The Future of Small Business Financing | Luke Voiles – Pipe | FF Virtual Arena #326

Could this be the future of small business financing?

After leading roles at Intuit and Square, Luke Voiles is shaking up the business financing space with exciting embedded capital platform Pipe.

In this insightful interview, CEO Voiles speaks to Ali Paterson about Pipe’s embedded financial services product, aimed at bypassing traditional, cumbersome funding methods.

We get his thoughts on the increase in sector specific software solutions and why he’s passionate about supporting small businesses. There’s some exciting plans in the ‘Pipe-line’ too. Hear about all this and more in this FF Virtual Arena profile.

The funding evolution

To explain what Pipe really offers we first need some context and Voiles helps with this. He goes through the evolution of funding for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), contrasting traditional methods with Pipe’s innovative approach. Traditionally, securing funding required businesses to present two years of audited financial statements and tax returns to banks, a process that was lengthy and required a proven history of consistent performance. This method, exemplified by SBA loans, made it difficult for newer or smaller businesses to access necessary capital, something he’s very passionate about, given his heritage.

His dad was a small business owner himself, and this along with the experiences that many small businesses faced during the pandemic has been a big part of why he’s taken this role.

We’ve seen numerous evolutions in funding since those days and more recently, companies like Square Capital, Stripe Capital, and PayPal Working Capital, have focused on single cash flow streams. By simplifying the problem to a narrow set of financial data, these companies could provide more streamlined and accessible funding solutions. According to Voiles, Pipe builds on this evolution by allowing any SaaS business to offer similar financial services to their customers, thereby democratizing access to capital.

The changing business landscape

Voiles also highlights a broader shift in how SMBs operate, noting that business owners no longer visit banks regularly. Instead many rely on specialized vertical software that addresses specific industry needs comprehensively. Examples include Slice for pizza shops and Boulevard for nail and hair salons, which offer end-to-end solutions tailored to their respective industries.

Pipe has capitalised on this shift by embedding financial services within these vertical software solutions. This approach allows businesses to access necessary financial products without navigating complex regulatory and financial risks. It’s perfect timing, and a super nifty product.

It’s designed to keep the balance sheet light, offloading risk by selling whole loans to capital markets. Voiles says this approach enables unlimited scaling potential. Pipe’s multi-draw line of credit is particularly attractive to SMBs, offering a security blanket that meets their needs without the onerous terms often found in traditional financing products.

Future plans

Of course, we want to know what’s next for this exciting company. Looking forward, Pipe will expand. In addition to its capital products, they’re developing a card product for micro-merchants, which will be a 30-day charge card powered by Pipe’s risk engine. This product aims to fill a gap in the market, as existing solutions like those from Capital One and Amex do not cater to micro-merchants due to the high perceived risk. Pipe’s approach leverages cash flow data from POS terminals, enabling it to extend credit without personal guarantees or FICO-based underwriting.

Not only that but they also plan to introduce spend management and payroll services, fully embeddable within partner platforms. These additions will streamline expense management for SMBs, allowing them to focus mo