.com/regionalcenters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americanlendingcenter

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 American Lending Center