Intellend Raises $1.2 Million to Tackle MSME Credit Gaps at Scale

At a time when access to formal credit remains uneven across India’s small business economy, Intellend Technologies Advisors Private Limited is positioning itself at the intersection of lending and digital commerce. The Mumbai-based fintech has raised $1.2 million (INR 10.6 crore) in a seed round led by Incubate Fund Asia, with participation from M Venture Partners, Atrium Angels, and angel investor Dhananjay Tiwari.

The capital infusion comes less than a year after Intellend’s founding and signals growing investor interest in infrastructure-led fintech models aimed at India’s vast MSME segment.

Why MSME Lending Remains a Hard Problem

India’s MSME credit gap is estimated at over $500 billion, driven by limited access to formal lending, thin credit histories, and heavy reliance on informal borrowing. For many small merchants operating within digital ecosystems, credit availability remains disconnected from real-time business performance.

Intellend’s approach centres on embedding credit directly into merchant platforms, allowing financing to be offered at the point of need rather than through standalone loan applications.

Founded in May 2025 by Brotish Das, Chief Executive Officer, Intellend; Som Chatterjee, Chief Operating Officer, Intellend; and Bodhisattwa Gupta, Chief Business Officer, Intellend, the company is building a full-stack lending-as-a-service platform for digital merchant ecosystems.

How Intellend’s Platform Works

Instead of relying solely on traditional credit scores, Intellend uses AI-driven underwriting, cash-flow analytics, and technology-led risk assessment to evaluate borrowers. The platform integrates with merchant ecosystems and financial institutions, enabling seamless, embedded credit access for underserved MSMEs.

As an initial step, the company has already partnered with merchant ecosystems collectively serving more than one lakh merchants, offering credit with minimal friction while balancing lender risk.

This model allows lenders to tap into live transaction data, while merchants gain access to financing without navigating complex loan processes.

Funding to Fuel Product and Go-To-Market Expansion

Intellend plans to deploy the fresh capital across three priorities: strengthening its core team, accelerating product development, and executing its go-to-market strategy. The company is also looking to expand partnerships with additional merchant platforms and financial institutions while broadening its product suite.

Over the medium to long term, Intellend is exploring opportunities beyond MSMEs, including other underserved segments and select international markets.

Founders and Investors on the Road Ahead

Commenting on the fundraise, Brotish Das, Som Chatterjee, and Bodhisattwa Gupta, Founders of Intellend, said, “We are excited to close our seed round as we work towards reimagining the future of embedded B2B2C lending for India’s MSME ecosystems. This funding allows us to deepen our partnerships with leading ecosystems, strengthen our AI-led credit underwriting capabilities, and scale instant financing solutions that can meaningfully improve credit access for millions of underserved businesses pan-India.”

From the investor side, Rajeev Ranka, India Partner, Incubate Fund Asia, said, “Intellend’s embedded financing platform addresses a critical gap in the digital commerce ecosystem. By integrating AI-driven underwriting, analytics, and active cash flow data, Intellend is building foundational credit infrastructure for underserved businesses.”

Experience Behind the Execution

The founding team brings experience across global and Indian financial institutions, including Citi, Standard Chartered, HSBC, SMFG, Axis Bank, Medical Protective, and Toast Inc. This background in risk management and digital lending has shaped Intellend’s focus on scalable, compliant, and data-driven credit infrastructure.

As digital commerce platforms continue to become the primary operating layer for small businesses, embedded lending models like Intellend’s are increasingly seen as a practical way to close India’s persistent MSME credit gap without forcing merchants to step outside their existing workflows.