Mumbai-based fintech start-up Intellend Technologies Advisors has raised $1.2m (£0.95m) in seed funding as it looks to expand digital lending access for India’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), a sector that continues to face a large credit shortfall.
The funding round was led by Incubate Fund Asia, with participation from M Venture Partners, Atrium Angels and angel investor Dhananjay Tiwari. The company said the capital would be used to strengthen its team, accelerate product development and roll out its go-to-market strategy.
Founded in May 2025, Intellend operates a fully digital, embedded lending platform that enables credit to be offered directly within merchant and commerce ecosystems. The company positions itself as a “lending-as-a-service” provider, using data analytics, artificial intelligence-driven underwriting and technology-led risk assessment to serve businesses that are often excluded from traditional bank lending.
India’s MSME sector is estimated to face a credit gap of more than $500bn, according to industry estimates. Many smaller businesses remain dependent on informal sources of borrowing, which are typically expensive and unsecured. Intellend aims to address this by working with digital merchant platforms and financial institutions to offer short-term loans at the point of need, based on real-time cash-flow data.
The company said it has already partnered with merchant ecosystems collectively serving more than 100,000 businesses, enabling faster and lower-friction access to credit.
In a joint statement, founders Brotish Das, Som Chatterjee and Bodhisattwa Gupta said the funding would help the company deepen partnerships with ecosystem players and strengthen its AI-based credit assessment capabilities.
Investors said Intellend’s model could play a broader role in building India’s digital credit infrastructure. Rajeev Ranka, India partner at Incubate Fund Asia, said the platform addressed a “critical gap” in digital commerce by combining underwriting, analytics and distribution at scale.
Looking ahead, Intellend plans to expand its product suite, add new platform partnerships and, over time, explore opportunities in other underserved segments and selected international markets.
