Paintbrush
“Can a fintech lender profitably serve pre-revenue and idea-stage founders who are systematically excluded from traditional and SBA lending programs?”
Founded2021
HQCottonwood Heights, Utah, USA
FoundersStephen Walter, Kaela Worthen
Total raised$3M
Latest roundSeed, 2023
IndustryFintech / Lending
The story
Paintbrush was founded in 2021 to provide loans specifically designed for new businesses at the idea stage — a segment largely ignored by traditional lenders. The platform offers up to $50k to early-stage founders with a rapid application process. With $3M in seed funding from Green Egg Ventures, Paintbrush is positioned as a startup-friendly lender leveraging identity and credit infrastructure (Alloy) to make underwriting decisions for a borrower profile that most incumbent lenders avoid.
Product timeline
2021
Paintbrush founded in Cottonwood Heights, Utah as a financial services company focused on early-stage startup loans.· lending
2023
Raised $3M Seed round led by Green Egg Ventures to expand startup loan platform offering up to $50k to early-stage businesses.· lending
The stack
Accounting gap: none