The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have announced a sweeping, multi-faceted partnership with two of the leading fintech companies in the emerging alternative lending space: Fundera and The Credit Junction. The initiative reflects Arizona’s commitment to bringing small businesses across the state options on access to capital through a proactive, thoughtful and all-inclusive campaign.
Fundera, the free marketplace for small business loans, and The Credit Junction, a data-driven asset based lending platform providing as much as $5M in capital to SMBs, are helping transform the way small business access the capital they need to finance and grow their business. Both companies are working together to build an online portal dedicated to Arizona businesses, as well as roll out a series of local educational and awareness initiatives.
“Our business community has been challenged in recent years in accessing capital to grow their businesses. The portal dedicated to Arizona small businesses will provide alternative financing solutions for businesses throughout the state,” said Lea Marquez-Peterson, President and CEO, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “These outlets are exciting because they couple emerging technology with a real need in the marketplace to increase access to capital,” Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer said “To have a unique online portal designed specifically for Arizona business is welcome news.”
Arizona is one of the fastest growing areas for businesses, as evidenced by its top ten ranking in the nation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation by the U.S Chamber of Commerce. By embracing the changing financial services landscape, Arizona is leading the charge in marrying traditional and non-traditional sources of capital, ultimately benefitting the small business owners of the state and further solidifying Arizona’s commitment to job creation and community development.
“We’re excited to see these two Chambers of Commerce make small business financing a top priority. With 45% of the Arizona population employed by small businesses we need and want to make sure they have the right financing products to grow,” said Jared Hecht. ““This alliance between the public and private sector reinforces Arizona’s leadership and commitment to its small business community. Access to capital remains a key ingredient to fostering small business growth, and we are thrilled to be part of this collaborative effort,” said Michael Finkelstein, CEO & Founder of The Credit Junction.
About The Credit Junction
The Credit Junction is a data-driven lending platform that helps owners of small and midsized businesses grow their companies by providing fast, flexible and efficient access to as much as $5M in capital. The Credit Junction combines technology and data intelligence with traditional asset-based metrics, which allows us to better assess the health of small businesses, thereby giving business owners a more transparent and user-friendly experience. For more information, please visit: www.thecreditjunction.com. Twitter: @CreditJunction
About Fundera
Fundera is the most trusted online marketplace that connects small business owners with the best funding providers for their businesses. Fundera was co-founded in 2013 by GroupMe co-founder Jared Hecht and successful software entrepreneur Rohan Deshpande to bring transparency, accountability, and fairness to the online lending industry. The company has raised $15 million from Susquehanna Growth Equity, QED Investors, Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, Box Group and angel investors Aaron Levie, Scott Belsky, Strauss Zelnick, and David Rosenblatt, and is based in New York City. To learn more or get started on a loan application, please visit www.fundera.com.
About Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
The Tucson Hispanic Chamber is the largest Latino business organization in the State of Arizona with more than 1800 members and operates affiliate chambers in Tucson, Sierra Vista, Douglas and Nogales, Arizona. The chamber’s mission is to advocate for and provide services that help grow its’ members businesses. For more information, please visit: www.TucsonHispanicChamber.org.
About Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is committed to advancing Arizona’s competitive position in the global economy by advocating free-market policies that stimulate economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans. For more information, please visit: www.azchamber.com
