nCino and Parlay partner to bring AI intake to SBA lending
For the chief lending officer at an SBA lender
nCino and Parlay announced a partnership that connects Parlay's AI-native Loan Intelligence System to nCino's Commercial and Small Business Solutions, The Fintech Times reported on Oct. 18.1
Parlay's agentic workflows handle borrower intake, programme eligibility screening and initial deal structuring, then a human banker reviews the file, according to The Fintech Times.1 Parlay co-founder and CEO Alex McLeod said of the deal: "No rip and replace required, so more small businesses across the country gain faster access to capital."1
The integration is already live and has processed more than $500 million in SBA loan inquiries so far in 2026, with First Internet Bank among the named early users.1
nCino will resell and support Parlay's platform as an add-on for its customers prioritising SBA lending, and Parlay keeps the right to serve the broader SBA market directly.1
Existing Parlay customers report a reduction of up to 80% in the manual work needed to produce a credit-ready file; this is self-reported customer data, not an independent audit.1
Neither company disclosed revenue-sharing terms or the size of any upfront commitment, and the $500 million is a pipeline figure, not originated or funded volume.1
Intake and eligibility screening can be automated, but lenders remain responsible for SBA eligibility determinations, and OCC and FDIC expectations call for explainable and contestable automated credit decisions. Banks evaluating the add-on should ask for audit trails and human-review controls, and treat the 80% and $500 million figures as unverified vendor claims.
The Fintech Times named origination volume and pull-through from inquiry to funded loan, adoption among nCino's SBA customers, and any regulatory commentary on agentic AI handling federal programme eligibility as the markers to watch.1
Our take. The software screens SBA eligibility; your bank still answers for it. Parlay shows $500 million of inquiries, a self-reported 80% cut in file prep, and no funded-loan number yet. Buy it, but test the screening first.
Action. Model risk and fair lending: Validate Parlay's SBA eligibility screening, audit trails and human override before enabling it in nCino.
What our records say
The AI comes in three forms: generative AI for banker workflows, predictive AI for risk and performance insights, and agentic AI through role-based Digital Partners run by its Agentic Operating System (nCino's words).1 Strategy and pricing: The platform is now priced on the assets of the business lines it supports, with Banking Advisor, Digital Partners and AI usage units sold on top.2
From our records
- nCinovendor · banks using it (4) WaFd Bank, M&T, First Horizon · alternatives Fiserv, FIS, Jack Henry
- OCCregulator · binding Supervisory guidance · latest OCC Semiannual Risk Perspective, Spring 2026 (May 2026), OCC Bulletin 2026-13 (Apr 2026)
- FDICregulator · binding Supervisory guidance · latest Hill House oversight testimony (Jun 2026) (Jun 2026), FDIC FIL-15-2026 (Apr 2026)
Sources
- ReportnCino and Parlay Link Up to Automate SBA Lending Intake with AI | The Fintech Times The Fintech Times