Kaaj, a rising fintech startup, has secured $3.8 million in seed funding to strengthen its AI-powered lending platform. The round was led by Kindred Ventures, with participation from Better Tomorrow Ventures and several well-known angel investors. This new investment will help Kaaj speed up its product development, grow its customer base, and make business lending simpler, quicker, and more accessible for small enterprises.
A New Way to Speed Up Loan Approvals
Kaaj has created a smart credit intelligence platform that helps lenders approve loans much faster. Traditionally, checking loan applications takes days because underwriters must manually verify documents such as bank statements, tax reports, revenue details, and business performance records. Kaaj’s system uses advanced AI to handle all this work in just minutes. The platform automatically reads documents, verifies them, checks for fraud, and gives lenders clear insights to make decisions confidently. This saves lenders time, reduces manual work, and allows them to process many more loan applications without increasing their workforce.
Why Small Businesses Need This
Many small businesses struggle to get loans, not because they are unqualified, but because banks find it too costly to underwrite smaller loan amounts. The work involved in assessing a ₹10 lakh loan is almost the same as a ₹3 crore loan. This makes lenders prefer bigger deals, leaving small entrepreneurs waiting for weeks or getting rejected entirely. Kaaj solves this problem by lowering the cost and time of underwriting. With its technology, lenders can now afford to approve smaller loans faster, helping small business owners access capital when they need it the most. The company says it has already processed billions of dollars worth of applications, proving that faster and more inclusive lending is not just possible but scalable.
The Vision Behind Kaaj
Kaaj was founded by Utsav Shah and Shivi Sharma, a husband-and-wife team who bring together strong expertise from both the tech and financial sectors. Utsav previously worked on AI and automation systems at companies like Uber and Cruise, while Shivi built deep experience in credit risk and fraud prevention at leading banks and fintech firms. Their combined knowledge helped shape Kaaj into a platform that understands both the intelligence of AI and the seriousness of financial decision-making. Their vision is to build technology that makes lending transparent and fair while giving lenders the confidence they need to handle more applications with accuracy.
What Comes Next for the Startup
With the newly raised $3.8 million, Kaaj plans to introduce more features into its platform, making it useful for different types of lenders, from banks to digital lending firms. The startup will also focus on expanding its presence across the lending ecosystem and improving its integrations with CRM systems used by financial teams. The goal is to support faster decision-making without forcing lenders to change their existing workflows. Kaaj aims to help more small businesses get access to capital quickly and safely, building a future where technology removes delays and creates equal opportunities for every entrepreneur.