CU Equipment Finance
CU Equipment Finance is a credit union service organization (CUSO) that enables credit unions nationwide to offer commercial equipment financing, leasing, SBA 7(a), acquisition, and CRE mortgage products to their SMB members via a full-service origination, servicing, and compliance platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CU Equipment Finance does
CU Equipment Finance is a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) operating as a collaboration between Northpoint Commercial Credit (founded in 2005 by Thomas Payne) and Maps Credit Union. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company enables credit unions across the United States to offer commercial equipment financing to their small and medium-sized business members without building dedicated internal infrastructure. The company's offerings span five financing products — equipment loans ($5,000 to $20 million, 36–84 month terms), equipment leases ($5,000 to $10 million, 24–72 month terms), SBA 7(a) loans, acquisition loans ($250,000 to $15 million, 5–10 year terms), and commercial real estate mortgages ($500,000 to $20 million, 5–25 year terms) — supported by four operational service modules covering loan production, portfolio management (including ACH collections, monthly reporting, workout and liquidation, and tax administration), credit administration, and policy and compliance review (including NCUA and MBL regulation support).
The company's go-to-market is a channel-partner model: it onboards credit unions as distribution partners and then facilitates loan origination through credit union referrals, vendor and dealer programs, and internal lending teams. End borrowers are SMBs in healthcare, manufacturing, industrial automation, transportation, and business technology. Revenue is generated from transaction fees on originated loans and leases combined with ongoing managed-services fees for servicing, portfolio management, credit administration, and compliance support. The technology layer is administrative rather than AI-enabled — no proprietary models, AI features, APIs, or patents are disclosed; competitive advantage rests on domain expertise, regulatory know-how, leadership pedigree (Wells Fargo correspondent banking, $1B+ credit union CFO, $300M+ banking institution executive), and embedded operational integration with credit union partners.
The company is privately held, founder-led by Thomas Payne (Chair) with Jack Haworth as CEO, Kevin Peterson as President, Ted Sirianni as Chief Credit Officer, Greg Luedke as Senior Vice President, and Olivia Pelham as Controller. It is a member of NACUSO, ELFA, and AACFB, and reports more than a decade of continuous operation supporting thousands of businesses. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or revenue figures are disclosed in the source material.
CU Equipment Finance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CU Equipment Finance
- Legal name
- Northpoint Commercial Credit
- Website
- https://cuequipmentfinance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CU Equipment Finance is a credit union service organization (CUSO) that enables credit unions nationwide to offer commercial equipment financing, leasing, SBA 7(a), acquisition, and CRE mortgage products to their SMB members via a full-service origination, servicing, and compliance platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CU Equipment Finance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Equipment Financing
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Finance Lessors (6172)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equipment & Asset Finance (SME) (FSAKAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Embedded Lending & Credit (POS, Working Capital, Credit Lines) (FSAGALAD)
Keywords
Where CU Equipment Finance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CU Equipment Finance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Equipment Financing Facilitation: The company generates revenue by facilitating equipment financing for credit unions. As a CUSO, they charge fees for their services including loan production, portfolio management, credit administration, and compliance support. Revenue is derived from transaction fees and ongoing servicing fees from the loans and leases facilitated through partnering credit unions.
- Loan Servicing Fees: Comprehensive loan servicing including payment collection via ACH, monthly reporting, collection management, financial reporting, workout and liquidation services, and tax administration for portfolios managed on behalf of credit union partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Equipment Loans ranging from $5,000 to $20 million with terms from 36 to 84 months |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Equipment Leases ranging from $5,000 to $10 million with terms from 24 to 72 months |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Acquisition Loans ranging from $250,000 to $15 million with terms from 5 to 10 years |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | CRE Mortgage ranging from $500,000 to $20 million with terms from 5 to 25 years |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Commercial Equipment Financing Programs for credit unions - transaction amounts between $25,000 and $1 million with 3-6 year terms |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
CU Equipment Finance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CU Equipment Finance is a CUSO that helps credit unions offer commercial equipment financing to their business members. It underwrites, originates, services, and administers equipment loans, equipment leases, SBA 7(a) loans, acquisition loans, and CRE mortgages, and provides credit unions with loan production, portfolio management, credit administration, and policy/compliance support. Financing amounts range from $5,000 to $20 million with terms from 24 to 84 months (up to 10 years for certain products).
