Apex Commercial Capital

What Apex Commercial Capital does

Apex Commercial Capital is a direct, nationwide portfolio lender that originates and services small-balance commercial mortgages and equipment financing loans for small businesses, property investors, and equipment sellers who are unable to obtain financing through traditional banks. The company operates two core product lines: commercial mortgages ranging from $50,000 to $2 million secured by mixed-use, multifamily, retail, warehouse, and light industrial properties, and equipment financing ranging from $5,000 to $500,000 covering restaurant, medical, construction, and titled vehicle equipment. Specialty vertical programs serve the hospitality and medical industries, and broker and vendor partner programs distribute product nationwide with commissions up to 5 points and 100% prefunding for qualified vendors.

Formed in early 2022 through the merger of Apex Mortgage Corp. (founded 1992) and Firstlease, Inc. (founded 1999), Apex Commercial Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Firstrust Bank, a family-owned Philadelphia bank established in 1934. As a portfolio lender, the company holds originated loans on its own balance sheet rather than selling them to investors, enabling it to service each loan for the life of the contract and to apply flexible, "story-based" underwriting that evaluates borrower circumstances beyond credit scores. The technology stack centers on a portfolio lending platform with internal servicing capabilities and a streamlined digital workflow that supports same-day approvals for equipment finance and 24-hour conditional approvals with closings as quick as three weeks for commercial mortgages.

Revenue is generated through transaction and origination fees, interest income on the held loan portfolio, and loan servicing. Distribution is dual-track: a direct sales function targeting small business owners and real estate investors, and a nationwide broker/correspondent network for both commercial mortgages and equipment finance. Marketing relies primarily on relationship-based channels — broker partnerships, Centers of Influence, content marketing via blog and case studies, and a quarterly newsletter — rather than broad consumer advertising.

Name

Apex Commercial Capital

Legal name

Apex Commercial Capital Corp.

Website

https://apexcommercial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Apex Commercial Capital is a direct, nationwide portfolio lender originating small-balance commercial mortgages ($50K–$2M) and equipment financing ($5K–$500K) for small businesses, property investors, and equipment sellers, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Firstrust Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Trade Finance & Working Capital (LCs, Guarantees, Receivables) (FSABABAF)

Keywords

• Commercial mortgage lending
• Equipment financing
• Small business lending
• Portfolio lending
• Alternative commercial financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Mortgage Lending: Originates and holds small-balance commercial mortgages ($50,000 to $2 million) secured by collateral. Generates revenue through interest income, origination fees, and loan servicing. Portfolio lender that services each mortgage for the life of the loan.
2. Equipment Finance: Provides financing for equipment purchases ($5,000 to $500,000 depending on source). Works with equipment suppliers, buyers, and brokers. Generates revenue through interest income and transaction fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Apex Commercial Capital is a direct, nationwide portfolio lender that originates and services small-balance commercial mortgages ($50,000 to $2 million) and equipment financing ($5,000 to $500,000). It serves small businesses and property investors who cannot obtain financing through traditional banks, holding loans on its own balance sheet and offering streamlined underwriting, conditional approvals within 24 hours, underwriting in 48 hours, and closings as fast as 3 weeks.

