NEWITY Secures $11M to Revolutionize Small Business Lending with AI and Blockchain

CHICAGO, February 19, 2026 – NEWITY, a financial technology company focused on improving access to capital for small businesses, has announced a $11 million strategic investment led by CMT Digital. The funding will be used to scale the company’s AI-driven lending infrastructure and connect small business credit with blockchain-enabled capital markets.

Addressing the Small Business Funding Gap

Despite representing 99.9% of U.S. Firms and employing nearly half the nation’s workforce, small businesses face a significant funding shortfall – estimated at $350 billion annually. NEWITY aims to bridge this gap by combining artificial intelligence with blockchain technology, while ensuring full regulatory compliance. The company has already facilitated over $12 billion in SBA loans for more than 125,000 businesses, reducing funding timelines to one-third of the national average. The recent launch of Growth Term Loans further expanded access to capital across the small business spectrum.

Scaling AI-Driven Origination and Expanding Capital Access

The investment will focus on two key areas: enhancing NEWITY’s AI-first underwriting platform to streamline loan origination and building the infrastructure to connect small business credit with blockchain-enabled capital markets. This will enable NEWITY to efficiently guide more businesses through the funding process and transform small business debt into digital, tradable instruments, facilitating the continuous recycling of capital back to entrepreneurs.

Blockchain Integration: Transforming Illiquid Assets

NEWITY plans to bring its lending products onchain, exploring various strategies to be announced in the near future. The company believes blockchain infrastructure can improve liquidity for credit assets, allowing onchain debt instruments to integrate more efficiently with capital markets. This could unlock new avenues for financing small business loans and reaching investors currently underserved by traditional channels.

How NEWITY Works: A Modern Lending Approach

NEWITY operates as a lending service provider, partnering with banks to originate and approve loans, including institutions like Northeast Bank. The company doesn’t directly issue SBA loans but streamlines the process for borrowers. NEWITY’s AI-powered underwriting platform analyzes hundreds of data points – including credit checks, identity verification, and tax summaries – to provide a prequalified loan estimate in under 10 minutes. Borrowers can potentially receive funding in as little as 21 days, significantly faster than the traditional 12-week timeline.

Industry Momentum and Future Growth

Industry observers anticipate increased adoption of blockchain technology within the credit platform space, citing the transparency, faster settlement, and programmability that onchain loans offer. NEWITY is headquartered in Chicago and currently employs around 115 people, with ongoing hiring across partner, marketing, and technology teams to support its expansion. The company aims to refine its lending models and advance its blockchain integration strategy to further shorten timelines and open new lending channels for small businesses.

“NEWITY has demonstrated the ability to move quickly and efficiently in one of the most operationally complex lending markets,” said Sam Hallene, Partner at CMT Digital.

Key Takeaways

• NEWITY secured $11 million in funding led by CMT Digital to scale its AI-driven lending platform and integrate blockchain technology.
• The company aims to address the $350 billion annual funding shortfall faced by small businesses in the U.S.
• NEWITY’s AI platform reduces loan origination timelines to as little as 21 days, compared to the national average of 12 weeks.
• Blockchain integration will focus on improving liquidity and creating new capital access channels for small business loans.