This collaboration brings together Epic River’s lending-as-a-service platform, which connects financial institutions with unique and local community lending opportunities, and Zero Circle’s green finance marketplace, designed to streamline access to green capital for mid-tier organizations.

Epic River’s platform, known for supporting online applications, electronic signing, and remote ID verification and notarization, will now deliver qualified green financing opportunities to its network of community bank and credit union lenders. This integration is expected to facilitate a more efficient loan application process for those seeking green financing.

Zero Circle has developed a platform that automates the sustainability evaluations and reporting for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), simplifying their access to green financing. By automating the tracking and reporting of a company’s carbon footprint and financial key performance indicators (KPIs), Zero Circle intends to make the prequalification process for green loans more accessible, encouraging SMBs to pursue sustainable and net-zero operations.

The collaboration is set to enhance the availability of green financing by leveraging the integrated capabilities of both platforms. For customers seeking either traditional or green financing, Zero Circle will refer loan opportunities to community financial institutions or to a network of more than 2,000 participating lenders through Epic River’s lending platform. This alliance is strategically positioned to expedite the green financing process, particularly benefiting SMBs.

Allied Market Research emphasizes the importance of this partnership in light of a growing sustainable and impact investment market projected to reach $22.5 trillion by 2031, with a CAGR of 20%. This growth trajectory highlights the increasing movement towards environmental and societal sustainability within the financial industry.

"Green financing is relatively new and complex,” said Hemanth Setty, founder and CEO of Zero Circle. “By teaming up with Epic River, we aim to simplify the process for both loan seekers and lenders, thereby facilitating access to green loans and supporting companies’ environmental sustainability initiatives."

“Our mission is to empower community banks and credit unions with new loan opportunities to fuel their growth,” said Jeff Grobaski, founder and CEO of Epic River. “Collaborating with Zero Circle enables us to now offer a new solution with an exceptional suite of tools and resources to help our network of lenders tap into the high-growth green financing market. Our alliance reinforces our dedication to deliver innovative solutions that enable financial institutions to support the customers and communities they serve.”

As the market and regulatory landscape continues to evolve, Zero Circle and Epic River are committed to exploring new opportunities and requirements that support the advancement of green finance.