Product overview

Apex Commercial Capital is a direct, nationwide lender and portfolio lender offering two core product lines: Commercial Mortgages (small-balance mortgages from $50,000 to $2 million for various property types) and Equipment Finance (equipment financing from $5,000 to $500,000). The company operates specialty programs for Hospitality and Medical industries, plus broker partner programs for both commercial mortgage brokers and equipment finance brokers. Apex Commercial Capital was formed in 2022 through the merger of Apex Mortgage Corp. (est. 1992) and Firstlease, Inc. (est. 1999), and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Firstrust Bank.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Mortgage Property-secured financing for small to medium-sized businesses and property investors. Loans range from $50,000 to $2 million for owner-occupied and investment properties, including purchase, refinance, and cash-out options. Covers property types such as mixed-use buildings, multi-family properties, retail spaces, warehouses, and light industrial spaces.
• Equipment Finance Financing solutions for equipment purchases and sales, serving both equipment buyers and sellers. Financing ranges from $5,000 to $250,000 through brokers or up to $500,000 for direct applications. Covers hundreds of equipment types including restaurant equipment, medical equipment, construction equipment, and titled vehicles.
• Hospitality Industry Financing Equipment financing program specifically for restaurants, cafes, and other food-related small businesses in the hospitality industry.
• Medical Industry Financing Equipment financing solutions for optometrists, podiatrists, and other medical specialists. Covers equipment such as CT and MRI machines.
• Commercial Mortgage Broker Program Partner program for mortgage brokers and correspondents offering commissions up to 5 points, streamlined underwriting, fast credit decisions (24-hour conditional approvals), and access to marketing materials and co-branded tools.
• Equipment Finance Broker Program Partner program for equipment finance brokers providing nationwide financing, competitive commission plans, quick approvals, same-day funding, and business-friendly payment structures.
• Variable Rate Program Investment property financing program offering commercial mortgages from $100,000 to $2 million with competitive pricing and a 3-year (3-2-1) prepayment penalty period. Available nationwide except in AK, AL, AZ, CA, HI, MI, NV, ND, VT, WV.
• Multifamily & Mixed-Use Broker Special Broker special with interest rates starting at 7.99% (hybrid fixed for 5 years then adjusts quarterly with 10-year balloon and amortization up to 30 years). For mixed-use and multifamily properties in MSAs with loan amounts from $100,000 to $1 million.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conditional loan approval within 24 hours, underwriting in 48 hours, settlement as quickly as 3 weeks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Currency: Currency is a digital-first SMB lender offering small business loans, equipment financing, and working capital products, competing for the same non-bankable SMB borrower segment that Apex targets.
• ApplePie Capital: ApplePie Capital is a fintech-enabled small business lender offering SBA and equipment financing to SMBs, with an SBA-focused product set that partially overlaps with Apex's small-balance commercial lending to similar SMB customers.

Broad incumbents

• CIT Group: CIT Group is a large commercial finance company offering equipment financing, commercial lending, and capital markets services, providing broader scale competition to Apex's equipment finance and CRE lending franchises.
• Wintrust Commercial Banking: Wintrust is a Chicago-area community banking group with substantial commercial real estate and specialty lending businesses, comparable to Firstrust/Apex as a community bank parent operating a small-balance commercial lending subsidiary.

Direct peers

• A10 Capital: A10 Capital is a direct small-balance commercial real estate lender offering loans typically $200K-$5M, closely overlapping with Apex's $50K-$2M commercial mortgage focus and similar 'story lender' underwriting approach for non-bankable borrowers.
• Live Oak Bank: Live Oak Bank is a digitally focused small business lender offering commercial real estate loans and equipment financing to SMBs across multiple verticals, directly comparable to Apex's dual product strategy and SMB customer base.
• Northpoint Commercial Finance: Northpoint is a non-bank equipment finance company offering small-to-mid ticket equipment financing and dealer/vendor programs, directly comparable to Apex's $5K-$500K equipment finance division and vendor channel.
• Stearns Bank: Stearns Bank is a privately held community bank with a strong equipment finance and small-balance commercial lending franchise, closely comparable to Apex as a bank-affiliated specialty lender serving non-bankable SMB borrowers.
• Pacific Western Equipment Finance: Pacific Western Equipment Finance is the equipment finance arm of Pacific Western Bank, providing small-to-mid ticket equipment loans and leases with a broker/vendor channel, directly comparable to Apex's equipment finance business.
• Customers Commercial Finance: Customers Commercial Finance is a bank-affiliated equipment finance and commercial lending subsidiary offering similar SMB and small-ticket equipment financing products as Apex's equipment finance division.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-commercial-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Apex Commercial Capital