nCino and Parlay launch AI integration for SBA loan intake

nCino and Parlay have launched an AI integration aimed at reducing paperwork for Small Business Administration lenders, with more than $500 million in SBA loan inquiries processed so far in 2026. First Internet Bank is among the early users of the live integration.

The partnership connects Parlay’s AI-native Loan Intelligence System with nCino’s Commercial and Small Business Solutions, targeting America’s 1,400 Small Business Administration lenders. The reported inquiry volume represents a pipeline of potential loans, not originated or funded lending.

Automating the work before banker review

Parlay’s agentic workflows manage borrower intake, screen for program eligibility and perform initial deal structuring before a human banker reviews the file. A one-click handoff connects the systems.

Existing Parlay customers report that the platform reduces the manual work required to prepare a credit-ready file by up to 80%. Parlay attributes that reduction to eliminating paper-heavy SBA documentation processes. The figure comes from self-reported customer data, rather than an independent audit.

Alex McLeod, co-founder and chief executive of Parlay, framed the deal as additive rather than disruptive to existing infrastructure: "No rip and replace required, so more small businesses across the country gain faster access to capital." Chris Gufford, nCino’s chief product officer, said the pairing adds "agentic capabilities that help lenders move eligible borrowers to approval faster."

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Distribution and oversight

Under the agreement, nCino will resell and support Parlay’s platform as an add-on for customers prioritizing SBA lending. Parlay can continue serving the broader SBA market directly. The companies did not disclose revenue-sharing terms or the size of any upfront commitment.

nCino serves over 2,700 financial institutions globally, providing a distribution channel for Parlay. The partnership addresses a market where specialist staffing and extensive manual document handling have made SBA lending administratively demanding. Those overhead costs have contributed to reluctance among community banks and credit unions to establish or expand SBA programs.

Lenders remain responsible for determining program eligibility under the federal guarantee structures administered by the US Small Business Administration. AI-assisted screening tools will need audit trails and human oversight that meet SBA lender standards, alongside broader regulatory expectations from the OCC and FDIC that automated credit decisions remain explainable and contestable.

The measures to watch next are funded lending outcomes: origination volume, the share of inquiries that become funded loans, and adoption among nCino’s existing SBA customers. Those figures will provide a clearer view of throughput than inquiry volume alone.

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