ATLANTA, October 26, 2026 — — VIVA Finance closed a $150 million credit facility with Viola Credit to accelerate its growth and expand access to fair financial products. The deal signals how institutional capital is reshaping consumer lending for underserved borrowers.
How Private Credit Facilities Expand Access to Affordable Consumer Lending
The new capital enables VIVA Finance to scale its payroll-linked credit solutions and reach more hardworking consumers overlooked by traditional credit platforms. The agreement, finalized on October 20, 2026, provides the Atlanta-based fintech with a significant funding line to support its core lending operations. Viola Credit, a leading global alternative asset manager focusing on technology-enabled lending, structured the facility to meet the specific risk profile of payroll-linked loans.
VIVA Finance’s platform integrates directly with employees’ direct deposit cycles. This integration allows the company to offer better terms and lower interest rates than traditional personal loan alternatives. By aligning repayments with direct deposit schedules, VIVA reduces the risk of default and eliminates the need for credit checks based solely on credit bureau history. The result is a credit product that reaches consumers often excluded from mainstream banking, offering a responsible alternative to payday lending or other high-cost alternatives.
The $150 million facility represents a substantial injection of capital for a sector that has historically struggled to attract institutional funding. Viola Credit’s involvement brings not only the funding itself but also structured finance expertise. Michael Chen, Managing Director and Head of US Investments at Viola Credit, highlighted the platform’s approach to responsible lending. According to Chen, VIVA’s innovative payroll integration and commitment to fair underwriting have driven impressive performance. The partnership allows Viola Credit to deploy capital into a growing niche of technology-enabled consumer credit while providing VIVA with the resources to expand its distribution footprint.
The mechanics of the facility support a model designed for financial inclusion. Traditional banks often rely on credit scores that exclude millions of working Americans. VIVA’s system uses direct deposit verification as a proxy for income stability. This method allows the platform to underwrite loans based on consistent employment rather than historical credit data. For the consumer, this means access to credit without the punitive interest rates associated with subprime products. The facility’s size indicates investor confidence in a model that balances risk mitigation with broad market reach.
The impact of this capital deployment extends beyond the immediate balance sheet. By providing an alternative to predatory lending practices, the facility addresses a persistent gap in the personal finance landscape. Consumers facing unexpected expenses or cash-flow gaps now have a regulated, transparent option. The deal underscores a broader trend of alternative asset managers filling voids left by traditional banking constraints. For the readers of personal finance coverage, the figure to note is $150 million—the capital that will determine how many additional consumers gain access to fair credit products in the coming months.
Institutional Credit Partnerships and Fair Lending Practices
The structural design of VIVA Finance’s facility reflects broader industry shifts toward fair lending compliance. Unlike traditional lenders that rely heavily on credit bureau data, which historically disadvantages marginalized groups, VIVA’s model uses direct deposit verification to assess repayment capacity. This approach aligns with fair lending principles by expanding credit access based on employment stability rather than historical credit metrics that can reflect systemic disparities.
Institutional partners like Viola Credit bring not only capital but also governance frameworks that support responsible underwriting. According to Michael Chen, Managing Director and Head of US Investments at Viola Credit, the partnership is built on “commitment to responsible lending” and innovative payroll integration. These institutional agreements often include metrics and oversight mechanisms designed to ensure that lending practices do not discriminate against protected classes, addressing long-standing gaps in affordable consumer credit access.
The Mechanics of Payroll-Linked Consumer Credit
VIVA Finance’s platform operates on a payroll-linked model designed to assess creditworthiness through direct deposit verification rather than traditional credit bureau data. According to the company’s announcement, this integration allows seamless, low-risk repayments aligned with employees’ direct deposit cycles. This method enables the platform to underwrite loans based on consistent employment and income stability, providing a proxy for repayment capacity that bypasses the limitations of credit scores.
The facility structured by Viola Credit supports this mechanics-driven approach to financial inclusion. Michael Chen, Managing Director and Head of US Investments at Viola Credit, noted that VIVA’s innovative payroll integration and commitment to responsible lending have driven impressive performance. By aligning repayments with direct deposit schedules, VIVA reduces the risk of default and eliminates the need for credit checks based solely on credit bureau history, offering consumers a responsible alternative to high-cost options like payday lending.
Strategic Growth and Market Expansion Plans
VIVA Finance has outlined specific plans to utilize the $150 million facility to accelerate its market reach. According to Jack Markwalter, CEO and founder of VIVA Finance, the capital will empower the company to “bring our responsible credit solutions to even more consumers, helping them achieve financial stability and avoid predatory alternatives.” The funding is specifically earmarked to scale the platform’s payroll-linked credit solutions, targeting hardworking consumers who are overlooked by traditional credit platforms and legacy banking institutions.
The partnership with Viola Credit is designed to support VIVA’s continued expansion across the employee credit ecosystem. Michael Chen, Managing Director and Head of US Investments at Viola Credit, emphasized the platform’s role in addressing a critical gap in consumer finance. The capital deployment will allow VIVA to deepen its distribution footprint, leveraging its proprietary payroll-linked repayment infrastructure to reach a broader segment of the market that struggles to access affordable credit products during financial emergencies.
Sources
- VIVA Finance Secures $150 Million Credit Facility with Viola Credit to Accelerate Growth and Expand Access to Fair Financial Products
- Mike Viola
- VIVA Finance Secures $150 Million Credit Facility with Viola Credit – ABF Journal
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