Connect2Capital

What Connect2Capital does

Connect2Capital is a digital matching platform that connects small business borrowers in the United States with a curated network of mission-driven, community-focused lenders. Founded in 2015 and now operating under the consolidated CRF Connect brand, the platform asks borrowers a series of questions and matches them to financing products offered by participating community development financial institutions (CDFIs), community lenders, and other partner institutions. The platform serves three distinct customer segments: small businesses seeking capital, community lenders participating in the Lending Partner Program, and financial institutions operating the Referral Partner Program. The service is provided at no cost to borrowers.

The product ecosystem comprises four components delivered under Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF): CRF Connect (the core marketplace matching platform), CRF Insights (a dashboard enabling streamlined financial analysis, loan applications, and portfolio monitoring with bank account connectivity through third-party providers), CRF Exchange (a complementary financial services platform), and SPARK Loan Origination Solution (a separately governed loan origination product). The company has registered trademarks for the Connect2Capital and CRF Connect brand names, the CRF Insights and CRF Exchange product names, and the tagline "Capital for communities. Opportunities for people."

Connect2Capital is a branded service line of Community Reinvestment Fund, USA, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit CDFI incorporated in Minnesota and headquartered at 801 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. CRF was founded in 1988 and has deployed more than $2.4 billion into communities across 48 states. Connect2Capital generates revenue primarily through lender referral fees of up to 1.0% paid by lending partners upon successful loan closures; CRF and its affiliates also provide loans directly through the platform. There is no evidence of venture capital funding or outside equity ownership.

Name

Connect2Capital

Legal name

Community Reinvestment Fund, Inc., d/b/a Community Reinvestment Fund, USA

Website

https://connect2capital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Connect2Capital (rebranding to CRF Connect) is a Minneapolis-based digital marketplace that matches small business borrowers with mission-driven community lenders across 48 U.S. states, operated by Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit CDFI founded in 1988.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Lending Marketplace

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAKAHAD

Microfinance & Community P2P Lending

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Peer-to-Peer (P2P) & Marketplace Lending

SECONDARYFSAKAHAO

P2P Lending Infrastructure & White-Label Platforms

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Peer-to-Peer (P2P) & Marketplace Lending

Keywords

• Small business lending
• Lender matching platform
• Mission-driven lending
• Community development finance
• Business loan marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lender Referral Fees: When a borrower successfully closes a loan with a lending partner after being matched through CRF Connect, the lender pays CRF a fee of up to 1.0% upon closing. No fee is charged to borrowers for using the platform. Different lenders may pay different fees to CRF.
2. CRF Direct Lending: CRF and its affiliates also provide loans directly to small business borrowers and may appear as an option for borrowers who match with CRF's financing products

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Connect2Capital operates a digital lending marketplace that matches small business borrowers with mission-driven community lenders based on borrower criteria through a questionnaire-based matching process. The platform offers CRF Connect (matching), CRF Insights (financial analysis and loan monitoring dashboard with bank account connectivity), CRF Exchange, and SPARK Loan Origination Solution. Borrowers complete a single application and are presented with financing options from participating CDFI and community lenders.

Product overview

Connect2Capital (now rebranding to CRF Connect) operates as a multi-platform ecosystem for small business lending. The core offering is CRF Connect, a marketplace that matches small businesses with mission-driven lenders based on borrower criteria. CRF Insights provides a complementary dashboard for financial analysis, loan applications, and portfolio monitoring. CRF Exchange rounds out the platform suite. SPARK Loan Origination Solution operates as a separately governed product. All services are provided by Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), a national nonprofit CDFI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRF Connect A lending marketplace platform that matches small business borrowers with mission-driven lenders by gathering borrower criteria through a questionnaire and presenting matched financing options from participating lenders. Used by small businesses seeking responsible financing.
• CRF Insights A dashboard platform providing streamlined financial analysis, loan application processing, and portfolio monitoring, with third-party bank account data connectivity for users to view account data, generate reports, and apply for loans.
• CRF Exchange A platform within the CRF Services ecosystem for financial services supporting small businesses and lenders.
• SPARK Loan Origination Solution A loan origination solution governed by a separate agreement from the main CRF Services, providing origination tooling for lenders.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.4 billion injected into communities across 48 states since 1988

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.

• Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988CRF is the parent organization powering Connect2Capital. It is a national non-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) and registered 501(c)(3) that has injected over $2.4 billion into communities since 1988. CRF also provides loans directly through the platform and operates CRF Connect, CRF Insights, and CRF Exchange platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Biz2Credit: Biz2Credit is an SMB lending marketplace that matches small businesses with banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders, including SBA and working capital products. It directly parallels Connect2Capital's matchmaking flow, scales through a partner channel, and serves the same underserved SMB segment.
• LendingTree: LendingTree operates one of the largest consumer and SMB loan marketplaces in the US, matching borrowers with multiple lenders across personal, business, mortgage, and refinance products. It is a direct competitor to Connect2Capital's loan-matching platform model, though LendingTree focuses on a much broader lender set rather than mission-driven lenders.
• Lendio: Lendio runs an SMB lending marketplace that aggregates multiple lenders and product types and uses a partner/franchise network (Lendio franchises) to source borrowers. It mirrors Connect2Capital's marketplace-plus-partner-channel go-to-market, though Lendio operates a broader lender panel including fintech online lenders.
• SmartBiz (SBA lending marketplace): SmartBiz Loans is a technology-enabled SBA loan marketplace that connects SMB borrowers with banks for SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 loans. It mirrors Connect2Capital's small business loan matching model with bank/lender partner channels, though it focuses almost exclusively on SBA rather than mission-driven CDFI capital.
• Accion Opportunity Fund: Accion Opportunity Fund is a nonprofit CDFI that provides small business loans and coaching to underserved entrepreneurs across the US. It functions as both a direct lender and an ecosystem partner on platforms like Connect2Capital, sharing the mission-driven, community-CDFI positioning and overlapping with the platform's primary lender base.
• Fundera (an NerdWallet company): Fundera is a small business loan marketplace that matches SMB borrowers with bank, SBA, and online lenders through a single application. It competes directly with Connect2Capital in the SMB loan-matching segment, though with a broader (non-mission-driven) lender panel and stronger consumer brand via NerdWallet.

Emerging players

• Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit crowdfunding and community P2P lending platform that funds underserved entrepreneurs globally. It overlaps with Connect2Capital's mission-driven, community-lending focus and SMB small-dollar borrower segment, though Kiva relies on individual crowdfunded lenders rather than institutional CDFI partners.
• Grameen America: Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization providing small business loans to women entrepreneurs in underserved US communities. It serves an overlapping mission-driven SMB borrower segment with Connect2Capital, though through direct lending rather than a marketplace model.
• Funding Circle US: Funding Circle is a marketplace small business lender that originates and sells SMB loans, with US operations in the SBA-preferred lending space. While it operates a marketplace model connecting institutional investors with borrowers, it differs from Connect2Capital by funding loans itself rather than brokering to mission-driven CDFIs.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): OFN is the national network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Connect2Capital's curated lender network overlaps heavily with OFN members; OFN operates as a peer ecosystem and potential distribution/partner channel rather than a direct platform competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Connect2Cap
• Facebookfacebook.com/Connect2Capital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connect2capital
• Instagraminstagram.com/connect.2.capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Connect2Capital