Here’s a quick overview of how Liberis is transforming SMB funding through automation:

Part two in our four-part series on Liberis’ small business-first innovation roadmap.

In today’s fast-moving environment, small businesses must navigate shifting consumer trends, rising competition, and ongoing economic uncertainty.

Access to capital plays a critical role in their ability to adapt and grow. Yet traditional funding channels often create barriers, with lengthy approval processes, extensive paperwork, and rigid criteria that favour established businesses.

For entrepreneurs who need capital quickly to seize opportunities or manage challenges, these delays can significantly limit growth.

At Liberis, we are addressing this challenge by removing friction from the funding journey through automation, delivering funding at the speed of business.

Funding at the speed of business refers to a model where SMBs can access capital quickly, with minimal friction, and without the delays typically associated with traditional lending.

This approach focuses on:

• Instant or near-instant decisioning
• Fully digital application journeys
• Automated data collection and verification
• Rapid disbursement of funds

The goal is to align funding access with the pace at which SMBs operate.

Automation plays a central role in improving both accessibility and convenience for SMB funding.

By reducing manual processes and simplifying the application journey, Liberis enables more businesses to access funding, including those traditionally underserved by lenders.

Key outcomes

• Application journeys completed in fewer than four clicks
• Instant decisions and rapid funding disbursement
• Increased access for micro-merchants and smaller businesses

Automation reduces both cost and risk, making it possible to serve segments that were previously considered unviable.

As a result, more SMBs can access capital when they need it, enabling faster decision-making and more confident planning.

The Liberis platform combines multiple innovations to deliver a seamless and efficient funding experience.

Frictionless data collection

Automated validation and in-journey data capture eliminate the need for manual document exchange. Contracts can be signed digitally, removing delays and reducing complexity.

AI-powered underwriting

AI models enable auto-decisioning rates of up to 90 percent, allowing funding decisions to be made in seconds rather than days.

Streamlined fund disbursement

Once approved, funds can be delivered in as little as 10 minutes from application to account.

Together, these capabilities create a fully digital, end-to-end funding journey with minimal manual intervention.

Automation allows funding to be delivered directly within the platforms SMBs already use, such as e-commerce marketplaces, payment platforms, and financial tools.

This creates:

• A frictionless, embedded funding experience
• Faster access without leaving trusted platforms
• Greater relevance through data-driven offers

For example, SMBs operating on platforms like eBay can access funding seamlessly, without interrupting their day-to-day operations.

The benefits of automation extend across both SMB outcomes and partner performance.

• 81 percent of applications progress through to funding
• Partners see retention rates of over 99 percent among funded customers

Automation not only improves access to funding but also strengthens long-term relationships between platforms and their customers.

• Lower operational complexity - Automation reduces manual processes, lowering costs and enabling efficient scaling.
• Higher conversion rates - A simplified application journey increases the likelihood of merchants completing the funding process.
• Stronger customer loyalty - Fast, reliable funding experiences improve satisfaction and long-term engagement.
• Rapid integration - Partners can access these capabilities through a single API integration, allowing them to benefit from continuous product innovation and updates.

Liberis continues to invest in automation through the development of AI-driven tools.

A new AI agent, developed in-house, is expected to reduce decisioning time by an additional 25 percent.

By automating document analysis and leveraging real-time data integrations, including open banking, Liberis is moving towards a future where access to capital is seamless and immediate.

Traditional funding models rely heavily on manual processes, static data, and lengthy approval cycles.

Liberis’ approach introduces:

• Automated, end-to-end digital journeys
• Real-time data-driven decisioning
• Faster approvals and disbursement
• Embedded delivery within partner platforms

This creates a more efficient and accessible funding experience for SMBs.

Removing friction from funding is not just about improving speed. It is about enabling SMBs to act with confidence and seize opportunities when they arise.

By combining automation, AI, and embedded delivery, Liberis is creating a funding experience that is faster, more accessible, and built for growth.

That is funding at the speed of business.

In the next instalment, we explore how Liberis is evolving its technology to support global scaling, from geo-expansion to onboarding and partner enablement.

• Embedded finance - Financial services integrated directly into a platform or product experience
• AI-powered underwriting - The use of artificial intelligence to assess risk and make funding decisions
• Automated funding journey - A fully digital process with minimal manual input
• Disbursement - The transfer of funds to a customer’s account