Finance
How consumer finance products are finding B2B users
Many small companies face a harmful financing hole that fee firms hope to fill with short-term credit score merchandise related to those who have grown in reputation with shoppers throughout a difficult financial surroundings.
“The problem could be so simple as ‘I’ve t-shirts that I bought from my manufacturing facility, however I am not going to receives a commission for an additional 90 days. However I’ve to maintain the lights on,’” mentioned Alex Music, head of finance and capital markets for Ramp, a agency that integrates company playing cards with software program to handle non-payroll spending.
Ramp expanded its platform in late August to permit companies to handle vendor funds by means of short-term credit score. Ramp joins different fintechs akin to Resolve in promoting companies to small-businesses shoppers which are dealing with unsure money circulation as a result of inflation and supply-chain crunches. These merchandise are designed to work by means of present fee relationships to forestall companies from turning to banks for credit score.
“In the event you’re promoting furnishings to shoppers and workplace buildings and have a producer ready to receives a commission, you are dealing with a possible hole,” mentioned Chris Tsai, CEO of Resolve, a fee firm that manages credit score checks, enrollment, invoicing and reconciliation for B2B transactions.
Ramp’s new product, known as Flex, integrates with accounting software program and is designed to fund working bills whereas a enterprise waits for pending funds to repay the mortgage. Ramp pays the enterprise’ distributors up entrance, and the enterprise chooses to pay Ramp in 30, 60 or 90 days for a charge that is primarily based on the size of the transaction–the shorter the phrases the decrease the charge–with the enterprise’ incoming funds going towards paying off the mortgage. Flex is a part of Ramp’s Invoice Pay invoicing product, with Flex showing as a financing choice. Ramp is competing with banks and different fee firms that present credit score.
A number of fee firms provide short-term credit score to small companies primarily based on future fee flows — Block and PayPal are two of the most important. However there’s nonetheless room within the small-business marketplace for extra choices, in line with Music. “In the event you’re an American small enterprise, there are only a few folks that can assist you,” he mentioned.
Ramp’s providing is much like purchase now/pay later, which permits shoppers to finance the acquisition of a product they cannot afford to pay for in full on the level of sale. Solely on this case, the idea is being utilized to handle small enterprise’ stock expense, shopper funds and the damaging impression on liquidity.
“There are quite a lot of lenders that can problem a five-year or a 10-year mortgage, however that will not cowl all short-term bills,” Music mentioned. “And it is exhausting for companies to get that type of credit score from a financial institution.”
A discount in enterprise spending is already underway, and that can create extra liquidity stress, Music argues, citing Ramp’s evaluation of anonymized funds on the company playing cards that it manages for shoppers.
The typical spend per enterprise fell 6% from Could to June 2022, in comparison with a 17% improve between Could and June 2021, in line with Ramp, which didn’t disclose the precise quantity quantities. Enterprise capital-backed startups lowered spending 9% in 2022, after rising spending 25% in 2021. Spending on provides additionally decreased, in line with Ramp’s knowledge. Spending on digital gear fell 41%, whereas software program purchases fell 6%.
Different knowledge additionally factors to emphasize on enterprise funds, significantly for getting and promoting provides and the impression of these prices on operations.
U.S. enterprise logistics bills in 2021 had been $1.85 trillion, or 8% of gross home product, the best share of U.S. GDP since 2008, in line with the Council of Provide Chain Administration Professionals’ annual report on the “State of Logistics,” which was launched in June. Stock carrying prices, or the worth of the products in inventory in comparison with the price to retailer these items, was 26% larger in 2021 over 2020, the CSCMP reported, including this knowledge creates longer lead occasions for orders, and stock that’s typically not matched to demand.
Resolve, which supplies fee expertise and enterprise credit score, is making ready its firm for an uptick in BNPL lending to small companies — and extra competitors as European-focused companies goal the U.S. Resolve was spun off of shopper fee processor and shopper BNPL lender Affirm in 2019.
“That use case of paying a producer is an ideal instance of the place to flex BNPL muscle,” Tsai mentioned.
For companies, BNPL can cut back the stress on money circulation that outcomes from delays within the provide chain, Tsai mentioned.
A few of the similar dangers for shopper BNPL apply to enterprise BNPL, mentioned Larry Talley, founder and CEO of Everyware, a agency that develops software program for textual content funds and different digital channels.