Product overview
CU Equipment Finance is a CUSO (Credit Union Service Organization) that combines Northpoint Commercial Credit's equipment financing expertise with Maps Credit Union's financial strength to provide comprehensive commercial equipment lending solutions. The company operates a platform-plus-services model centered on four core financing products (Equipment Loans, Equipment Leases, SBA 7(a) Loans, and Acquisition Loans) supplemented by CRE Mortgage services for commercial real estate needs. These core products are supported by four administrative service modules: Loan Production (marketing and origination), Portfolio Management (servicing and account management), Credit Administration (underwriting and documentation), and Policy & Compliance Review (regulatory support). The integrated offering enables credit unions to offer commercial equipment financing without adding administrative burden, with loan amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20 million and terms from 24 months to 10 years across healthcare, manufacturing, business technology, industrial automation, and transportation industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Equipment Loans Equipment loan product offering financing from $5,000 to $20 million with repayment terms from 36 to 84 months for essential-use equipment, targeting established businesses (in operation for at least five years) that are members of partnering credit unions.
- Equipment Leases Equipment leasing product with terms from 24 to 72 months and funding amounts from $5,000 to $10 million, serving industries including business technology, healthcare, manufacturing, industrial automation, and transportation.
- SBA 7(a) Loans Small Business Administration 7(a) loan program providing affordable funding with flexible eligibility requirements, longer repayment terms, and lower down payments for equipment purchases and business expansion through credit union partners.
- Acquisition Loans Business acquisition financing enabling credit union members to purchase existing businesses, expand franchises, buy out equipment, or execute partner buyouts, with terms of 5-10 years and funding between $250,000 and $15 million.
- CRE Mortgage Commercial Real Estate mortgage financing with terms of 5-25 years and loan amounts from $500,000 to $20 million, including traditional owner-occupied mortgages, SBA 7(a) loans, conduit loans, commercial bridge loans, and hard/soft money loans.
- Loan Production Marketing and origination support service helping credit unions facilitate commercial equipment financing through vendor/dealer programs, referral channels, and internal lending teams, with transaction amounts between $25,000 and $1 million and 3-6 year terms.
- Portfolio Management Comprehensive servicing and management of commercial loan accounts on behalf of credit union partners, including payment collection via ACH, monthly reporting, collection management, financial reporting, workout and liquidation services, and tax administration.
- Credit Administration Full-service credit administration for credit union partners, including client credit review, credit memorandums preparation, eligibility assessment, risk mitigation, cash flow analysis, and third-party verification reports.
- Policy & Compliance Review Regulatory compliance and policy support services for credit union lending operations, covering NCUA and MBL regulation compliance, equipment lending policy modification, and implementation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Loan terms ranging from 24 to 84 months for equipment financing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CU Equipment Finance
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CU Equipment Finance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CU Equipment Finance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NACUSO (National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations)coreCU Equipment Finance is a proud member of NACUSO, adhering to the strict standards of the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations. NACUSO provides collaboration and innovation resources for credit union service organizations.
- ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association)coreMember of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, adhering to industry standards for equipment leasing and finance operations.
- AACFB (American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers)coreProud member of AACFB, demonstrating commitment to commercial finance industry standards and practices.
- Maps Credit UnioncoreMaps Credit Union provides financial strength to the CU Equipment Finance CUSO venture. The combination of Northpoint Commercial Credit's expertise with Maps Credit Union's financial strength enables CU Equipment Finance to offer comprehensive equipment lending solutions to credit unions nationwide.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
CU Equipment Finance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TimePayment: TimePayment specializes in equipment leasing for small ticket transactions ($5K–$250K) to SMBs across the U.S., targeting very similar equipment categories and customer profiles as CU Equipment Finance. Both compete at the low-end equipment lease origination layer used by credit union members.
