Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->
Contents
FinOracleAI — Market ViewFinOracleAI — Market ViewExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewAI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative DataNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewAI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative DataNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewFounders Identify Critical Gaps in Lending TechnologyAI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative DataNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market ViewCyphr Transforms Small Business Lending with AI InnovationFounders Identify Critical Gaps in Lending TechnologyAI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative DataNavigating Fundraising as Black Women FoundersExpanding Horizons with New OpportunitiesFinOracleAI — Market View
- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
“Even though we’re an AI native company, we started doing this without really any help.” — Alaia Martin, COO of Cyphr Recent advancements in AI have not only improved Cyphr’s product but also increased lender willingness to adopt new technology, as the financial sector embraces digitization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
!-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage noted, “If we had gone to market in 2022, it definitely would have been a lot harder to get buy-in, just because of the fear around technology and AI and the status quo.”
!-- wp:paragraph -->Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
AI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative Data
Cyphr’s platform analyzes alternative data sources and financial patterns unique to small businesses, enabling lenders to assess creditworthiness more accurately. The company initially built its own large language models (LLMs) manually before integrating and fine-tuning OpenAI’s models to enhance decision-making capabilities. !-- wp:paragraph -->“Even though we’re an AI native company, we started doing this without really any help.” — Alaia Martin, COO of Cyphr Recent advancements in AI have not only improved Cyphr’s product but also increased lender willingness to adopt new technology, as the financial sector embraces digitization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
!-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage noted, “If we had gone to market in 2022, it definitely would have been a lot harder to get buy-in, just because of the fear around technology and AI and the status quo.”
!-- wp:paragraph -->Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
“I was inside the mess, watching good businesses die, while trying to navigate legacy workflows. My literal job was to find technology to solve this, and it didn’t exist.” — Jannae Gammage, CEO of Cyphr Their mission was clear: make underwriting smarter and faster, with a borrower-centric approach, contrasting with many competitors focused primarily on lender convenience.
!-- wp:paragraph -->AI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative Data
Cyphr’s platform analyzes alternative data sources and financial patterns unique to small businesses, enabling lenders to assess creditworthiness more accurately. The company initially built its own large language models (LLMs) manually before integrating and fine-tuning OpenAI’s models to enhance decision-making capabilities. !-- wp:paragraph -->“Even though we’re an AI native company, we started doing this without really any help.” — Alaia Martin, COO of Cyphr Recent advancements in AI have not only improved Cyphr’s product but also increased lender willingness to adopt new technology, as the financial sector embraces digitization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
!-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage noted, “If we had gone to market in 2022, it definitely would have been a lot harder to get buy-in, just because of the fear around technology and AI and the status quo.”
!-- wp:paragraph -->Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
Founders Identify Critical Gaps in Lending Technology
Jannae Gammage, formerly a technology consultant for the Small Business Administration, observed firsthand the outdated systems that hindered small businesses from securing funds through banks and credit unions. Frustrated by the lack of effective technological solutions, she partnered with longtime friend Alaia Martin in 2022 to develop Cyphr. !-- wp:paragraph -->“I was inside the mess, watching good businesses die, while trying to navigate legacy workflows. My literal job was to find technology to solve this, and it didn’t exist.” — Jannae Gammage, CEO of Cyphr Their mission was clear: make underwriting smarter and faster, with a borrower-centric approach, contrasting with many competitors focused primarily on lender convenience.
!-- wp:paragraph -->AI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative Data
Cyphr’s platform analyzes alternative data sources and financial patterns unique to small businesses, enabling lenders to assess creditworthiness more accurately. The company initially built its own large language models (LLMs) manually before integrating and fine-tuning OpenAI’s models to enhance decision-making capabilities. !-- wp:paragraph -->“Even though we’re an AI native company, we started doing this without really any help.” — Alaia Martin, COO of Cyphr Recent advancements in AI have not only improved Cyphr’s product but also increased lender willingness to adopt new technology, as the financial sector embraces digitization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
!-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage noted, “If we had gone to market in 2022, it definitely would have been a lot harder to get buy-in, just because of the fear around technology and AI and the status quo.”
!-- wp:paragraph -->Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
Cyphr Transforms Small Business Lending with AI Innovation
Kansas City-based startup Cyphr is reshaping the small business lending landscape by deploying advanced artificial intelligence to streamline credit decision-making. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Cyphr will showcase how its technology eases access to capital for entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional lenders. !-- wp:paragraph -->Founders Identify Critical Gaps in Lending Technology
Jannae Gammage, formerly a technology consultant for the Small Business Administration, observed firsthand the outdated systems that hindered small businesses from securing funds through banks and credit unions. Frustrated by the lack of effective technological solutions, she partnered with longtime friend Alaia Martin in 2022 to develop Cyphr. !-- wp:paragraph -->“I was inside the mess, watching good businesses die, while trying to navigate legacy workflows. My literal job was to find technology to solve this, and it didn’t exist.” — Jannae Gammage, CEO of Cyphr Their mission was clear: make underwriting smarter and faster, with a borrower-centric approach, contrasting with many competitors focused primarily on lender convenience.
!-- wp:paragraph -->AI-Driven Underwriting Leveraging Alternative Data
Cyphr’s platform analyzes alternative data sources and financial patterns unique to small businesses, enabling lenders to assess creditworthiness more accurately. The company initially built its own large language models (LLMs) manually before integrating and fine-tuning OpenAI’s models to enhance decision-making capabilities. !-- wp:paragraph -->“Even though we’re an AI native company, we started doing this without really any help.” — Alaia Martin, COO of Cyphr Recent advancements in AI have not only improved Cyphr’s product but also increased lender willingness to adopt new technology, as the financial sector embraces digitization accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
!-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage noted, “If we had gone to market in 2022, it definitely would have been a lot harder to get buy-in, just because of the fear around technology and AI and the status quo.”
!-- wp:paragraph -->Navigating Fundraising as Black Women Founders
Cyphr has raised $1 million to date, a process described by the founders as simultaneously challenging and unexpectedly smooth. Unlike peers who secured large sums in single rounds, Cyphr’s funding arrived incrementally through accelerators and pitch competitions. !-- wp:paragraph -->“We are not what you think of when you think of a tech founder. But we were really well received in Silicon Valley.” — Alaia Martin, COO The founders expressed gratitude for successfully raising capital, recognizing the rarity of such achievements among Black women entrepreneurs.
!-- wp:paragraph -->Expanding Horizons with New Opportunities
Looking ahead, Cyphr is developing a platform to help businesses capitalize on opportunities linked to the upcoming World Cup events. The company is also exploring potential new locations to support its growth strategy. !-- wp:paragraph --> Gammage emphasized the importance of momentum and funding in achieving their vision, highlighting the potential impact of winning TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield. !-- wp:paragraph -->FinOracleAI — Market View
Cyphr’s innovative use of AI to integrate alternative data into lending decisions addresses a critical bottleneck in small business finance. By focusing on borrower experience and leveraging recent advances in AI, the company is well positioned to disrupt traditional underwriting models. !-- wp:paragraph -->- Opportunities: Growing lender openness to AI solutions; increasing demand for faster, smarter underwriting; potential to scale with major events like the World Cup;
- Risks: Competition from established fintech and AI firms; regulatory scrutiny over AI in credit decisions; challenges in securing sustained capital influx;
- Market dynamics: Post-pandemic digitization accelerates adoption; underserved small business segments present significant growth potential.