“Numerous these companies might have used up credit score and are searching for an answer to fill up on stock,” Talley mentioned. “The issue is that if they don’t seem to be promoting that stock the set up charges and switch into late charges.”
BNPL for shoppers or enterprise can be nonetheless not closely regulated, Talley mentioned. “It is type of just like the Wild West.”
Whereas shopper BNPL is gaining consideration from regulators over consents about mounting debt, enterprise B2B’s phrases are shorter — as little as one month versus 4 or extra month-to-month installments — and thus much less liable to credit score danger, Tsai contends.
“There’s a stress on consumers who’re getting slower funds,” Tsai mentioned. “Everyone seems to be attempting to handle the gross sales funds which are excellent, to realize management over the money curve.”
Finance
Ex-Google and Meta Engineers Launch Nauma: Personalized Financial Planning Tools for Tech Professionals
SAN FRANCISCO, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A team of former Google and Meta engineers has launched Nauma, a new platform designed to help people working in tech navigate complex financial decisions with confidence. Nauma’s mission is to democratize fiduciary-quality financial guidance, providing highly personalized planning tools without the high costs of traditional financial advisors.
Today, most high-net-worth families rely on advisors who charge based on Assets Under Management (AUM)—typically 1% of a client’s assets each year. For a family with $5 million, that means paying $50,000 annually, even as the level of service often remains static. Worse, these fees tend to rise 6–8% per year as portfolios grow, creating a system where costs scale without a proportional increase in value.
“The AUM model is outdated and misaligned with clients’ best interests,” said Alex Sukhanov, co-founder of Nauma. “Advisors operating under this model are incentivized to keep assets under their control, which can lead to biased advice when clients actually want to use their money—to buy real estate, start a business, or donate to charity.
Nauma is designed to give tech professionals clarity and control over their financial lives. The platform addresses the complex challenges faced by this group, including optimizing taxes, managing equity compensation, planning for early retirement, and protecting generational wealth.
“Tech professionals are building substantial wealth earlier in their lives, but most tools and advisors aren’t designed for their unique needs,” said Simone, Nauma’s co-founder. “We’re building the modern, intelligent financial planning infrastructure we wish we had—one that puts people, not assets, first.”
For more information, visit https://nauma.ai
About Nauma
Founded by ex-Google and Meta engineers, Nauma provides advanced financial planning tools tailored for people working in tech. By replacing the legacy AUM fee model with scalable, technology-driven solutions, Nauma empowers users to navigate complex financial decisions and build wealth on their own terms.
Media Contact
hello@nauma.ai
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74982a9a-7d84-4a5c-8e07-edb337b65345
Finance
Mark J. Epley Joins SEDA Experts, Bringing Decades of Corporate Finance, Leveraged Finance, and M&A Expertise
SEDA Experts LLC, a leading expert witness firm providing world-class financial expert witness services, announced today that Mark J. Epley joined the firm as Managing Director.
New York, NY, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — “Mark brings exceptional knowledge of corporate finance to our franchise,” said Peter Selman, Managing Partner of SEDA Experts.
Mark Epley is a seasoned investment banking executive with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, leveraged finance, and M&A. He served as Chairman of the Financial Sponsors Group Americas at HSBC Securities, where he led global coverage teams and delivered significant growth. Mark has also held senior leadership roles at other global franchises including Nomura, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley.
At HSBC, Mark built and grew the Americas Financial Sponsors Group. He managed coverage for premier clients such as Blackstone, Apollo, BlackRock, Carlyle, Bain Capital, TPG, and Warburg Pincus. Additionally, Mark contributed strategically as a member of HSBC’s Americas Investment Banking Division Management Committee, influencing firm-wide strategy and talent recruitment.
Prior to HSBC, Mark co-founded the Americas Investment Banking Division at Nomura Securities International and held roles as Global Head of the Financial Sponsors Group and Co-head of Corporate Finance Americas. He led a global team of 80 bankers across five offices, and was an active member of Nomura’s Global Investment Banking Division Executive Committee. Mark joined Nomura from Deutsche Bank Securities where he also served as Global Head of the Financial Sponsors Group,
Mark began his career at Morgan Stanley & Company, where he was Executive Director and founded the middle market coverage effort within the Financial Sponsors Group. He managed over 100 equity capital markets transactions, including IPOs, follow-ons, convertible bonds, and spin-offs. He was also involved in Mergers & Acquisitions and Restructuring transactions. His career started at a predecessor firm to JP Morgan, Manufacturers Hanover Trust (MHT), focusing on credit analysis and corporate coverage.
