In a move that reflects the growing demand for smarter, self-directed finance tools, Southern California’s Icon Business Bank has partnered with ZimpleMoney, a cloud-based loan servicing platform, to help customers streamline private party financing.

The deal gives Icon’s business clients access to modern lending infrastructure—tools typically reserved for fintech startups and institutional lenders. Think automated ledgers, integrated payments, borrower portals, and full-stack reporting—without the need for clunky spreadsheets or disjointed back-office processes.

Private Financing, the Easy Way

Private loans and seller financing are on the rise among SMBs, especially in sectors like auto, real estate, and small-scale M&A. But many of these transactions still rely on manual processes and handshake agreements. That’s where ZimpleMoney comes in.

Through its cloud-based platform and open APIs, businesses can now offer and manage loans directly with customers, employees, or buyers—whether it’s a seller-financed real estate deal, an ESOP arrangement, or customer installment plans.

“More and more companies are utilizing some form of seller financing to grow their business, but are still relying on spreadsheets to manage it,” said Ted Tekippe, CEO of ZimpleMoney. “We’re thrilled to partner with Icon Business Bank to bring our technology to their customers.”

In other words, ZimpleMoney replaces Excel with enterprise-grade tools for private credit.

Why It Matters

Private credit markets have surged in recent years, especially as traditional financing tightens. According to PitchBook, private debt is expected to outpace other asset classes in growth by 2026. Yet, small businesses—who often lean on informal lending or seller financing—are still underserved when it comes to managing that capital with professionalism and transparency.

This partnership aims to fill that gap, giving SMBs a structure that makes private lending less risky and more scalable.

“Whether it’s an auto dealer offering purchase financing, a seller note on a real estate transaction, or companies managing an ESOP loan, ZimpleMoney makes it easy to track and manage private financing in a secure, trusted environment,” said Ernie Hwang, CEO of Icon Business Bank.

The added bonus? Businesses can now unlock new revenue streams by offering in-house financing without the operational headaches.

A Trend That’s Here to Stay

ZimpleMoney’s tech-forward approach dovetails with a broader fintech trend: B2B financial services are going modular, API-driven, and increasingly embedded in workflows. Banks that want to stay relevant are striking partnerships to give customers these tools without having to build them in-house.

For Icon Business Bank, this isn’t just about modernizing back-end processes. It’s about staying competitive in a world where customers expect more autonomy and speed—and where the bank that enables flexible financing often wins the deal.