For growing fintech companies, operational speed and stability are critical. At 1West, investing in the right fintech infrastructure enabled us to transform our lending process, making it faster, more secure, and more scalable.
What began as a representative-heavy model has since evolved into a streamlined, customer-first platform. Through our partnership with Heroku, we’ve built a flexible technical foundation that allows us to meet the demands of modern borrowers while continuing to grow exponentially.
| Key takeaways – 1West streamlined its loan approval process using Heroku, reducing processing time from hours to minutes through a secure and scalable fintech infrastructure. – The introduction of the ABLE platform shifted loan applications to a customer-driven experience, improving efficiency and engagement. – Machine learning capabilities now enable nearly 30% of loans to be processed without representative involvement, boosting speed and customer retention. |
In our early stages, loan processing was largely manual. A prospective borrower would complete a form on our website and wait to be contacted by a representative. While effective in the short term, this model presented two major challenges: time delays and scalability limitations.
The process also lacked consistency and security. Emailing sensitive documents back and forth was not sustainable for a business focused on growth. It became clear we needed a better system, one that could support automation, maintain data integrity, and create a more seamless customer journey.
With a network of over 50 funders, integrating a wide range of APIs and workflows was no small task. We needed a solution that could unify these connections, manage multiple applications, and scale easily.
“When I found Heroku, it felt like magic, ‘Oh, you literally just push that to your GitHub branch and it just is there.’ It really was that simple. It’s just so easy to just hit push and you have your app and it exists on the internet,” said Cheyne Pierce, 1West Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Heroku provided exactly that. Its modular and developer-friendly platform allowed us to build dedicated apps for funder APIs, customer portals, secure document transfers, and communication tools—all with streamlined deployment and minimal maintenance overhead.
This approach enabled us to focus on delivering value to our customers rather than managing infrastructure.
A key milestone in our transformation was the introduction of the ABLE platform: our Automated Business Lending Engine. This digital portal allows fintech companies and small business owners to submit their applications, upload documents, and receive funding decisions quickly.
The ABLE portal shifted the flow of communication. Instead of beginning the process with a phone call, borrowers can now complete most of the steps independently. Representatives still play a key role, but their involvement is more strategic, focused on helping customers finalize decisions rather than guiding them through each step manually.
As a result, efficiency increased significantly. Applicants progressed through the system faster, and our representatives were able to spend more time assisting borrowers with active funding offers.
To further reduce processing time and improve user experience, we implemented machine learning within the ABLE platform.
Pierce emphasized: “Once we figured out how to automate the loan process with ML, it changed everything. We were able to show customers a draft offer once they completed the application, which really got them to stick. They stayed on the platform because they could see what their deal was then, instead of having to come back. That was probably the biggest inflection point. Instead of half of our approvals leaving and never coming back, they were engaged right then.”
Historically, applications from fintech companies and other businesses were sent to funders for manual review. Once a response was received, our team would contact the applicant to continue the process. This delay led to a high abandonment rate, with many borrowers seeking alternative funding options elsewhere.
Machine learning changed that. Using historical data, our platform can now predict which funders are most likely to approve an application. Customers see preliminary offers shortly after submitting their information, making it more likely they stay engaged and complete the process.
Today, nearly 30% of our loans are processed without any representative involvement—an outcome that would not have been possible under our original model.
In addition to improved speed, security has been a major benefit of our infrastructure upgrade. Before adopting Heroku, we relied on email exchanges for documentation. This exposed both our customers and internal teams to unnecessary risk.
Now, all sensitive information is processed through secure, encrypted channels within the ABLE platform. This not only ensures compliance and data protection but also gives customers peace of mind during the application process.
To measure satisfaction, we integrated a Trustpilot review widget at the end of the journey. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many users citing the ease and speed of the application process.
“We put out a trust pilot review widget at the end of the application process. We’ve seen quite a few people writing 5-star reviews saying, ‘Hey, this is a super easy application process.’ It’s easy for them, and I think people like that,” Pierce stated.
Heroku’s simplicity has also improved our internal workflows. Our development team can deploy updates with a single command. There is no need to manage cloud servers, allocate resources, or troubleshoot complex infrastructure issues.
This allows our engineers to focus on building better features and improving the platform. We’re no longer limited by backend capacity or scalability concerns. For fintech companies seeking to maintain lean teams, this type of infrastructure support is invaluable.
As we continue to expand, our infrastructure remains a key part of our strategy. Several of our affiliated ventures, including LoanGeek (real estate lending), EquipLoan (equipment financing), and Flash (small business loans), are being brought under the same technical framework.
We are also developing a multilingual version of the ABLE portal to better serve diverse markets, and enhancing our customer support tools through AI-powered chat using Agentforce.
The strength of our underlying platform makes these ongoing developments possible. It allows us to introduce new services without disrupting existing ones and to continue scaling without compromising on performance or security.
1West’s journey provides several important lessons for fintech companies evaluating their own infrastructure:
Automation can improve both speed and accuracy, while freeing human resources to focus on more impactful tasks.
Investing in adaptable infrastructure prevents bottlenecks and supports long-term growth.
A secure platform fosters customer trust and safeguards sensitive financial information.
Machine learning and predictive analytics improve processing times and reduce abandonment rates.
Streamlined deployment and maintenance empower engineering teams to innovate quickly.
Recognized on the 2023 Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies, 1West continues to build on a foundation of innovation and operational excellence. We believe that strong fintech infrastructure plays a critical role in how we serve our customers. From small business owners applying for their first loan to larger clients seeking fast turnaround, our platform enables us to deliver financing solutions that are efficient, secure, and built to scale.
“I’d done a lot of Heroku projects, and I was just very familiar with the platform. I’d been using it before Salesforce even bought it, and I like the platform so much,” said Pierce. “I just knew it was going to be everything we needed.”
To learn more about how we support small business lending through smart technology and thoughtful design, visit our website. You can also read our full Heroku case study here.
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