- Balboa Capital: Balboa Capital is a direct competitor in SMB equipment financing and leasing, offering loans and leases from approximately $5K to $500K to small businesses across verticals including healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation — overlapping CU Equipment Finance's core $5K–$1M tier and almost identical industry focus.
- NFS Leasing: NFS Leasing is a national equipment lessor with a similar mid-ticket focus, operating across healthcare, manufacturing, and technology verticals. Both companies offer leases with multi-year terms structured for SMBs and operate through partner channels including vendor/dealer programs.
- Ascentium Capital: Ascentium Capital is one of the largest independent equipment finance companies in the U.S., offering loans and leases to SMBs and middle-market borrowers with similar vertical coverage (healthcare, manufacturing, transportation). Both serve as vendor/dealer and direct origination channels with comparable ticket sizes.
- Marlin Business Services (now Marlin Finance): Marlin originated as a captive equipment finance provider to SMBs with very similar ticket sizes and verticals as CU Equipment Finance. Comparability is in shared end-borrower profile (thin-file SMBs needing working capital for equipment) and similar product mix of loans, leases, and lines of credit.
- Pawnee Leasing: Pawnee Leasing is an equipment leasing specialist focused on small-ticket commercial equipment deals to SMBs across the U.S., with overlapping equipment categories and customer profile. Both serve as outsourced origination/servicing partners rather than direct balance-sheet lenders in many cases.
Emerging players
- Currency Capital: Currency operates a digital equipment finance marketplace connecting SMB borrowers with multiple lenders, increasingly used by credit unions and community banks as an outsourced origination channel. It represents the fintech-style alternative to the relationship-driven CUSO model that CU Equipment Finance uses.
Broad incumbents
- Wells Fargo Equipment Finance: Wells Fargo's commercial equipment finance group serves mid-market and SMB borrowers across verticals overlapping with CU Equipment Finance's. As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same end-borrowers but on a much larger balance-sheet basis; also notable because CU Equipment Finance's founder trained in Wells Fargo's correspondent banking division.
- CIT Group / First Citizens Commercial Equipment Finance: CIT's commercial equipment finance division (now part of First Citizens following the 2022 acquisition) is a major scale player offering equipment loans and leases across the SMB and middle-market segments that overlap with CU Equipment Finance's verticals. It is a broad incumbent with extensive direct and broker channels.
Others
- LenderClose: LenderClose is a CUSO that provides real estate and consumer lending technology and outsourcing services to credit unions. It is comparable as a peer CUSO model serving credit union commercial/member lending needs, though its product focus is real-estate-and-consumer rather than equipment finance; useful as a same-model analog in the credit union services ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CU Equipment Finance social profiles
Digital presenceCU Equipment Finance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CU Equipment Finance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
CU Equipment Finance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CU Equipment Finance 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 CU Equipment Finance
What does CU Equipment Finance do?
CU Equipment Finance is a CUSO that helps credit unions offer commercial equipment financing to their business members. It underwrites, originates, services, and administers equipment loans, equipment leases, SBA 7(a) loans, acquisition loans, and CRE mortgages, and provides credit unions with loan production, portfolio management, credit administration, and policy/compliance support. Financing amounts range from $5,000 to $20 million with terms from 24 to 84 months (up to 10 years for certain products).
Is CU Equipment Finance a public or private company?
CU Equipment Finance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CU Equipment Finance founded?
CU Equipment Finance was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CU Equipment Finance based?
CU Equipment Finance is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does CU Equipment Finance make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Equipment Financing Facilitation is the primary driver. The others are loan Servicing Fees.
Who are CU Equipment Finance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TimePayment, Balboa Capital, NFS Leasing, Ascentium Capital, Marlin Business Services (now Marlin Finance) and Pawnee Leasing. Currency Capital is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Wells Fargo Equipment Finance and CIT Group / First Citizens Commercial Equipment Finance. LenderClose is listed as an others.
Does CU Equipment Finance have an API?
No public API is recorded for CU Equipment Finance.
What industry is CU Equipment Finance in?
CU Equipment Finance's product category is Commercial Equipment Financing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAF, Equipment & Asset Finance (SME), with a secondary code of FSAGALAD, Embedded Lending & Credit (POS, Working Capital, Credit Lines). Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6172.