Specialist Lending, AI, and the New SME Banking Opportunity

SME lending is undergoing a major shift. As traditional banks retreat from parts of the market, specialist lenders are creating new opportunities through faster decisioning, flexible products, and relationship-led service models. In this episode of the FintechOS Evolv Podcast, Tim Boag, CEO of Momenta Finance, joins Mark Dearman, Director of Industry Banking Solutions at FintechOS, to discuss how specialist lenders are reshaping SME finance through technology, broker partnerships, and modern operating models. Drawing on experience across banking and specialist lending, Tim shares practical insight into the challenges SMEs face when accessing finance, why legacy lending processes continue to slow growth, and how lenders can balance automation with human expertise. The conversation also explores the role of AI in underwriting, the growing importance of brokers, and how lenders can scale efficiently while maintaining strong customer relationships. Key learnings and takeaways: • Why specialist lenders are gaining market share in SME finance • How AI is improving underwriting, decisioning, and operational efficiency • Why brokers are becoming increasingly important in SME lending distribution • The balance between automation and human judgment in complex lending decisions • How modern technology foundations enable lenders to scale faster • Why relationship banking remains a competitive advantage in a digital-first market Whether you're leading SME banking strategy, modernizing lending operations, or exploring AI in financial services, this episode offers practical insight into how lenders can improve decisioning, accelerate growth, and deliver better borrower experiences without increasing operational complexity. At FintechOS, we help banks and lenders modernize product operations through Unified AI-powered Product Operations. With FintechOS 8, organizations can embed governed AI across origination, servicing, and optimization to move faster, simplify complexity, and deliver better business outcomes without changing the core. #FintechOSEvolv #FintechOS8 #SMELending #AIinBanking #LendingTransformation #FinancialServices