Casca Deepens SBA Lending Footprint as Celtic Bank Adopts Its AI Origination Platform

New updates have been reported about Casca.

Casca has expanded its footprint in SBA lending technology with Celtic Bank, a top‑ten U.S. SBA 7(a) lender since 2013, selecting its AI‑native, cloud‑based platform to run the bank’s SBA lending program. The deal positions Casca at the core of Celtic’s strategy to grow SBA 7(a) and Express loan volume, raise conversion rates, and cut manual origination work by compressing processes that once took months into days.

Casca’s rapid implementation was a key factor in the win, with Celtic Bank moving from contract to configuration in weeks rather than the year‑plus timelines typical of legacy loan‑origination systems. The platform streamlines complex SBA forms such as 1919, 413, and 159 into a guided digital workflow, automates financial spreading and analysis, and integrates with credit bureaus, document verification tools, and core banking systems, allowing Celtic to underwrite more small‑dollar loans faster and with fewer errors.

Celtic Bank’s president and COO, Todd Boren, framed the partnership as critical to scaling small‑dollar SBA lending, citing Casca’s ability to match the bank’s growth ambitions and support a more efficient, borrower‑friendly experience. For Casca, whose platform is already used by leading SBA lenders including Live Oak Bank and Huntington National Bank, the addition of another top‑tier SBA institution strengthens its market position, validates its AI‑first approach, and should support future revenue growth as loan volumes increase.

CEO and co‑founder Lukas Haffer emphasized that Casca was built to remove technology bottlenecks that limit access to capital, arguing that faster, more automated lending can ripple through local economies via new small‑business formation and expansion. Founded in 2022 and backed by $33 million from investors such as Canapi Ventures, Live Oak Ventures, and Huntington, Casca is using partnerships like Celtic Bank to scale its platform across commercial and SBA lending, deepen integrations with incumbent banking infrastructure, and entrench itself as a core system for origination at large financial institutions.