Mark presently acts as a Senior Advisor to SQ Capital supporting the origination and build at a unique and differentiated fund focused on investing in Private Equity secondary transactions.
Mark holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, where he earned Dean’s List honors, and a BA in Politics from Princeton University. He has also completed executive education programs in Energy Innovation & Emerging Technologies at Stanford University and Strategic Wealth Management at Columbia University.
One of the biggest online shopping events of the year — Prime Day — will take place July 8-11 across 26 countries. What began in 2015 as a celebration of Amazon’s anniversary has since grown into a multiday retail extravaganza that rivals Black Friday and Cyber Monday in both hype and sales volume.
But amid the excitement, an important question remains: Do you really save money on Prime Day? Here’s what you need to know before loading up your virtual cart.
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Prime Day is a global sales event created by Amazon that allows Prime members to access exclusive discounts and deals on a number of products across the site.
The first Prime Day took place a decade ago to mark Amazon’s 20th anniversary. It has since evolved to span several days throughout many countries, with this year’s Prime Day event being the longest so far at four days.
Shoppers can score limited-time deals on a wide range of products, from big-ticket electronics and home appliances to beauty products, clothing, and Amazon’s own devices like Echo speakers and Fire tablets. And millions participate each year. In 2024, global sales for Amazon Prime Day totaled $14.2 billion over a 48-hour period, according to Capital One Shopping Research.
Keep in mind that to access these deals, you must be a Prime member, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. However, Amazon offers a free 30-day trial, allowing new users to shop the event without paying up front.
Read more: Amazon Prime Day 2025: We found the best deals to shop before the sale officially kicks off
You may be wondering whether Prime Day is just another overblown shopping holiday like Black Friday, when retailers offer increasingly unimpressive deals to encourage unnecessary spending.
There’s no denying that some Prime Day deals offer real value. The key is having a smart shopping strategy in place to purchase items you actually need at a steep discount — not impulsively spending to take advantage of perceived savings.
Historically, shoppers have seen discounts of 30%-70% on items such as Apple AirPods, laptops, robot vacuums, smart home devices, and branded kitchen appliances. Amazon’s own products, including Kindles, Fire TVs, and Echo Dots, usually come with the deepest discounts. In 2023, Prime Day purchase discounts totaled $2.5 billion, according to Capital One.
Retail analysts have found that many of these items are offered at their lowest prices of the year. So yes, if you’ve had your eye on a specific product and it happens to be on sale during Prime Day, you could walk away with serious savings.
Read more: 7 money-saving perks for Amazon Prime members
Keep in mind that not all the deals offered on Prime Day are really worth it. It’s important to have a plan and do your research ahead of time so you know whether you’re looking at a true discount.
One common tactic retailers use to encourage spending is “price anchoring,” where the listed original price is inflated, making the discount look more impressive than it actually is. In some cases, the so-called sale price is just a return to the item’s normal price after a brief increase in the weeks leading up to Prime Day.
Another issue is the impulse-buy nature of the event. Flash deals and lightning sales are designed to create urgency, leading many shoppers to make purchases they wouldn’t otherwise consider. If you buy something you don’t need — or wouldn’t have bought without the flashy red countdown clock — you’re not really saving money, even if the price is lower.
If you’re hoping to cash in on Amazon Prime savings, it’s important to make a game plan.
It’s easy to get distracted by discounts and make impulsive purchases while browsing. Before you start shopping, make a list of the key items you really want. Prioritize finding deals on those must-haves — and only buy them if it makes sense for your budget.
Decide how much money you can comfortably afford to spend on Prime Day ahead of time and stick to that limit. You’ll avoid throwing your budget off track and ending up with buyer’s remorse.
This year, Amazon is offering over 40 personalized deal features to help shoppers find discounts on products they’re most likely to be interested in. Look for personalized suggestions within the “Recommended deals for you,” “Top deals for you,” and “Customers’ Most-Loved” features to zero in on the deals you may be looking for.
Subscribe and save (if it makes sense)
Amazon’s Subscribe and Save feature offers year-round discounts on items you need to stock up on regularly. On Prime Day, these items may have an additional discount that could help you score extra savings.
Many major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Best Buy will have their own sales and promotions around Prime Day when they know shoppers are in the mood to splurge. Before you check out, compare the price of items in your cart across a few different retailers to ensure you’re getting the lowest price overall.
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