# Casca

> Casca, the operating name of Cascading AI, sells an AI-native loan-origination system to banks, credit unions and non-bank lenders. Its software handles the document chase, applicant communication, KYB and credit checks, financial analysis and workflow around SBA and commercial loans, with humans and lender policy kept in the loop. The company began with a broad vision for AI agents across banking, but a failed European platform partnership and hands-on work with Bankwell Bank sharpened the product into a focused SBA-lending wedge now used by major lenders including Live Oak, Huntington and Celtic Bank.

- **Founded:** 2023
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Founders:** Lukas Haffer (CEO and Co-Founder), Isaiah Williams (CTO and Co-Founder), Derick Guan (Co-Founder and Builder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 59 employees in the supplied company data; public company databases place Casca in the 51-100 employee band, while LinkedIn listed 11-50 at the time reviewed.
- **Products:** Casca AI-native Loan Origination System, Applicant Portal and Application Form, Sarah / AskSarah, KYB and Underwriting Automation, SBA Loan Analytics
- **Notable:** Joined Y Combinator's Summer 2023 batch., Won FinovateSpring 2024 Best of Show for its live product demo., Named a Gartner Cool Vendor in AI and Generative AI for Banking and Investment Services in 2024.

## Products & services

- **Casca AI-native Loan Origination System** — A configurable platform for business and SBA lending that covers digital application, workflow, analysis, decision support, closing and monitoring.
- **Applicant Portal and Application Form** — A white-label digital application that pre-fills information, accepts documents and exposes application status without relying on PDF packets.
- **Sarah / AskSarah** — An AI loan assistant that answers applicant questions by email, SMS and voice, follows up for missing items and escalates questions it should not answer.
- **KYB and Underwriting Automation** — Integrated KYB, KYC, credit pulls, document verification, financial spreading and credit-analysis support with auditability and human review.
- **SBA Loan Analytics** — Benchmarking and predictive analytics using millions of historical SBA loans, alongside performance tracking for lender portfolios.

## Achievements

- Joined Y Combinator's Summer 2023 batch.
- Won FinovateSpring 2024 Best of Show for its live product demo.
- Named a Gartner Cool Vendor in AI and Generative AI for Banking and Investment Services in 2024.
- Raised a $29 million Series A in August 2025, bringing publicly announced funding to $33 million.
- Won the Banking and Financial Services category in the 2026 BIG Innovation Awards; Lukas Haffer was also recognized as an Innovative Individual.
- Named to American Banker's 2026 Best Places to Work in Fintech list.
- Selected by Celtic Bank in April 2026 after design partnerships with Live Oak and Huntington.

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Casca raised a $29 million Series A led by Canapi Ventures with participation from customer-investors and existing backers.
- **2026-01** — Casca and CEO Lukas Haffer received recognition in the 2026 BIG Innovation Awards for banking and financial services.
- **2026-04** — Celtic Bank selected Casca to power its SBA 7(a) program, joining Live Oak and Huntington among named major lender customers.
- **2026-05** — American Banker named Casca to its 2026 Best Places to Work in Fintech list.

## Links

- Website: https://www.cascading.ai
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cascading-ai

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/casca
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-21